Understanding Poems through Drama: English for Grade 5

Based on the poem The Grumble Family by L. M. Montgomery

Session Design by Morgan Huffman, Stormy Knaak, Madi Nielson, Kendall Westmoreland
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
CCSS English Language Arts: Fluency, Reading: Literature Standard 4B
o Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression.
CCSS English Language Arts: Key Ideas and Details, Reading: Literature Standard 2
o Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including
how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a
poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Utah Fine ArtsTheatre: Standard 1 Objective 2B
o Create dialogue and physical attributes in a character that reveal a specific attitude
and/or motive.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that the lenses through which they approach situations (e.g.,
optimism, pessimism, fear, hope) influence the emotions that they might feel at the end of
the experience (e.g., joy, anger, despair, resilience).
ASSESSMENT
Performance Tasks
Students read one stanza of the poem The Grumble Family by L.M. Montgomery (see
attached) out loud in a circle and their reading is graded on the Reading Rubric (see
attached) in order to demonstrate that they can read grade-level prose and poetry orally
with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
Students improvise a short scene detailing a portion of a typical day in the Grumble
household in which they create a role (such as Sister Grumble, Brother Grumble, Mama
Grumble, Papa Grumble, Grumpa) and demonstrate their characters physical traits and
specific attitudes they might possess in order to create dialogue and physical attributes in
a character that reveal a specific attitude and/or motive; assess this based on the Short
Scene Rubric (see attached).
Students explain in 1-2 sentences what lesson they learned from and what events took
place in The Grumble Family by L.M. Montgomery in order to demonstrate their ability to
determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the
text.
Other Assessments
Students complete a journal entry reflecting on their characters initial view of Alex and
how it influenced their emotions during and after the challenge as well as the relative
difficulty of choosing a positive view and whether it is worthwhile to determine their
understanding that the lenses through which they approach situations (e.g., optimism,
pessimism, fear, hope) influence the emotions that they might feel at the end of the
experience (e.g., joy, anger, despair, resilience) as well as to determine how characters in
a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a
topic.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher Materials
The Grumble Family by L.M. Montgomery (see attached)
Horton Hears a Who excerpt by Dr. Seuss (see attached)
Short Scene Rubric (see attached)
Reading Rubric (see attached)
Family Activities Sheet (see attached)
Student Materials
Paper
Pen/pencil
Circle of Life Worksheet (see attached)
Sticky notes
LEARNING PLAN
Day 1
Framing / Hook
1. Line of dialogue (5 minutes)
a. Teacher discusses that rate is the speed in which you speak, and expression is the
use of emotion through voice or facial movement.
b. Teacher demonstrates saying So what do you think of that? using rate and
expression to portray being sassy.
c. Sitting at their desks, students as a class repeat the line So what do you think of
that? changing their rate and expression to express the following:
i. Sad
ii. Grumpy
iii. Happy
iv. Fearful
v. Robot
vi. Elderly person
vii. Angry robot
viii. Happy elderly person
d. Students discuss how changing their rate and expression affected the line of
dialogue and made the emotions and characters more or less realistic.
Process
2. Read Horton Hears a Who excerpt by Dr. Seuss (see attached) (5 minutes)
a. Teacher explains that the students will be taking turns reading lines of a poem and
that they will be graded on accuracy of reading, appropriate rate during their
reading, and the use of expression.
b. Teacher explains that accuracy is reading the words as they are written, appropriate
rate would be not reading too fast or too slow, and expression is reading with
emotion.
c. Teacher demonstrates using accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression while
reading the Horton Hears a Who excerpt by Dr. Seuss.
d. Students discuss as a class the accuracy, rate, and expression of the teachers
demonstration.
3. Read The Grumble Family poem by L.M. Montgomery (see attached) (10 minutes)
a. Students split into two groups, students sitting on one half of the classroom are in
one group and the students sitting on the other half are in a second group.
b. Teacher explains that the students will be giving their classmates effective
formative feedback which addresses their accuracy, rate, and expression.
c. Teacher distributes copies of The Grumble Family poem by L.M. Montgomery.
d. Teacher reads the title and author of The Grumble Family.
e. Students go around clockwise reading one stanza of the poem.
f. Students give verbal formative feedback in partnerships assigned by the teacher.

