Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 74038
Is Anyone Hungry? Got Oysters? The Walrus and the
Carpenter – Two Tragically, Hungry Characters
In this close reading lesson, the first in a series of three lessons, students will analyze "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll. They will
work to determine the meaning of selected vocabulary words from the poem, including coming up with synonyms and antonyms for each word and
using each word in a sentence. Students will also analyze the use of various types of figurative language, as well as the use of repetition and rhyme
and how this use impacts meaning and tone throughout the poem. Graphic organizers and other student handouts, a vocabulary assessment,
short and extended answer questions, a writing rubric, and several suggested answer keys are included with this lesson.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 7
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection,
Interactive Whiteboard, LCD Projector, Overhead
Projector, Speakers/Headphones, Computer Media
Player
Instructional Time: 3 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: poetry, figurative language, rhyme, repetition, personification, Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and the
Carpenter, close reading, text dependent questions
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
The Walrus and the Carpenter text.docx
The Walrus and the Carpenter Vocab List Organizer.docx
The Walrus and the Carpenter Vocab Graphic Organizer Key.docx
The Walrus and the Carpenter Vocabulary List with key.docx
Video and Poem Note Organizer.docx
Key for Video and Poem Organizer.docx
Short Answer Questions with Key.docx
Vocabulary Assessment and Key.docx
AssessmentWalrus and Carpenter.docx
Rubric for Scoring Written Responses.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Using the narrative poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter," students will:
Determine the meaning of various types of figurative language in the context of the poem.
Identify the use of literary devices and poetic elements (including repetition and rhyme) and explain how those devices add to the meaning and tone of the poem.
page 1 of 5 Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and other resource material to determine word meanings, synonyms, and antonyms.
Compare the use of poetic elements, characters, and events in the original poem to Walt Disney's video interpretation of the poem.
Analyze the author's use of figurative language and poetic elements to produce logical written responses to text-based questions that include appropriate and
specific support from the text.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
1. Students should have had explicit instruction on determining connotative and denotative meaning of words.
2. Students should understand how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus.
3. Students should be familiar with different strategies to determine word meaning; such as, relating words to antonyms and synonyms and other context clues.
4. Students should have had explicit instruction on figurative language, literary devices, and poetic elements including personification, similes, alliteration,
foreshadowing, rhyme, tone, and repetition.
*Teachers may find these sites helpful if needed to conduct some review on literary devices: literary-devices.com and literarydevices.net.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. What context clues can you use to determine the meaning of unknown words in the poem?
2. How can resource materials (dictionary and thesaurus) assist you in determining the meaning of words?
3. Why do you think the author used rhyme and repetition in the poem?
4. What examples of figurative language and poetic devices can you locate in the poem?
5. How do figurative language and poetic elements affect the tone and meaning of specific lines and stanzas?
6. How does word choice affect tone and meaning in the poem?
7. In what ways are the poem and the video similar? In what ways are they different?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. The students should be asked what they know about oysters, walruses, and carpenters. The teacher can ask which of the three could be commonly associated with
each other. (The walrus and the oyster. Why? They are both sea creatures.) Question suggestions that could serve as a hook: Does anyone like to fish? Has anyone
ever played in or seen a tide pool (up-close) before?
2. Tell the students that they will be watching a video that is an adaptation of the poem that they will read later in the lesson. Use this link for the video: Video: From
Walt Disney Movie “Alice in Wonderland” – The Walrus and the Carpenter.
3. Have the students complete the note taking graphic organizer (the side for the video only) while watching the video.
4. After the video: Ask the students the following questions using the note organizer answer key for support:
Is the poem as used in the video intended to be serious or nonsense? Ask the students to explain their choice using examples from the video. Accept appropriate
text-based responses for the answers.
Ask the students to share what they wrote down on their graphic organizer for characters.
Ask the students to share what they wrote down for examples of rhyme and repetition.
Ask the students to share what they wrote down for events.
Then, ask students to reflect on the following: When the line "cabbages and kings" was sung in the video clip, did the tone of the video change or did
the perspective of the characters change in any way?
Ask the students if the plot changes dramatically after any of the rhymes.
You may need to review the video more than once for the students to hear the rhyming words.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
1. First Reading: The instructor will read the poem out loud to the students (alternative: have each student read one stanza). Explain to students that after this first
reading they will be working on selected vocabulary from the poem.
2. The teacher will hand out the vocabulary list and organizer to the students and lead the students in a choral/echo reading of the vocabulary words with an emphasis
on pronunciation.
Pause after each word and have the students create a phonetic version of the word on their paper (example: billows = bill-o-s).
Alternate suggestion: Have the students look the words up in the dictionary and write the phonetic version down.
3. After the choral response, choose students at random and have them repeat the vocabulary words (you may want to choose ones that the students had trouble
pronouncing during the echo response).
4. The instructor will model the first vocabulary word (billows) on the graphic organizer with the students, including modeling how to determine the definition based on
how it is used in the poem and then using the dictionary to select the most appropriate meaning, how to determine several possible synonyms and antonyms through
use of the dictionary and thesaurus, and how to create a sentence using the word.
