Love That Dog Poetry Novel Unit | Elements of Poetry for 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade

Are you looking for a poetry unit that will inspire even your most reluctant readers to appreciate poetry? This engaging poetry novel unit is based on the book Love That Dog by Sharon Creech and includes a variety of activities that will guide students through the use of figurative language and elements of poetry found in the book. Your students will love the independence of using the response journal as they discuss and plan their answers to questions about the book. A variety of poetry activities are sprinkled throughout this packet to allow students the time to identify and practice different forms of figurative language. Throughout this book and novel study, your students are sure to find a hidden love for poetry!

This PRINT & DIGITAL poetry novel unit based on the book Love That Dog will spark the interest of students and encourage active participation and learning. Through engaging and thoughtful activities, students will easily gain a deeper understanding of the book as they are exposed to aligned vocabulary, figurative language, and reader’s response questions for each section of the book.

In this download, you will get:

• Teacher Notes and Suggestions
• 26 Page Printable Reader’s Response Journal
• 32 Question Book Test
• Google Slides Digital Version of Response Journal
• Google Form (Self-Grading) Book Test
• All Answer Keys

Note: The 26 page reader’s response journal includes a wide variety of activities. Depending on time, you can easily pick and choose the pages you want to include or use them all.

⭐Check out the preview to see more!

Activities Include:

• Poetry Survey #1 (gain a deeper understanding of how your students feel about poetry)
• Figurative Language Vocabulary Introduction
• Section 1: Reader’s Response Questions for Pages 1-29
• Figurative Language Vocabulary Review
• So Much Depends Upon… (poetry writing activity based off of the main poem in the book)
• Poetry Peace Map (poetry analysis of poems found in the book)
• Section 2: Reader’s Response Questions for Pages 30-60
• Figurative Language Vocabulary Cut & Paste Sort
• Identifying Similes & Metaphors
• Section 3: Reader’s Response Questions for Pages 61-86
• Figurative Language Vocabulary Review
• Quotations Flow Map (cut and paste activity based on the book)
• Miss Stretchberry (a reader’s response page based on Jack’s teacher)
• What Did Jack Learn? (a review of what Jack learned throughout the book)
• Figurative Language Vocabulary Review
• Figurative Language Multiple Choice Quiz
• Poetry Survey #2 (a great way to see if your student’s feelings about poetry have changed after reading the book)
• Love That Dog Book Test (32 questions – multiple-choice and open-ended questions

Perfect for…

• whole group instruction
• small reading groups
• independent desk work
• literacy centers
• book clubs
• early finishers
• sub plans

Standards Aligned Vocabulary and Figurative Language

• imagery
• rhyme
• simile
• metaphor
• alliteration
• repetition
• personification
• onomatopoeia
• hyperbole
• stanza

Suggestions for Use:

Read and re-read each section of the book with students.

This book is a quick read, so re-reading sections or certain pages will not take up a lot of extra class time. The more your students read this book, the better they will understand it and be able to relate to the main character, Jack.

Focus on the vocabulary and review it daily.

As you read, be sure to point out the figurative language found throughout the book. I’ve included several vocabulary activities in the packet, but most students will need a daily review of the words to be able to complete the assignments accurately.

Use the answer key during discussions of questions.

Some of the questions in this packet require students to respond to two or more parts in order to answer each question fully. I’ve included notes on the answer keys that you can easily use to guide your discussion and student answers.

Pick and choose or use them all!

Depending on how much time you have, you may choose to use all the activities included in this pack or pick and choose the activities you want to use. This packet of poetry activities is easily adaptable. You do not have to use every page included.

The best part?

This resource requires NO PREP and is easy to use. As long as you have the book Love That Dog, you can easily add these high-interest and engaging activities to any poetry unit. Your students will explore similes, metaphors, rhythm, and other poetic conventions - just like the main character does. Love That Dog is the perfect poetry novel for all ages, and it only takes about an hour to read the entire book. It will make your students cry, laugh, and smile as they learn to appreciate poetry just like Jack does. It’s perfect for reluctant readers and will hopefully inspire your students to try their hand at poetry!

Teachers like you said…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a fantastic resource! Students reviewed the events in the story as well as different forms of figurative language, and they were able to practice those skills throughout the book. It was also easy to assign as Google Slides! - Linette L.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My kids loved working with this book! The slides were amazing and covered a great level for the kids. I liked being able to have students complete slides as we read through the book. I had them answer the questions and then we discussed them. It was great! - Laura B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a well thought out unit. I used it in conjunction with my normal poetry unit. The kids understood the novel very well and enjoyed being exposed to the poems and poets Jack is exposed to in the book. The pages are clear and easy to read and use. - Katie W.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This resource is fantastic!! The pack comes with a ton of pages, so I chose about 10 that I turned into a packet for my kids. It made the conversations so worthwhile and really made a difference! - Alyssa M.

In this one convenient resource, you can…

• have ready-to-go activities that will help your students improve their critical thinking skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the book, Love That Dog
• use these pre-made activities as sub plans when you need to take a day (or week) off!
• print and go - includes everything you need to guide students through the use of figurative language and elements of poetry found in the book

⭐Check out the preview to see more!

Aligned to Common Core Standards (CCSS)

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Copyright © Kim Miller (A Love of Teaching)

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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