- Poem
- Countdown, Year 3
- Issue 5, 2021
T is for Trouble
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Have a Rhyme of a Time
Analyse the way modality word choices characterise the letter T.
Read the poem aloud to the class. Ask if they understand who the poem is talking about. Ask students if they’ve ever heard a letter being given a personality, making it human-like. What kind of personality does the poem suggest the letter T has? What words tell students this?
Draw a line along the front of the classroom. This can either be on the board or along the floor with masking tape. On the far left is low modality words. These are words that show uncertainty about something happening (it MIGHT rain today). On the far right are high modality words for certainty of something happening (it WILL rain today). Choose some of the following words to write on cards:
| always | maybe | tends to |
Give a card to each child to stick somewhere along the line. If it’s a word that means something is more likely to occur, they should put it closer to the right. If it’s less likely to occur, it should go towards the left. Students should discuss their choice of the degree of modality as they’re putting the card down. Some cards may go in the same spot. Other children may disagree with the answers – use this as an opportunity for discussion.
As well as a selection of the above, choose some of the following to write on cards:
might
must
should
could
may
may not
would
would not
has to
must not
Explain that these are a range of words that tell us whether something is an order or a suggestion. High modality words from this list include “must”, “has to”. Low modality words include “might”, “could”. For further examples, visit the page on Identifying and Using Modality on the NSW education website.
If you have a digital subscription, go to the interactive to practise modality words in use.
Return to the poem ‘T is for Trouble.’ Ask students to highlight all modality words in the poem. See if anyone can figure out “bound to” is a modality word, and if there are any clever students who can work out I’d is short for “I would” and therefore another modality word. An answer guide is provided below
Students do a think, pair, share discussing how they think these modality words help characterise the letter T. Do they think the use of high modality words makes this character worse, or not as bad? Would they feel differently about T if the modality words were changed or taken out of the poem?
