I hope I can find it.
I think that I might.
My hat has three snowflakes
and stripes that are white.
There's one purple square,
and the pom-pom is red.
I sure miss my hat,
and so does my head.
Art by Anny Chen
Lost Hat
Which hat is the lost hat? Read the poem to figure it out.
By Eric Ode
From the December 2024/January 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will use clues in a poem to solve a riddle.
Common Core Standards
TEKS Standards
More About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Poetry: Craft and Structure
Comprehension
Math
Logic
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
Pairings and Text Connections
- In this issue: "Tallest Snowperson Ever"
- From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Poetry Kit: Snow Mail" (December 2022/January 2023)
- Suggested books: The Hat by Jan Brett
Suggested Reading Focus
Comprehension (20 minutes)
- Tell students that this poem is special. It’s not just a poem—it’s a riddle!
- Read the poem through, having students follow along in their magazines. What is the poem is about? What do they notice about it? Then have students look at the art that surrounds the poem.
- Before the next read-through, have children take out a pencil or crayon. Say that during the next read-though, they’re going to listen closely to try to solve the riddle by listening to the clues and marking up the art.
- Then read the poem through again, stopping as you read each describing phrase (“three snowflakes,” “stripes that are white,” “one purple square,” “the pom-pom is red”). Have children cross out the hats that do not match that description. Which hat is left in the end?
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: Key details; following directions/poetry theme (15 minutes each)
Text-to-Speech