Minibeast Poetry Fun

Lesson Overview

In this 45-minute lesson, Year 1 students will explore and create simple poems about minibeasts, focusing on rhyme and rhythm to develop their phonemic awareness and creativity. This lesson is part 9 of a 10-lesson unit called Minibeast Literacy Adventure. Hands-on activities and movement will be incorporated to support diverse learning needs including Autism, ADHD, and Down syndrome.

Curriculum Links

Western Australian Curriculum: English (Year 1)

• ACELY1650: Recognise and generate rhyme, syllables and sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
• ACELT1582: Engage in conversations and discussions, listening to others and sharing ideas.
• ACELA1446: Understand how texts are made cohesive through rhyme, rhythm and repeated patterns of sound.
• ACELY1651: Create short texts to explore, record and report ideas and events using familiar words and beginning writing knowledge.

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Create a simple poem about minibeasts using rhyme and rhythm.
• Listen and identify rhyming words in poetry.
• Express ideas creatively through words and drawings.

Success Criteria

• I can listen to and identify rhymes in a poem about minibeasts.
• I can say words that rhyme with help.
• I can create my own simple poem with 2 or 3 rhyming lines.
• I can share my poem with my classmates using a clear voice.

Resources

• Picture cards of different minibeasts (e.g., ladybird, spider, butterfly)
• Chart paper with example minibeast poem with rhyme and rhythm
• Colour pencils, paper, and crayons
• Whiteboard and markers
• Simple musical percussion instruments or clapping for rhythm

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up & Brain Break (5 minutes)

• Begin with a short Minibeast Movement Song that involves actions mimicking crawling, flying or jumping minibeasts — helps regulate attention and builds excitement.
• Quick rhyming game: Teacher says a word (e.g., bug), students think of a rhyming word (e.g., hug). Use visual cues or cue cards to support diverse learners.

2. Introduction to Minibeast Poetry (10 minutes)

• Show and read aloud a short, simple poem about a minibeast, emphasizing rhyme and rhythm. For example:

  The ladybird flies up high,
  Its red spots catch my eye.

• Use clapping or percussion instruments to demonstrate rhythm in the poem.

• Invite students to repeat the rhyming words (e.g., high, eye).

3. Guided Group Activity: Creating Rhymes (10 minutes)

• Brainstorm minibeast words as a group (write on whiteboard): ant, bee, bug, web, fly.
• Ask students to come up with rhyming words for each minibeast word. Teacher supports students needing help by offering picture or word prompts.
• Scribe child-generated rhyming pairs on chart paper.

4. Independent/Supervised Creation (12 minutes)

• Each student creates their own short poem: 2-3 lines including a minibeast word and rhyme.

• Provide writing frames with sentence starters for support, e.g.

  "The ___ (minibeast) is ___,
  It likes to ___ (rhyming word)."

• Allow drawing alongside writing to support expression.

• Teacher circulates, offers individual support and encouragement, especially for those working below foundational level.

5. Sharing and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Students share their poems aloud (or with alternative communication devices if needed).
• Class gives positive feedback using a ‘thumbs up’ or clapping.
• Reflect on how the rhymes made the poem fun to say and listen to.

6. Cool-Down Brain Break (3 minutes)

• Simple breathing exercise or quiet visualization imagining the minibeast from their poem.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students below foundational level: Provide heavily scaffolded sentence frames and one-on-one support, use picture cards for ideas, allow response in oral or alternative communication modes.
• For students with ADHD: Incorporate movement breaks, use multisensory inputs (clapping, percussion instruments) to maintain engagement.
• For students with Autism: Provide clear visual schedules, give extra processing time, use predictable repetition of routines, allow individual or small group sharing.
• For more advanced students: Challenge to create 3-4 line poems or include a simile (e.g., "The spider spins like a spinner") or add descriptive words.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of student participation in rhyme identification and poem creation.
• Anecdotal notes on ability to generate rhyming words and use rhythm.
• Collect and review student poems for inclusion of rhyme and attempt at rhythm.

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Teacher Reflection Tips

• Note which students can independently generate rhymes and those needing more support.
• Reflect on how movement and music supported engagement and phonemic awareness.
• Adjust scaffolding or group compositions for the final lesson based on student responses here.

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This lesson plan encourages creative expression while solidifying Year 1 phonemic awareness skills and aligns directly with the Western Australian Curriculum standards for English through poetry and phonological learning components . It incorporates inclusive strategies tailored to a mixed-ability setting typical of your Education Support classroom.