Illustration of dragons reading bedtime stories
Art by Janos Jantner
Poetry,

The Dragons Are Dozing

A lighthearted poem about the life of a dragon

By Kenn Nesbitt | art by Janos Jantner
From the December 2024/January 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify how the language the poet uses in the poem helps them see and hear what is happening.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose & Levels of Meaning
    The poem ends with a playful homophone: knight. It explains that the dragon is tired during the day because it fights at night and fights every knight.
  • Structure
    The poem contains five stanzas that each have four lines. Each stanza has an ABCB rhyme scheme.
  • Language
    The language is simple.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is needed.
Featured Skill: Figurative Language,
Other Key Skills: figurative language, elements of poetry, main idea, descriptive details, plot, supporting details, text features, interpreting text, explanatory writing, poetry writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.5, RL.3.7, RL.3.9, W.3.2, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.4
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6g, 6i, 7b, 7c, 7g, 8c, 9b, 10a, 10b, 10d, 12b

Presentation View
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Think and Read: Figurative Language

As you read, think about how the words and illustration help you see and hear what is happening in the poem.  

The Dragons Are Dozing

The dragons are dozing.

They’re catching some Z’s.

They’re snoozing and snoring

as loud as they please.


They snore through the morning.

They drowse through the day.

They often will dream

the whole evening away.


And, then, after sunset,

the dragons will rise.

They’ll wake from their slumber

and take to the skies.


They’ll search for a snack,

like a sheep or some cattle,

then fly around looking

for knights they can battle.


By morning, they’re worn out

and rest while it’s light.

They sleep every day since

they fight every knight.

Reprinted by permission of THE POET. All Rights Reserved.

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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 illustrations and predict what the poem will be about. Review the predictions after reading the poem.
  • Explain that the poem contains five stanzas that each have four lines. The poem has an ABCB rhyme scheme. That means the second and fourth lines of every stanza rhyme.

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 Questions.

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the poem. Which words rhyme in each stanza, or group of lines? The rhyming words in each stanza are: Z’s and please, day and away, rise and skies, cattle and battle, light and knight. (elements of poetry)
  • The poet uses the terms dozing, catching some Z’s, snoozing, and snoring to describe sleeping. Why do you think the poet uses all of these different terms to describe sleeping? I think the poet uses all these different types of terms for sleeping to make the poem more fun to read. These words help me imagine what the dragons are doing in the poem. (figurative language)
  • Which words in the second stanza help you imagine what the dragons do in the morning, during the day, and in the evening? The words they snore help me imagine the dragons sleeping deeply. The word drowse helps me imagine the dragons half asleep. The words they often will dream help me imagine the dragons peacefully sleeping and dreaming. (descriptive details)
  • What happens to the dragons in the third stanza of the poem? At night the dragons wake up and begin to fly across the sky. (plot)
  • Reread the last stanza. The poet says, “They sleep every day since / they fight every knight.” Why do you think the author included this line in the poem? What two scenes do you imagine as you read this poem? I think the poet chose to include this line in the poem because the word knight has two meanings. When I read this line, I imagine two different things in my head. I imagine the dragons fighting knights. I also imagine the dragons fighting every night. (figurative language)

3. Skill Building

Featured Skill: Figurative Language: Imagery

Distribute or digitally assign our Figurative Language: Imagery Skill Builder and have students complete it in class or for homework.  

Text-to-Speech