g. Students repeat steps c and d and are graded by the teacher using the Reading
Rubric (see attached).
4. Creating a character (9 minutes)
a. Students count off 1-5 and split into the five groups based on the number they were
given.
b. Each group is assigned a Circle of Life Worksheet (see attached) for the following
specific characters in The Grumble Family: Sister Grumble, Brother Grumble, Mama
Grumble, Papa Grumble, and Grumpa.
c. Students in their small groups determine the name, age, daily activity, hobbies,
physicality, and are given a pet peeve for their assigned character.
d. Students introduce themselves in role based on their Circle of Life character to the
rest of the class.
i. NOTE: Each student in the group contributes a portion of the characters
description.
5. Family Home Videos (10 minutes)
a. Teacher explains that the students will be graded based on their ability to produce
meaningful dialogue for their character, their ability to portray appropriate physical
attributes for their character, and their ability to demonstrate a clear specific
attitude and/or motive.
b. Students are assigned letters (A, B, C, etc. depending on the number of students in
each character group) and group by letter to form a family unit with one person
representing each character.
i. NOTE: If needed, teacher records the students in each family group for future
reference.
c. Students plan the conflict of their short scene detailing a portion of a typical day in
the Grumble household.
d. Students improvise their short scenes for the rest of the class as graded on the
Short Scene Rubric (see attached).
6. Announce the arrival of the new household assistant, Alex (1 minute)
a. Teacher announces that the Grumble family will be trying out a household assistant
to help with the housework and will be arriving in the next class.
Day 2
Framing / Hook
7. Reflect on day one (2 minutes)
a. Teacher out of role comes in and re-introduces themselves.
b. Students are reminded that Alex was hired by Mama Grumble as a household
assistant to help around the house.
8. Pantomime (3 minutes)
a. Teacher out of role explains that pantomiming is portraying a moment or scene
without using words or props.
b. Teacher demonstrates pantomiming pouring and drinking a glass of water.
c. Students demonstrate pantomiming pouring and drinking a glass of water.
9. Arrival of Alex (2 minutes)
a. Teacher in role as Alex enters the classroom and announces Alex is here for Alexs
first day of work but wants to get to know the members of the family and what the
household is like.
i. NOTE: At this point, the students are also in role as their characters in the
Grumble family.
10.Interview with the Grumbles (5 minutes)
a. Alex interviews the Grumble family members using the following questions:
i. Mama Grumble informed me that there has been a lot of conflict in your
family. Can you tell me about some of the conflict from the scenes you made
last time? What was the conflict that your family dealt with?
ii. How did you add to this conflict?
iii. What are some ways that you could have dealt with/avoided this conflict?

11.Family activities (3 minutes)

