Grandparents Day Ballad
Rubric
1 – Beginning
3 – Capable
Title is present; errors Correctly capitalized
in capitalization or
title within quotes
punctuation
Creative, correctly
capitalized title within
quotes
5 or more errors in
rhyme scheme (abcb)
3-4 errors in rhyme
scheme (abcb)
1-2 errors in rhyme
scheme (abcb)
No errors in rhyme
scheme (abcb)
Missing dialogue
Some dialogue
Adequate dialogue
Lots of interesting
dialogue
Missing repetition
Attempt at repetition
Repetition
Sophisticated repetition
(question and answer,
change one word in a
line, etc.)
Many errors in
spelling and/or
grammar
Some errors in
spelling and/or
grammar
Few errors in spelling
and/or
grammar
No errors in spelling
and/or grammar
Dialogue
Repetition
Conventions
4 – Advanced
Missing title
Title
Rhyme Scheme
2 – Developing
Grandparents Day Limerick
Rubric
1 – Beginning
Missing title
Title
Rhyme Scheme
Syllables
2 – Developing
3 – Capable
Title is present; errors Correctly capitalized
in capitalization or
title within quotes
punctuation
4 – Advanced
Creative, correctly
capitalized title within
quotes
Two or more errors in One error in rhyme
rhyme scheme
scheme
No errors in rhyme
scheme
3 or more errors in
syllables
2 errors in syllables
1 error in syllables
No errors in syllables
Missing pun
Attempt at pun
Humorous pun
Humorous, creative pun
Many errors in
spelling and/or
grammar
Some errors in
spelling and/or
grammar
Few errors in spelling
and/or
grammar
No errors in spelling
and/or grammar
Pun
Conventions
Name: _________________________________________________
Period: _________
Grandparents Day Limerick/Ballad Poems
7th Grade
Choice #1: Compose a Limerick
How to write a limerick:
1. A limerick poem contains five lines and follows the AABBA rhyme scheme.
2. The “A” lines should have seven to ten syllables, and the B’s should have five to seven.
3. All A’s have same amount of syllables; All B’s have same syllables
4. The limerick is often humorous, or it can be a creative play on words.
5. You can decide are you going somewhere with your grandparent, or are you feeling a certain
emotion when you are with your grandparent? This is where your little poem develops the story;
this is your chance to bring out the creativity and humor. The last line needs to be humorous or
a play on words through the use of a pun.
“The Knight of My Night”
There is a great grandpa of Palos Heights
Whose smile lights up all of my dreary nights
When I am sad and in trouble
And need help with my struggles
Now the nights aren’t dark because of this knight
_________________________________________________________________________________________
This is an example of another limerick; however, it is not about grandparents, but it demonstrates the
structure of the limerick:
There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin:
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.
By: Edward Lear
Choice # 2: Compose a Ballad
How to write a ballad:
1. Ballads often have verses of four lines with ABCB rhyme scheme.
2. Repetition is often found in ballads: entire stanzas can be repeated like a song’s chorus; lines
can be repeated but each time a certain word is changed; a question and answer format can be
built into a ballad: one stanza asks a questions and the next stanza answers the question.
3. Ballads contain a lot of dialogue – two characters in the ballad can speak to each other on
alternating lines.
“The Ballad of Two Grandparents”
In this life, I have a refuge
It’s to my grandparents’ house I go
They both are always there for my rescue
I’m so glad that you both are in my life
Grandma is the roots of the house
Nourishing our hearts and empty stomachs
She commands, “Now, sit down and eat everything even your brussel sprouts!”
Grandma nurtures us like seeds from one season to the next
Grandpa is the trunk of the house
He holds up all the branches of our problems and coaches us to success
He states, “Okay, kiddo, keep your eye on the ball, so you don’t get out
Getting me ice cream after every game, Grandpa always listens to my dreams
In this life, I have a refuge
It’s to my grandparents’ house I go
They both are always there for my rescue
I’m so glad that you both are in my life
Grandma is patient waiting for us to bloom
She sits silently still in her rocking chair just watching
She states, “Now, you need to stop watching TV and do some homework in your room!”
Grandma know how to eradicate the right from the wrong in this garden of life
Grandpa is the strength and knowledge I need
To build that campfire or show me my heart’s desire
He says, “Life isn’t fair, and you’ll have to learn how to pick out the weeds.”
Grandpa, you have taught me how to be strong like you for the future—and you know—I
already am within.