The Laughing at Limericks activity packet is a free download available on Teachers Pay Teachers. The download teaches students about limericks and how to write this particular style of poetry. It includes templates that guide students through the creation of their first limericks using an open fill-in-the-blank structure, and then a worksheet with space for students to write their own limericks from scratch. The activity would be fun and relevant for any unit covering poetry and/or St. Patrick’s Day.
Limericks are a fun form of poetry originating in 18th century England, though they are commonly thought of as an Irish because of their name. Many people are familiar with the limerick without realizing it as an entire genre of poetry. Students will benefit from learning the poem’s structure and the opportunity to write their own poems.
The worksheets do a good job of introducing the format, though there may be a missed opportunity for fun interaction between the teacher and the students. The idea of teaching limericks silently through a worksheet doesn’t carry as much potential for engaging kids in a fun activity as teaching students about limericks “out loud.” Part of the charm of limericks is their rhythm and rhyming pattern, which come alive when spoken. Teachers may end up deciding to read the introductory page aloud to students and then distribute copies of the following pages with the templates and writing practice.
The templates are an interesting resource to introduce students to their own limerick writing. They provide enough guidance for new writers not to feel intimidated, but not so much structure that creativity is hampered. The third template is a set of instructions of what to include, which leaves even more room for creativity and may also be easier for the more instruction-seeking students to wrap their heads around.
All in all, this packet of worksheets to teach limerick poetry writing is a fine resource for teachers of students in third through ninth grades, with lots of room for each teacher to tweak and adjust.
You can download your own copy of Laughing at Limericks here.
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