Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 64: Woodman, Spare That Tree!

by George Pope Morris

Performer: Librivox - Kara Shallenberg

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

The narrator begs a woodman to save a cherished tree.

Vocabulary

Woodman: A person working in woodland, especially a forester or woodcutter.
Spare: Refrain from killing, injuring, or distressing.
Bough: A main branch of a tree.
Shelter: A place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
Ax: A tool typically used for chopping wood, usually a steel blade attached at a right angle to a wooden handle.
Hew: Chop or cut (something, especially wood) with an ax, pick, or other tool.
Forbear: Refrain from doing or using something.
Oak: A tree that bears acorns as fruit, and typically has lobed deciduous leaves.
Towering: Extremely tall, especially in comparison with the surroundings.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Study the Poem's Companion Painting

• Study the painting below, and describe it in your own words.

Find the following in the companion painting:

• Older Man
• Woman
• Campfire
• Ax
• House
• Baby
• Cut Tree
• Young Man
• City
• Grave

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

• After reading or listening to each verse of the poem, narrate the verse events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 67 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Woodman, Spare That Tree!.'

1 / 4

Question 2

What happens in the poem?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The narrator implores a woodman to save a cherished tree.

2 / 4

Question 3

Where does the poem take place?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The poem takes place outdoors, probably in a forest.

3 / 4

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The narrator, the narrator's family, the woodman, and the tree.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Woodman, Spare That Tree!.'
2. What happens in the poem? The narrator implores a woodman to save a cherished tree.
3. Where does the poem take place? The poem takes place outdoors, probably in a forest.
4. Who are the characters in the poem? The narrator, the narrator's family, the woodman, and the tree.