a. Alex explains that Alex will be distributing a family activity to each family unit.
Through pantomime, each family will have to work together to complete the activity
using compromise.
b. Alex explains that the goal for each family during the completion of their activity is
to be able to reflect on the experience positively.
c. Students regroup to be with their family groups from the previous lesson.
d. Alex distributes the family activities.
i. Pantomime making a sandcastle at the beach.
ii. Pantomime planting a garden in the backyard.
iii. Pantomime raking the leaves.
iv. Pantomime organizing the toy room.
v. Pantomime grocery shopping together.
vi. Pantomime making dinner together.
vii. Pantomime making a snowman together.
viii. Pantomime giving the dog a bath.
1. NOTE: Alex should make it clear that the students will want to have a
specific plan for their scene before they pantomime it for the class.
12.Testing out the goals (10 minutes)
a. Students in their family groups plan their pantomimed scene.
b. Each family group performs their pantomimed scene for the rest of the class.
c. Alex thanks the students for trying out Alexs challenges and leaves.
13.Alternate Endings (10 minutes)
a. Students return to their desks.
b. Teacher out of role explains that the rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB and the
lines stay around ten syllables each.
c. Students out of role use the poetry techniques they have been taught to write a
final portion of the poem The Grumble Family (2-4 lines) concerning their
characters experience with the challenges.
14.Graffiti Wall (3 minutes)
a. Students receive a colored sticky note.
b. Students write the lesson their character learned and the events that took place in
the poem The Grumble Family.
c. Students post their sticky notes to a graffiti wall (e.g. a wall in the classroom or the
whiteboard).
Reflection
15.Positive and Negative Discussion (7 minutes)
a. Students out of role sit in a circle on the floor and answer the following questions:
i. How did your attitude going into the activity affect your enjoyment level?
ii. Was your initial response positive or negative? How could the activity have
been different for you had you responded differently?
iii. Was there a situation in your life where you chose an attitude that affected
your response?
16.Journal entry (5 minutes)
a. Students complete a journal entry in which they respond to the following prompts:
i. What was your characters initial view of Alex and the task Alex posed?
ii. What was your characters experience with Alex?
iii. How did your characters initial view of Alex effect the emotions your
character experienced with the challenge?
iv. If your character had approached the task with a very different initial view,
would the experience be better or worse? How so?
v. Is it always easy to view a situation positively? Is putting forth the effort to
choose a positive view worthwhile? Why?
17.Final words for Alex

a. Teacher asks the students if any of them have final words that they would like the
teacher to share with Alex (e.g. thank you, your advice worked for our family
because, etc.)

The Grumble Family

By L.M. Montgomery
With additions by Kendall Westmoreland
There's a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied,
The River of Discontent beside.
First there is Mama, she grumbles a lot
About things that are dirty or carry a spot.
She is often yelling at Papa who stares
Towards the TV without many cares.
He growls at her yelling at him to pick up
His shoes and his plates and his paper and cups.
He grumbles at scrubbing or cleaning a dish;
To never clean again is his only wish.
Then Sister skips in doing whatever she may
Not caring at all about what Mama will say.
She loathes being told to do this and do that,
Shed much rather be running or chasing the cat.
Brother grumbles at being alone all the time,
So instead all over his dear sister he climbs.
He pinches and pokes her; He just generally annoys
He fights with her friends and steals all her toys.
Now, Grumpa is the worst of them all.
He grumbles at even walking up or down the hall.
Any and all movement is what angers him all day;
Its his old joints, he says, that get in his way.
They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
And whether their station be high or humble,
They all are known by the name of Grumble.
The weather is always too hot or cold;
Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet
Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.
They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun;
In fact, their growling is never done.
And if everything pleased them, there isnt a doubt
They'd growl that they'd nothing to grumble about!
But the queerest thing is that not one of the same
Can be brought to acknowledge his family name;
For never a Grumbler will own that he
Is connected with it at all, you see.
The worst thing is that if anyone stays

Among them too long, he will learn their ways;

And before he dreams of the terrible jumble
He's adopted into the family of Grumble.
And so it were wisest to keep our feet
From wandering into Complaining Street;
And never to growl, whatever we do,
Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.
But once there was one who thought they could change
The Grumblers ways, so silly and strange;
So off to Complaining Street they did go,
With a dream and a plan for the family to show.
They arrived nervous but glad just the same,
Determined to not change their joyful name;
The task, however, would not be stress-free
Because a Grumbler is easy to be.
To change a Grumbler is the real pain.
Like scrubbing the floor or lifting a stain,
You must work at it all throughout the day
Until finally you are able to say
I no longer wish to live in the Land of Grumble,
Where I growl when I run and growl when I stumble.
I wish to find joy in all that I do,
And make joyful other Grumblers too!
Let us learn to walk with a smile and song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
And then, be our station high or humble,
Well never belong to the family of Grumble!

