The Fabulous Five

Types of poetry

The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What does it mean to be a friend?

• Reading and discussing “The Fabulous Five,” along with the other friendship-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “The Grandpa and the Penguin”; the Mini Graphic Novel, “Gabby Solves: The Pokémon Problem”; and the Fiction, “Sasha’s Solo”) should give kids insight into what makes a good friend.
• Through the above stories, students will discuss: What makes someone a good friend? How can you be a good friend? Can you be a good friend in good times and bad times?

Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes)

Watch “The Big Question: What Does It Mean to Be a Friend?”

(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 does it mean to be a friend?”
• Watch the video.
• After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.

Discuss What Makes a Rhyming Poem (15 minutes)

• “The Fabulous Five” is a type of poem called a rhyming poem.
• In this poem, you’ll see that the second and fourth line of each stanza rhymes
• This poem also utilizes repetition—with the phrase “We’re the fabulous five” repeated in the first and third lines of all three stanzas.

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 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).

Discuss the Poem (10-15 minutes)

• Ask kids, “Who is the poem about?” (the fabulous five, a basketball team, etc.)
• 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?” (court and sport, together and weather, and name and game.)

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.

Pairable Texts Big Read, “The Grandpa and the Penguin” (pages 6-11); Mini Graphic Novel, “Gabby Solves: The Pokémon Problem” (pages 13- 17); and the Fiction, “Sasha’s Solo” (pages 24-29)

• These texts also ask questions similar to those posed in the Poem. What does it take to be a good friend? What makes someone a good friend?

ELA Focus: Making Personal Connections (20 minutes)

• Using the Mad Libs-style “The Fabulous ____” printable, have your students fill in the blanks to write and illustrate a poem about their own friends.