Love That Dog

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “Write Your Own Poem”

In this activity, students will use one of the poets referenced in the novel as inspiration for their own poem.

Throughout the novel, Jack is introduced to a series of authors, styles, subjects, and structures within the realm of poetry. As he develops as a poet, he selects different aspects of poetry to incorporate into his own canon. Using one of the poets mentioned in the novel as inspiration, write your own poem. Your creation may draw on the structure, themes, subject, and/or another element of the poet’s canon.

After drafting your poem, share it with the class in a presentation. Be sure to provide information on which poet you chose for inspiration and why. Finally, consider the novel’s themes of What Makes a Poem, Voices Have Power, and The Purpose of Poetry as you listen to your classmates’ poems.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity encourages students to follow Jack’s journey in writing their own poem. Based on the level and content of the poems, this Activity might work best without the presentation component, as this may make students uncomfortable in regard to sharing any personal material that they feel compelled to explore in their poetry. Alternatively, students might present their poems in the form of a video or live-action dramatic reading with music, props, and/or costumes, which may appeal to a wider range of learning styles.

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes, the above Prompt may be amended to the following: Research a poet not mentioned in the novel and read a selection of their poems. Then, using this poet as inspiration, write your own poem in which you draw from their themes, subjects, literary techniques, and/or structural choices. Share your poem with the class, identifying which aspects of your chosen poet are included in your writing. 

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. From the beginning of the novel, Jack is surprised that different types of work are considered poetry.

• How does Jack feel about poetry at the onset of the novel? How does this change as the novel progresses? (topic sentence)
• Highlight 2-3 turning points in Jack’s understanding of poetry and explain what elements cause him to change his mind.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss how Jack’s shifting understanding of What Makes a Poem shapes his overall attitude toward poetry.

2. The relationship between art and healing plays a key role in Jack’s journey.

• How does Jack initially approach the idea of talking about his feelings? (topic sentence)
• Chart Jack’s growth over the course of the novel. How does he use art to talk about his feelings in the end?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, reflect on how the relationship between art and healing connects with the larger theme of Voices Have Power.

3. Jack is introduced to a series of “mentor texts,” or examples of “good” writing by various authors, in his class with Miss Stretchberry.

• What is the purpose of a “mentor text” in Jack’s English class? (topic sentence)
• Select one of these mentor texts and analyze how it shapes Jack’s thinking in a particular way.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how Jack’s experiences with mentor texts might challenge readers’ preconceptions about the nature and The Purpose of Poetry.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. When Miss Stretchberry posts a yellow dog’s picture next to Jack’s poem, Jack says he likes it, but “that’s not how / [his] yellow dog / looked” (19). In which ways is exact imagery important to Jack as a writer? How does he respond to poems that use imagery, like concrete poems? What does this say about his personal writing style?

2. Jack borrows many words and phrases from different poets. Is this considered plagiarism? Why or why not? How does Jack feel about potentially plagiarizing another artist’s work, as opposed to using his own? How does this speak to his personality and character?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. According to Jack in the beginning of the novel, what is a distinguisher between those who can and cannot write poetry?

A) A person’s gender

B) A person’s age

C) A person’s job

D) A person’s language

2. Who is Jack most likely addressing with his poetry, based on the way it is written?

A) His mother

B) His friend

C) His teacher

D) His dog

3. Which of the following words best describes the meaning of “anonymous” as explained in the novel?

A) Without someone’s name

B) Without consent of the person

C) Without parental permission

D) Without interest in the topic

4. Which of the following aspects does Jack like best about poetry?

A) Imagery

B) Verbiage

C) Vocabulary

D) Stanzas

5. What aspect of his poetry is Jack most concerned about when his work is displayed in front of the class?

A) The direction of the poem

B) The spacing between the lines

C) The type of font

D) The color of the words

6. What is unique about Jack’s poem “MY YELLOW DOG”?

A) It is written without any verbs.

B) It is written with very large spaces.

C) It is written in the shape of a dog.

D) It is written in a different language.

7. Which of the following statements would the author of the novel most likely agree with?

A) Poetry should only be written by adults.

B) Poetry is not a valid form of communication in literature.

C) Poetry can provide a space for people to talk about difficult subjects.

D) Poetry is not important for the average person to partake in.

8. Which of the following words best describes Jack’s dog’s personality?

A) Insincere

B) Affectionate

C) Lavish

D) Dubious

9. How does Jack feel about Walter Dean Myers?

A) He reveres him.

B) He loathes him.

C) He despises him.

D) He beguiles him.

10. Which of the following words best describes Jack’s relation to poetry by the end of the novel?

A) He finds it dull.

B) He finds it exciting.

C) He finds it scary.

D) He finds it silly.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. How is the novel structured? What does it resemble, and how does Jack indicate the passage of time?

2. Identify three examples of similes and/or metaphors used within the text. Provide a brief explanation of the context, along with an in-text citation.