I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m really scared
to go to school today.
But, still, I know I must be brave
and do it anyway.
I’m scared my friends will laugh at me
or run away in fright.
I never should have let my brother
cut my hair last night.
Mike Deas
Time to Be Brave
Read this funny poem about a young girl who faces her fear.
By Kenn Nesbitt
From the February 2022 Issue
Common Core State Standards
Guided Reading Level: K
DRA Level: 16-18
Topic:
Social-emotional learning,
More About the Article
CASEL Social and Emotional Learning Focus
Having a growth mindset
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: How can we be brave?
- Reading and discussing “Time to Be Brave,” along with the other bravery-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “Bessie the Brave”; and the fiction, “The Shark Tooth”), should give kids insight into how people can act bravely when they feel scared or face difficult challenges.
- Through the above stories, students will discuss: How can we be brave? Why is being brave hard? How does being brave help us learn and grow?
1. BEFORE READING
Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes)
Watch “The Big Question: How can we be brave?”
(This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)
- Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question “How can we be brave?”
- Watch the video.
- After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.
Discuss What Makes a Rhyming Poem (5 minutes)
- “Time to Be Brave” is a type of poem called a rhyming poem.
- In this poem, you’ll see that the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme.
2. READ THE POEM (10-15 MINUTES)
- You can read the poem to the class first to model fluency and get kids familiar with the language. You can also click the Read Aloud button at the top of the digital issue to hear it read aloud by a professional voice actor.
- Then call on volunteers to read every two lines of the poem aloud (which works whether you’re doing class in person or in a live video format).
3. AFTER READING
Discuss the Poem (10-15 minutes)
- Ask kids, “What is the poem about?” (The poem is about a girl who let her brother cut her hair, and he did a bad job. Now she has to be brave and go to school.)
- Point out that the last words in the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme. Ask, “What are some words that rhyme in this poem?” (today and anyway and fright and night)
ELA: Mark Up the Poem (15 minutes)
- Using the “Mark Up the Poem” printable, have your students identify rhyming words and tone.
4. MAKE TEXT-TO-TEXT CONNECTIONS
Enrich the Learning: Paired-Text Opportunities (time amount varies)
Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.
Additional Pairable Texts The Big Read, “Bessie the Brave” (pages 6-11); and the Fiction, “The Shark Tooth” (pages 24-29)
- These texts also ask questions similar to those posed in the poem. How can we be brave? What should we do when we feel scared?
- Kids can compare the people in the texts by using our “Bravery Chart” printable. How are the texts alike, and how are they different?
Text-to-Speech