5. With the class's assistance, the teacher will complete the second assigned vocabulary word on the graphic organizer through use of a think aloud and filling out all
the blanks, as applicable, using the vocabulary graphic organizer key for support.
6. In a Think-Pair-Share activity or small group, students will complete the vocabulary graphic organizer with words from the text using a dictionary and thesaurus, as
necessary. The teacher should monitor students as they work and provide support as needed.
7. Using an overhead projector or interactive board, individual students will explain the definition they determined for a word and write the sentences that they have
written using the word for the class to discuss and correct.
Sample questions to check student understanding:
Say: There is more than one meaning for the word grand. One means large and the other means wonderful. Ask: What is the meaning of the word "grand" in
line 24? (wonderful) Talk with your partner to determine a situation when you can correctly use this word.
page 2 of 5 In line 22, the author uses the word "quantities." How much sand is there? How do you know? Look for clues in the text with your partner. (There is so much sand
that the Carpenter is crying!)
In line 32, the author uses the word "beseech." What is the Walrus doing? What other words or events in the stanza give you clues for the meaning of the word?
(The Walrus wants the oysters to go for a walk. So, "beseech" means to ask.")
Second Reading: Read the poem aloud to students and ask them to circle and label different types of figurative language and poetic elements including alliteration,
repetition, rhyme, personification, and simile that they recognize in the poem. Use strategic pauses so the students have time to listen to the poem and make the
notes on their copy. Other options/alternatives:
1. Language Scavenger Hunt: You can do this in small groups with sticky-notes or as a kinesthetic activity using poster sticky-pads.
In small groups, have the students study the poem and place sticky-notes or margin notes where they locate figurative language and poetic devices. Discuss
answers as a whole group.
Kinesthetic activity: Using the larger pads: Place different posters at strategic places around the room. Write one of the following words on each of the posters:
Alliteration, Personification; Repetition, Rhyme, Simile. Assign different colored sticky-notes to small groups and have them write examples of each type of figurative
language or poetic element on their sticky notes. When all the groups are finished, the students will circulate the room (Gallery Walk directions and video) to place
their answers on the posters and look at what other students have put on each poster.
2. Discuss the answers as a whole group. A few additional discussion questions:
How are the oysters personified? Answer: Answers may vary. Suggested answers: They walk, talk, and dress in clothes. They are children.
How is the Walrus personified? Answer: Answers may vary. Suggested answers: He walks, talks, and dresses in clothes. He is an adult.
How do the examples of alliteration (Line 1) “the sun was shining on the sea” and (Line 63) “of shoes, and ships, and sealing­wax” impact the poem? Suggested
answer: The alliteration in the first line helps the reader understand the setting. Line 63: The Walrus is talking nonsense as evidenced by the lines that follow
regarding the sea being “boiling hot” and pigs having wings.
Note: In the next section with the short answer questions worksheet and in the extended response questions as part of the summative assessment, students will work
on digging deeper into the poem-- now that they can identify these figurative and poetic devices, with these questions students will work to analyze their use and their
impact on the meaning and tone of the poem.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. Students can complete the right side of the video and poem note organizer, share their responses, and receive feedback from the teacher and their peers. The
teacher can use this key as a guide for this discussion.
2. Hand out the text-based questions short-answer worksheet (key is attached for teacher support). Have students read the questions first and then conduct their final
reading of the poem, paying special attention to the stanzas they are being asked to analyze in these questions. After they are done rereading the poem, remind
students that they are to use complete sentences with correct use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization when writing their responses. Allow the
students to use their note-taking organizer when writing their responses.
3. Discuss short-response answers as a whole class. Alternatively, these can be collected, graded, and written feedback provided. Teachers might use this rubric to
assess students' answers.
**Proceed to the summative assessment section.**
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
1. Class discussion: Which version of the poem do you think was more descriptive and why? Accept appropriate responses but keep referring back to the use of
language to develop tone and meaning. (Although the video actually shows the events (as adapted by Disney), the written version offers an overall deeper meaning.
The students will likely choose the video because it is the "fun" version, but the use of language was largely edited and lost.
2. Exit slip ideas (click here for further instruction on exit slips-- this information is provided by ReadWriteThink.org, a website developed by the International Reading
Association, the National Council Teachers of English, with support from the Verizon Foundation):
Is the poem nonsense or does it have serious undertones?
Write down vocabulary words that need further explanation.
Answer: On a scale from 1 to 3: One being “I understand,” 2 being “I have questions,” and 3 “I am lost.” Then, write down a suggestion to assist you in
understanding the lesson. (Teachers can use this question at the end of each day as the lesson progresses to see where students need assistance at the start of
the next day when the lesson resumes.)
Summative Assessment
Teachers can use the following as summative assessments for the lesson:
1. Vocabulary test (the test and key is provided)
2. Text-based extended response questions. Five questions are provided and students should write a paragraph in response to each question using evidence from the
text to support their responses. Teachers can use this rubric to assess each of the written responses.
