Before Reading
Preview Organization
Read about rhyme schemes and ballads in Literary Tools and About the Selections on page 168 of your textbook. Scan the last words of the two ballads to get a sense of the rhyme scheme.
During Reading
Use Organization as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first three stanzas of "Sir Patrick Spens" aloud. Make a note of the rhyme scheme of each stanza. Listen as your teacher reads the stanzas again and jot down the main ideas or events of the story.
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Keep tracking the rhyme scheme and making notes about the story told in the ballad. Read "The Great Silkie of Shule Skerrie" on your own, taking notes about the rhyme scheme and the story just as you did for "Sir Patrick Spens."
Fix-Up Idea: Read Aloud/Think Aloud
If you are having trouble reading the ballads, try doing a read aloud/think aloud with a partner. Read the first stanza aloud, listening to the rhyme. Then think aloud about the subject of the stanza. Then have your partner read the second stanza. Continue to read aloud and think aloud until you have finished the ballad.
After Reading
Discuss Your Experience
With a partner, share the notes you took about the two ballads. Compare the rhyme schemes and subjects of the two ballads.