TITLE: BASIC GRAMMAR REVIEW Using "Jabberwocky"
AUTHOR: Monica R. Greene, Antioch Hilltop Christian School,
Antioch, CA
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 7-12
OVERVIEW: Most students do not like to be taught grammar in the
upper grades. If they did not grasp the basics in lower and middle
elementary, it becomes more difficult as they move into the upper
grades.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity, used at the beginning of the
year is to help students identify where they are weak in their
grammar skills (in a fun fashion). From there, the teacher can
choose to emphasize the various areas of grammar that need to be
strengthened.
OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity, the student will:
1. Summarize the action of the poem.
2. Identify and label the various parts of speech found in the
lines of the poem.
3. Rewrite the poem using standard dialect words to replace
nonsense words.
This activity works best of the poem is taught prior to the grammar
breakdown. It does not have to be in-depth, unless the teacher
chooses to do so.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED: Students' copies of the poem
"Jabberwocky", writing utensils, textbooks if review of parts of
speech is necessary.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Introduce the concept of grammar (parts of speech) as
important to individual writing procedure. Explain that it is
essential for students to review these concepts at the beginning of
each school year in order to progress to the next level of learning.
Tell students that they are going to review parts of speech in a
unique fashion.
2. Distribute copies of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" to each
student. Read the poem aloud for students. Ask the students to
summarize the action of the poem orally. Discuss several of the
nonsense words, in context, as examples. Tell students that they
are going to label each word with the appropriate part of speech
(review the parts of speech of you need to). The labeling can be done
individually, or in cooperative learning groups. Upper level students
can be asked to identify clauses, prepositional phrases, etc.
3. Teacher collects the poems and redistributes them the next
day for general discussion of labeling. Students are then assigned
the task of rewriting the poem with standard words, being as
creative as they choose. This can also be done individually or in
groups.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1. Return the poems ungraded. Students will correct.
2. Grade the rewritten poems. This will give the teacher an
opportunity to evaluate the students ability.
3. Have student volunteers read their poems orally, then put them on
a bulletin board.
4. Use this activity as a review for your first unit in writing.
----------------------
Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
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