Horton Hears a Who excerpt

By Dr. Seuss
Ill find it! cried Horton.
Ill find it or bust!
I SHALL find my friends
on my small speck of dust!
Weve GOT to make noises in greater amounts!
So, open your mouth, lad!
For every voice counts

Short Scene Rubric

STUDENT NAME:

Dialogue

Physical
Attributes

Specific
Attitude
and/or
Motive

Participati
on

POOR
(0 points)
Is unable /
unwilling to
produce dialogue
for their
character.
Is unable /
unwilling to
demonstrate
physical
attributes their
character might
possess.
Does not
demonstrate a
specific attitude
or motive for
their character.

SATISFACTORY
(1 point)
Produces dialogue
that is
inappropriate /
inconsistent with
their character.
Demonstrates
physical features
that is mostly
appropriate /
consistent with
their character.

GOOD
(2 points)
Produces dialogue
that is usually
appropriate and
consistent with
their character.
Demonstrates
physical features
that are usually
appropriate and
consistent for their
character.

EXCELLENT
(3 points)
Produces
appropriate and
consistent
dialogue for their
character.
Demonstrates
physical features
that are
appropriate and
consistent for
their character.

Demonstrates an
attitude or motive
that is unclear.

Demonstrates an
attitude or motive
that is mostly
clear.

Clearly
demonstrates and
attitude and / or
motive for their
character.

Does not
participate in the
scene.

Participates
occasionally.

Participates often.

Actively and
consistently
participates.

TOTAL POINTS:
ADJUSTMENTS:

________
________

Reason: _____________________________________________
FINAL POINTS: ________ (Rubric Points +/- Adjustments)
LETTER GRADE:

________ (Based on the matrix below)

Points

Final Grade

6+

Excellent

4-5

Good

2-3

NI

Satisfactory

0-1

US

Unsatisfactory

Reading Rubric
STUDENT NAME:
POOR
(0 points)
Accurac Does not
y
participate.

Rate

SATISFACTORY
(1 points)
Does not correctly read
the majority of the words
in the stanza.

Does not
The rate is either much
participate. too fast or much too slow
for the reading.

Express Does not

The expression does not
ion
participate. enhance the reading.

TOTAL POINTS:
ADJUSTMENTS:

GOOD
(2 point)
Generally reads the
correct words in the
stanza.

EXCELLENT
(3 points)
Always read the
correct words in the
stanza.

The rate is somewhat

too fast or too slow
for the reading.

Appropriate rate for

the reading.

The expression
occasionally
enhances the
reading.

The expression
consistently
enhances the
reading.

________
________

Reason: _____________________________________________
FINAL POINTS: ________ (Rubric Points +/- Adjustments)
LETTER GRADE:

________ (Based on the matrix below)

Points

Final Grade

7-9

Excellent

4-6

Good

Satisfactory

1-2

NI

Needs Improvement

US

Unsatisfactory

Family Activity Sheet

As a family, make a sand castle at the

beach.

As a family, plant a garden in the back yard.

As a family, rake the leaves.

Organize the toy room together.

Go grocery shopping together.

Make dinner as a family.

Make a snowman together.

Give the dog a bath together.
Hobbies

Day

Name:
Dislikes being ignored.

Pet Peeves

(Brother Grumble)
Age:

Physicality

Hobbies

Day

Name:
(Mama Grumble)

Pet Peeves
Dislikes dirt / messy
things.

Age:

Physicality

Hobbies

Day

Name:
(Papa Grumble)

Pet Peeves
Dislikes doing chores.

Age:

Physicality

Hobbies

Day

Name:
(Grumpa)

Pet Peeves

Dislikes physical activity.

Age:

Physicality

Hobbies

Day

Name:
(Sister Grumble)

Pet Peeve
Dislikes being told what to do.

Age:

Physicality