"My Cat" by Judith Viorst

Poetry Break for a poem 'that doesn't rhyme'.

"My Cat" by Judith Viorst from If I were in Charge of the World and Other Worries: Poems for Children and Their Parents, illustrated by Lynne Cherry, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 1981.

Intro: Display a stuffed animal cat and dog. Take a quick oral poll of students to see who owns what pet. Make a chart or Venn diagram to display by particular characteristics about each pet and their similarities.

Poem: My cat isn't stuck up,
Even though
He's the handsomest cat in
the world,
And smart,
And brave,
And climbs the highest trees.
My cat will sit on your lap and
let you pet him.
He won't mind.
He thinks human beings are
Almost as good
As he is.

Extension: Put students into small groups with an informational book about dogs or cats. Have each group find a fact of information in the book that wasn't covered in the earlier discussion to present to group at end of session.

Additional Extension for Older Students: If any students are cat owners, give them the opportunity to explain to group why cats might be 'stuck up' or might think "...human beings are almost as good as [they are]."