Illustration of a student laughing at another student who just had an apple fall on their head
Art by Dave Clegg
Poetry,

Underneath an Apple Tree

A funny poem describing a fall scene

By Kenn Nesbitt | Art by Dave Clegg
From the September 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify how the author of this poem uses language to bring it to life.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose & Levels of Meaning
    On one level, the poem describes a funny situation in which a boy gets hit with a falling apple. On another level, it shows how to appreciate humor in all types of situations.
  • Structure
    The poem contains two stanzas. Each stanza follows an ABAB rhyme scheme.
  • Language
    The language is mostly simple but contains a few words—like bonked and bawl—that may be unfamiliar to students.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is needed.
Featured Skill: Elements of Poetry,
Other Key Skills: elements of poetry, setting, summarizing, compare and contrast, character, interpreting text, rhyme, text features, vocabulary, narrative writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.3.1, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.6, RL.3.7, W.3.3, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.4, L.3.5
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6g, 6h, 6i, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7g, 8d, 9b, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 12a, 12b

Presentation View
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Underneath an Apple Tree

Underneath an apple tree

one lovely day in autumn

a friend walked up to talk with me,

and then an apple got him.


It dropped and bonked him on the head,

which would have made me bawl.

But he just laughed and winked and said,

“That apple likes the fall.”

THINK AND WRITE

Explore how the poet brings this scene to life.

Reprinted by permission of THE POET. All Rights Reserved.

Audio ()
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
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Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. SEL Focus

4. Skill Building

5. Differentiate and Customize

Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading

  • Read the title of the poem along with the poet’s name. Ask students to describe the illustration and predict what the poem will be about. Review the predictions after reading the poem.
  • Explain that the poem has two stanzas. A stanza is a group of lines in a poem. Explain that the first and third, and the second and fourth, lines of each stanza rhyme.

Preview Text Features and Vocabulary 

  • Before reading, point out the words bonked (hit) and bawl (cry loudly) to students, and review their definitions. Go over any other vocabulary terms that may be challenging for your students.

2. Reading and Discussing the Poem

  • Read the poem to the class, play the audio version, or use text-to-speech.

  • Next, ask students to take turns reading aloud each line in the poem.

  • Discuss the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. 

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the first stanza or group of lines. Where and when do the events in this poem take place? The events in this poem take place under an apple tree on an autumn day. (setting)
  • What does the girl describe in this stanza? The girl describes a friend walking up to talk to her. Then an apple hits him. (summarizing)
  • Read the second stanza. How do the girl and boy each react after the apple hits him? The girl says that being hit on the head by an apple would have made her bawl. However, the boy laughs, winks, and jokes about the accident. (compare and contrast, character)
  • Why does the boy say, “‘That apple likes the fall.’” (Hint: “Fall” can also mean “autumn.”) The boy is joking. He means the apple is falling to the ground because it likes autumn, the season when apples ripen and drop from trees. (interpreting text)
  • Which words rhyme in each stanza of the poem? The rhyming words are at the end of lines 1 and 3 and lines 2 and 4 of each stanza: tree, me; autumn, got him; head, said; and bawl, fall. (rhyme)
  • How does the picture help bring the events in this poem to life? In the picture, the boy and girl stand under an apple tree. An apple falls from the tree, hits the boy on the head, and is about to fall on the ground. The picture highlights the spot on the boy’s head where the apple hits him before bouncing off. Although he reacts to the apple hitting him, he laughs and winks. His friend covers her mouth in surprise. (visual literacy, text features)

3 Skill Building

Featured Skill: Elements of Poetry

Distribute or digitally assign our Elements of Poetry Skill Builder and have students complete it in class or for homework.

Text-to-Speech