Formative Assessment
1. After the initial reading of the poem, the instructor should pause and ask students for feedback on the vocabulary words they do not understand.
The teacher can use this information to determine if students have a basic understanding of the vocabulary and what words need to be added/removed from the
vocabulary list.
The instructor can use a variety of strategies to assist students in learning including think-aloud, peer input, or immediate correction.
Think-aloud example: I am not sure what "billows" means in the first stanza. Let's re-read those lines. Hmmm... it has to do with the sea and it is something
that isn't smooth because the poem says the sun "did his very best to make the billows smooth." So, billows must be wavy. What can you think of that is part of
the sea and is wavy? Waves? That's right! So, a billow might be a wave or how the water moves up and down toward the shore. If we look up this word in
the dictionary to check if our guess is correct, we find that billow is a great wave or surge of the sea.
2. After modeling the correct use of the vocabulary graphic organizer, the teacher should check for comprehension on the organizer usage prior to breaking students
into pairs or small groups.
Comprehension check:
page 3 of 5 What other words are around the unfamiliar word that help determine its meaning?
What does the poem say that can help us determine the meaning of the unknown word?
When you looked up the definition what is the first thing you noticed?
When you looked up the word's definition in the dictionary, if there were multiple meanings, did you go back into the poem and look again at how the word was
used to try to pick the most appropriate definition?
The teacher can use information from the comprehension checks to ensure that the students understand what tasks they need to perform using the organizer.
3. Teachers can examine the vocabulary graphic organizers completed by the students to determine if they are prepared for the vocabulary summative assessment.
4. After the gallery walk, the instructor should carefully review each of the posted answers. Teachers should ensure that the students have a basic knowledge of
figurative language and poetic elements and they are applying their knowledge by correctly identifying their use in the poem.
5. During whole group discussion, the teacher should review written and oral responses to text-based questions to ensure that the students have a logical
comprehension of the poem before they begin the summative assessments.
Feedback to Students
1. The teacher should give immediate feedback to students regarding the vocabulary organizer as the students complete it in cooperative groups and in whole group
discussion of the answers. Leading questions can be used to facilitate discussion on context clues and use of the dictionary and thesaurus during group work.
What context clues can you find in the line (or stanza) to assist in determining word meaning?
What type of context clue is used (if there is one)? How does that help you decipher the meaning of the vocabulary word?
Are there any root words or affixes that can help you determine the word meaning?
How did you determine the meaning of that word?
If there were multiple meanings of the word in the dictionary how did you determine which definition was the correct one based on how the word is used in the
poem?
2. The teacher should circulate the room at all times during any of the activities – partners, groups, and individual work to coach and guide students.
3. The teacher will provide corrective feedback, both verbal and written, on student responses during all class activities, worksheets, and discussions.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
1. Allow ELL students to use heritage language dictionaries as applicable.
2. The teacher can led a small group of struggling students to provide feedback and support for the following activities: vocab graphic organizer and/or note-taking
worksheet for the poem and video, and/or short-response questions.
3. Allow students to work in small groups to complete work on organizers and/or worksheets.
4. Open-note written assessments - Allow the students to use their vocabulary organizer, poem with marginal and text notes, and any other notes to answer the
short-response questions or the extended response questions.
Extensions:
Teachers might want to incorporate use of these videos before, during or after the lesson:
1. Video and discussion of marine habitats (tide pools)
2. Video and discussion regarding walruses
3. Video and discussion on harvesting and eating oysters
Lessons 2 and 3 in this series can be used as extensions to this lesson.
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, Interactive Whiteboard, LCD Projector, Overhead Projector,
Speakers/Headphones, Computer Media Player
Special Materials Needed:
1. Copy of the poem (attached)
2. Handouts: All necessary handouts are attached to the lesson
3. Computer with YouTube access for extension videos
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This lesson is the first in a series of three lessons that may be used separately or as a unit. Lesson one utilizes the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll and
students will work with selected vocabulary from the poem, and analyze use of figurative language, repetition and rhyme. In lesson two, students will analyze the plot and
character development and deeper meaning of the characters in the poem. Although the poem reads initially like a nonsense children's poem, the reader can eventually infer
that the author also provides a cautionary tale for children and the role of an active participant and the bystander. Lesson three ties the poem in with informational text
regarding bullying and bystander responsibility.
ID 74198 - One Wicked Walrus, a Careless Carpenter, and Oblivious Oysters
page 4 of 5 ID 74396 - O' Oysters! The Opposite of Hero is not a Villain; It's a Bystander!
* As a close reading activity, this lesson focuses on the application of targeted skills, not as an introduction.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Marcia Scheppler
Name of Author/Source: Marcia Scheppler
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Martin
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.7.L.3.4:
LAFS.7.L.3.5:
LAFS.7.RL.1.1:
LAFS.7.RL.2.4:
LAFS.7.W.3.9:
LAFS.7.W.4.10:
Description
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as
a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and
digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in
context or in a dictionary).
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the
words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined,
respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or
stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or
character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or
alter history”).
b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims
in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the
claims”).
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
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