ELA 7 Standard 6 07-25
8/12/02
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Standard Indicator
7.6.4
Grammarwocky
Purpose
Students will identify parts of speech.
extending
THE
ACTIVITY
Materials
For the teacher: chalk, chalkboard
For the students: copies of Black Line Master (BLM) Jabberwocky, pens
or pencils
Activity
Have students create
other original words to
more creatively and
effectively describe
actions and objects.
Standard 6
A. Pre-Activity Discussion
1. If necessary, remind students of the following parts of speech:
noun
verb
pronoun (replaces a noun)
adjective (describes a noun)
adverb (describes a verb)
interjection (e.g., “Wow!” “Yikes!”)
2. Write a sample sentence on the chalkboard that includes all of the
above parts of speech (e.g., She quickly shoved her dirty socks
under the bed, crying “Oh, no!”).
3. With the students’ help, identify the nouns, verb, pronoun,
adjective, adverb, and interjection in the sample sentence.
4. Write the following list on the chalkboard and label the
appropriate words as follows:
Noun: N
Verb: V
Pronoun: PRO
Adjective: ADJ
Adverb: ADV
Interjection: INT
5. Tell students that they will use the same system to label
parts of speech in a poem.
B. Analyze Jabberwocky
1. Distribute the BLM Jabberwocky.
2. Read the poem aloud while students read the BLM.
3. Ask students to try to summarize the action of the poem
in everyday language.
(continued)
Standard 6 / Activity 4
Indiana English/Language Arts Grade 7 Curriculum Framework, October 2002
Standards Links
7.1.2, 7.3.4, 7.7.9
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ELA 7 Standard 6 07-25
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Activity (continued)
4. Identify some nonsense words and discuss why we can guess
what they mean.
5. Form groups of three or four students.
6. Go through the first two lines of the poem as a class, identifying
and labeling the parts of speech.
7. Have students label as many remaining words in Jabberwocky as
they can, getting help and ideas from others in their group.
8. Remind students to focus on nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and interjections.
C. Close the Activity
1. When students are done, tell them that one part of speech was
missing from the poem. Ask them to name that part of speech
[adverbs].
2. Explain that Carroll did not need adverbs because his verbs are
so descriptive on their own. To show this, ask students to say
“galumphing” in more conventional speech (e.g., “ran happily”
or “galloped proudly”). Point out that we need adverbs for these
weaker verbs.
3. Ask students which interjections they found (“Callooh! Callay!”).
4. Give students historical background on the poem. Explain
Jabberwocky was written by Lewis Carroll and ask students
to identify something else by the same author (e.g., Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass).
Explain that Jabberwocky appeared in Through the LookingGlass in 1872. Point out that words we use today were coined
by Lewis in “Jabberwocky” and ask if students have heard the
word “chortle” before today.
Classroom Assessment
Basic Concepts and Processes
After students complete the activity, ask them the following questions:
Standard 6
What is an interjection?
What does an adverb do?
Tell me the adverb in this sentence: “Janet carefully stepped
over the drowsy skunk.”
What was your favorite adjective from the poem?
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Standard 6 / Activity 4
Indiana English/Language Arts Grade 7 Curriculum Framework, October 2002
“And, has 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.
“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.
8/12/02
11:44 AM
Standard 6 / Activity 4
Indiana English/Language Arts Grade 7 Curriculum Framework, October 2002
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.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Jabberwocky
Name:
ELA 7 Standard 6 07-25
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Black Line Master 1
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ELA 7 Standard 6 07-25
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Jabberwocky
Teacher Directions
Distribute one copy of the BLM Jabberwocky to each member of the class. Read the poem aloud
while students read the BLM. Have students try to summarize the poem and discuss a few of the
nonsense words within the poem.
Form groups of three to four students and have them label the parts of speech that they can find
within the poem according to the system described in Part A, Step 3 of the activity. Review the
answers as a class.
Answer Key
Noun = in bold
Adverb = circled
Verb = underlined
Interjection = boxed
Pronoun = italicized
Possessive adjective = double-underlined
_______
Adjective = (in parentheses)
`Twas brillig, and the (slithy) toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All (mimsy) were the borogoves,
And the (mome) raths outgrabe.
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.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The (frumious) Bandersnatch!”
“And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my (beamish) boy!
O (frabjous) day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
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.
`Twas brillig, and the (slithy) toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All (mimsy) were the borogoves,
And the (mome) raths outgrabe.
And, as in (uffish) thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the (tulgey) wood,
And burbled as it came!
Black Line Master 1
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Standard 6 / Activity 4
Indiana English/Language Arts Grade 7 Curriculum Framework, October 2002