Do you know what a bandicoot is? I didn’t. Neither did my students. We looked at bandicoots for the Wonder of the Week. After we read the page, watched the video, talked about the words, my new little first grader announced, “Now we write a POEM!” After only a few months he knows how my teaching flows. So, of course we did.
One of my colleagues found the poem Benjamin Bandicoot by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson.
If you walk in the bush at night,
In the wonderful silence deep,
By the flickering lantern light
When the birds are all asleep
You may catch a sight of old Skinny-go-root,
Otherwise Benjamin Bandicoot. (Read complete poem here.)
I asked my students to use alliteration in their titles and use at least 3 facts in their poems. I wrote, too, and settled for the acrostic form. It took me all day to write. Acrostics are not as easy as they look.
Busy
Australian marsupial
Nesting in a pile of leaves
Darkness cloaks
Insects are a delectable snack.
Creature with a ratty tail
Outback wanderer
Over land forager
Terrified of a bush fire,
Busy Bandicoot skedaddles.
Kielan worked more than a day on her poem and even created an Animoto video with it. I love her title, Banjo Boomsnicker Bandicoot.
Banjo Boomsnicker Bandicoot – what is not to love about a day of learning that produces this!
Love your acrostic, especially that last word – skedaddles! Kielan’s video was so fun. I love her rhyming couplet at the end and the title too. Banjo was the name of my daughter’s best friend’s dog!
An acrostic was a great choice for your poem, Margaret! I learned so much about bandicoots from all of these poems. Love the Animoto Kielan created for her poem. Thanks for sharing!
I love having a “Wonder of the Week.” There’s something in everything you do, Margaret, that really captures the joy of learning.
Kielan’s poem is FABULOUS! I do love saying Banjo Boomsnicker Bandicoot, and her advice at the end, when the bush fire comes — to “scoot” — is the PERFECT rhyme! Three cheers!!!
Your class is so lucky to be able to follow their curiosity through research to creativity. Keep up the good work!
What a great job Kierlan did with her poem–I especially love the ending! And what a great model you are, Margaret, with your acrostic!
We’ve been trying to get on board wtith The [Math] Problem of the Week, but I I’m thinking that The Wonder of the Week–chosen by children–is a better way to go….thanks for the pouch full of inspiration!
PS Love your new profile pic! : )
Bandicoots are new to me — they look a bit possum-ish to me. But since they’re Australian they must be cuter. 😉 Bandicoot is just one of those words that is satisfying to say. Maybe I need to find my own “Wonder of the Week.”
Margaret, your wonder led to such a journey of exploration, discover, and creativity-all the elements we want to celebrate in student authorship. The children must be so captivated by your engaging lessons and modeling for them. Have a WONDERful Day!