Cinnamon Bancroft

OWP – Summer 2010

Book title:
Bean Soup/Sopa de frijoles by Jorge Argueta

Lesson objectives:
1. Students will explore the use of simile as they write a recipe in poetry form

Prereading (connected with Reader’s Workshop:

Read the book/poem Bean Soup a few times. First, read for enjoyment. On the next
reading, ask students to think about author’s choice and how he has organized the poem,
i.e. sequentially with ingredients first, steps next. After this reading, it may be helpful to
show a more traditional recipe and note how it also follows similar format. On the
(third) reading, ask students to listen for the ways in which the author describes the
ingredients. What comparisons does he make? After this reading, and subsequent
discussion, provide student partners with a copy of the text and ask them to highlight
places in which the author makes comparisons. What language does he use? What
comparisons does he make?

Drafting/Listing:
1. Students brainstorm a list of favorite foods.
2. They select one item from their list and create a list of all the necessary ingredients.
3. Reviewing Argueta’s use of simile, note with students how he compares items in
nature with recipe ingredients.
4. Ask student volunteers to share one item from their list of ingredients. Model how to
craft comparisons, using Argueta’s poem as a language sample.
5. Students now work with their own lists to think of possible similes they could use for
items on their recipe list. (I have included an example of a T-chart that could be used).
6. Partner or Pop-Up Share

7. On subsequent days, revisit the poem to look at the organizational structure of the
poem and sequential vocabulary. Students will then write the steps for making the recipe.
8. Discuss with whom the poet wishes to share the food as a means of bringing closure to
the poem.

Possible extensions: This poem may also be viewed for its use of personification.
Alternatively, the recipe poem could be extended to describe how to do something else.
Another excellent model for such a poem is: Cómo se dibuja un señor by Gloria
Fuertes.