“JABBERWOCKY”
BY LEWIS CARROLL
The unit of study that we will be beginning next week deals with
choices and the influence they have over our lives.
In your notebook, write about a decision that
impacted your life. What was the decision? How did
it affect you? (5-7 sentences)
(You will have to share your answer with your table, so
don’t write anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing.)
“JABBERWOCKY”
BY LEWIS CARROLL
 Today we are going to be reading a poem
about a boy who makes a decision that, one
way or another, will change his life.
 As we read, think about whether the boy in
the story made a brave or foolish decision.
two! One, two! and through
“Jabberwocky”and through
The vorpal blade
17 One,
18
went snicker-snack! 19 He left it
dead, and with its head 20 He went
1 'Twas brillig, and the slithy
galumphing back. 21 "And hast
toves 2 Did gyre and gimble in
thou slain the Jabberwock? 22 Come
the wabe; 3 All mimsy were the to my arms, my beamish boy! 23 O
borogoves, 4 And the mome
frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” 24 He
raths outgrabe. 5 "Beware the
chortled in his joy. 25 'Twas brillig,
Jabberwock, my son! 6 The jaws and the slithy toves 26 Did gyre and
that bite, the claws that catch! 7
gimble in the wabe; 27 All mimsy
Beware the Jubjub bird, and
were the borogoves, 28 And the
shun 8 The frumious
mome raths outgrabe.
9
Bandersnatch!"
He took his
vorpal sword in hand: 10 Long
time the manxome foe he
sought— 11 So rested he by the
Tumtum tree, 12 And stood awhile COMPREHENSION
What advice did the father give his son?
in thought. 13 And as in uffish
What decision did the son make? How did
thought he stood, 14 The
the father react once he learned what his
Jabberwock, with eyes of
flame, 15 Came whiffling through son had done? 3-4 sentences
the tulgey wood, 16 And burbled
as it came!
by Lewis Carroll
two! One, two! and through
“Jabberwocky”and through
The vorpal blade
17 One,
18
went snicker-snack! 19 He left it
dead, and with its head 20 He went
1 'Twas brillig, and the slithy
galumphing back. 21 "And hast
toves 2 Did gyre and gimble in
thou slain the Jabberwock? 22 Come
the wabe; 3 All mimsy were the to my arms, my beamish boy! 23 O
borogoves, 4 And the mome
frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” 24 He
raths outgrabe. 5 "Beware the
chortled in his joy. 25 'Twas brillig,
Jabberwock, my son! 6 The jaws and the slithy toves 26 Did gyre and
that bite, the claws that catch! 7
gimble in the wabe; 27 All mimsy
Beware the Jubjub bird, and
were the borogoves, 28 And the
shun 8 The frumious
mome raths outgrabe.
9
Bandersnatch!"
He took his
vorpal sword in hand: 10 Long
FORMULATING OPINIONS
time the manxome foe he
Reread the 2nd stanza of the poem. Given
sought— 11 So rested he by the
Tumtum tree, 12 And stood awhile the outcome of the events in the poem, do
you think the father was justified in giving
in thought. 13 And as in uffish
his son this advice? Why or why not? 3-4
thought he stood, 14 The
sentences
Jabberwock, with eyes of
flame, 15 Came whiffling through Was the son brave or foolish to do what
the tulgey wood, 16 And burbled
he did? Justify your response. 3-4
sentences
as it came!
by Lewis Carroll
two! One, two! and through
“Jabberwocky”and through
The vorpal blade
17 One,
18
went snicker-snack! 19 He left it
dead, and with its head 20 He went
1 'Twas brillig, and the slithy
galumphing back. 21 "And hast
toves 2 Did gyre and gimble in
thou slain the Jabberwock? 22 Come
the wabe; 3 All mimsy were the to my arms, my beamish boy! 23 O
borogoves, 4 And the mome
frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” 24 He
raths outgrabe. 5 "Beware the
chortled in his joy. 25 'Twas brillig,
Jabberwock, my son! 6 The jaws and the slithy toves 26 Did gyre and
that bite, the claws that catch! 7
gimble in the wabe; 27 All mimsy
Beware the Jubjub bird, and
were the borogoves, 28 And the
shun 8 The frumious
mome raths outgrabe.
9
Bandersnatch!"
He took his
vorpal sword in hand: 10 Long
time the manxome foe he
USING CONTEXT CLUES
sought— 11 So rested he by the
Tumtum tree, 12 And stood awhile Carroll uses a number of made-up words
in this poem, including vorpal (lines 9 and
in thought. 13 And as in uffish
18) and uffish (line 13). Come up with one
thought he stood, 14 The
or two possible synonyms or definitions for
Jabberwock, with eyes of
flame, 15 Came whiffling through each of these words based on how they
are used in the poem.
the tulgey wood, 16 And burbled
as it came!
by Lewis Carroll
HOMEWORK
Create a road map to show where a decision
might lead. Your map should have at least seven
stops. You can simply create a diagram like the
one below, or, if you are a more creative person,
you can draw an actual map including signs and
stops along the way.
Decision
Leads
to…
Leads
to…
Leads
to…
“JABBERWOCKY”
BY LEWIS CARROLL
EXIT SLIP
In complete sentences, explain what
message you think Lewis Carroll was
trying to send young people in his
poem “Jabberwocky”.
QUOTES ABOUT DECISIONS
 “I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning
experiences... I'm human, not perfect, like anybody else.”
~Queen Latifah
 “I always say, decisions I make, I live with them. There's always ways
you can correct them or ways you can do them better. At the end of the
day, I live with them.”
~LeBron James
 “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right
thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can
do is nothing.”
~Theodore Roosevelt