Limericks
What is a Limerick?
•
•
•
•
Instructional Strategy
A five-line poem written with one
couplet and one triplet.
The rhyme pattern is a a b b a with
lines 1, 2 and 5 containing 3 beats and
rhyming, and lines 3 and 4 having two
beats and rhyming.
Limericks are meant to be funny.
The last line of a good limerick
contains the punch line.
Form of Writing
Limericks are silly poems that have
five lines with the rhyme scheme of
a, a, b, b, a.
All of the lines that have “a” will all
have the same number of syllables.
All of the lines that have “b” will all
have the same number of syllables.
Prewriting: Instruction
• Prewriting is the getting ready to write
stage.
Step 1: Choose a topic. __________
Step 2. Choose a form of writing: Limerick
Step 3: Choose your audience.
Step 4: Purpose for writing:
___________
• Complete a graphic organizer. A graphic
organizer is a device that is used for
gathering thoughts and organizing ideas.
Example
Guenther, Leanne. St. Patrick’s Day Limerick. Retrieved from http://www.dltkkids.com/t_template.ask?t=http://www.dltk-holidays.com/patrick/images/... October 20,
2008.
St. Patrick’s Day Limerick
There once was a shamrock
named Shawn,
Whose leaves first unfurled in
the dawn,
He was easily seen,
With his bright leaves of green,
Right up ‘til the day he was gone.
Websites to practice with
• http://www.learner.org/teac
herslab/math/patterns/limer
ick/limerick_acttxt.html
• http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/f
orms/newpoem.htm
• http://www.poetryonline.org/limericks.htm
Graphic Organizer
Think of a person you want to write a poem about and
where they are from.
Write the name of the person and the place below.
Now write words that rhyme with those words. Find two
rhyming words for the person and two rhyming words
for the place.
Think of something interesting about the person; write
about three interesting things below.
Step 1: Choose a topic. __________
Step 2. Choose a form of writing: Limerick
Step 3: Choose your audience._________
Step 4: Purpose for writing: ___________
Published Example
There was an old man from Peru, (A)
who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A)
He awoke in the night (B)
with a terrible fright, (B)
and found out that it was quite true. (A)
Giggle Poetry: How to write a Limerick Retrieved November 6, 2008 from
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/limerickcontesthelp.html
Drafting
Kyndal Walker
• GPS for Drafting Stage:
ELA3W2 The student begins to write in a
variety genres, including narrative,
informational, persuasive, and response to
literature.
h. May include a revised and edited draft.
• PLO: Students will construct a draft of a
limerick poem using the graphic organizer
from the prewriting stage.
What is a Limerick?
Instructional Strategy
• A five-line poem written with one
couplet and one triplet.
• The rhyme pattern is a a b b a with
lines 1, 2 and 5 containing 3 beats
and rhyming, and lines 3 and 4
having two beats and rhyming.
• Limericks are meant to be funny.
• The last line of a good limerick
contains the punch line.
Drafting Instruction:
Putting ideas on paper
Step 1: Form ideas from the graphic
organizer into complete sentences.
Step 2: Label draft as “rough draft”.
Step 3: Skip every other line to make
room for revisions. (you will put an “x”
on every other line to help you
remember)
Step 4:The draft is to focus more on
content rather than grammar, sentence
structure, or spelling
Practice Activity
• The teacher will model how
to write a limerick using 5
easy steps.
Practice Activity
5 steps to writing a Limerick
1. Pick a boy or girl’s name that has
one syllable. (ex. Jack, Ben, Ann,
Kim)
• “There once was a young girl named
Kim.”
2. Make a list of words that rhyme
with the last word in the first line.
(ex. him, Tim, limb,gem)
Practice Activity Continued…
3. Write the second line using one
of the rhyming words.
• “Who had a crush on a boy
named Tim.”
(notice that the last words in the
first two lines rhyme)
Practice Activity Continued…
4. Now think of an interesting story.
What could happen to a girl who has
a crush on a boy?
• Here is what might happen in the
third and fourth lines:
• “They would play everyday”
• “And one day he would say,”
• (Notice that “everyday” and “say”
the last words in the third and
fourth lines, both rhyme.)
Practice Activity Continued…
5. Now you need to go back to
the list of “A” rhyming
words to find one that can
end the poem. Here’s an
example:
• “She was the one for him.”
Practice Activity Continued…
• Here is the poem we just wrote:
“There once was a young girl named
Kim,
Who had a crush on a boy named Tim,
They would play everyday,
And one day he would say,
She was the one for him.”
Assessment for Drafting
• Students will write their
own limerick using the steps
that were previously
modeled and practiced with
them.
References
• http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/ma
th/patterns/limerick/limerick_acttxt.h
tml
• http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newp
oem.htm
• http://www.poetryonline.org/limericks.htm