Garbage Truck

Types of poetry

The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What makes something gross?

• Reading and discussing “Garbage Truck,” along with the other themed texts in the magazine (the Mini Read, “Wall of Gum”;  the Big Read, “The Day it Rained Meat”; Word Play, “4 Ways to Say ‘Gross’”; Words & Pictures, “Worms!”; and the fiction piece, “House of Worms”), will help kids think about this question.

Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes)

Watch “The Big Question: What makes something gross?” (This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)

• Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question “What makes something gross?”
• Watch the video.
• After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.

Preview the Poem (10 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 read the poem chorally as a class.
• Call on volunteers to read every two lines of the poem aloud.

Discuss the Poem (10-15 minutes)

• Ask: “What is the poem about?” (The poem is about a garbage truck eating trash.)
• Point out that the last words in  each pair of lines rhyme. Ask: “What are some words that rhyme in this poem?” (yummy and tummy and delight and bite.)

ELA: Poetry Quiz (15 minutes)

• Use the printable to assess students’ understanding of the poetry features in this poem.

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.
• Kids can compare texts by using our “Gross-Out Chart” printable.

Show the Video “What Happens to Our Trash?” (10 minutes)

• What happens to our trash after we throw it away? Watch this video to learn all about it.

Scavenger Hunt Slide Deck (15 minutes)

• We created a Scavenger Hunt Slide Deck for several stories in this month’s Storyworks 2, including the poetry kit, “Garbage Truck.” The scavenger hunt can be done by students independently at home or during class time.
• This is a self-contained group of slides that guide your students on a scavenger hunt through the whole issue. It’s not only fun; it helps them make text-to-text connections.