Oh+the+Places+You'll+Go


 * Prompt**: My unit is on Industrialization and business, but I chose a theme of “Rags to Riches.” Many of the people who succeeded during the Industrial Revolution went from having nothing to become very rich, famous, and/or powerful. To honor this theme, I want my students to read //Oh the Places You’ll Go// by Dr. Seuss.

What does it mean to go from “Rags to Riches?” What does it take to achieve a goal like that? Would it be an easy Journey?
 * Pre Writing** –


 * Activity**
 * 1) We will read the poem/story in class together.
 * 2) After hearing the poem, think about a historical figure we learned about in this unit (Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie, Edison, The Wright Brothers, Watt, etc) and think how this poem may relate to them.
 * 3) Now imagine that their mother or father read this story to them when they were younger.
 * 4) Write a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss’s called “Oh the Places I Went” where you tell the narrator all of the places your person did go.
 * 5) What is Dr. Seuss’s Poem trying to say?
 * 6) Compare the message from his poem to yours. What is different about your poem/ what is the same.
 * 7) How do these poems relate to the theme of “Rags to Riches”

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there." With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down. In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or the waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike, And I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never foget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, You're off the Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!


 * Activity in Action:**

“Oh the Places I Went” by Wilbur Wright

Congratulations is in order Today is our day I flew to great places I’m off and away

The brains in my head And the feet in my shoes Have allowed me to go Wherever I choose I’m off on my own, ready to go with the flow And I am the one who decides where to go

they’ll look up and down the streets, but no one is there But someone will say “look in the air!” With their eyes full circles and their mouths open wide They’ll see me go past saying “look at him glide!”

I indeed found the road That I want to go down And with the help of my brother I am profound

The air in the sky Is as free as I

Everything happened Just as I dreamed I went faster than light Or so it seemed

My dreams came true As unlikely as it is The plane actually worked My plans didn’t fizz

“Oh the places you’ll go” No. The places I went We’re the highest of fliers The highest heights sent

There were failures and detours We had to move mountains But we shot through the air Like water from a fountain

So be it Orville or I Or Ali Van Mordecai Today is my day A mountain’s approaching I’ll be on my way

5. Dr. Seuss’s poem is talking to a young child about their future. His message is optimistic, but also realistic. He says to the child that they will succeed, but that they might not and that it is ok. He describes the struggles that people face in life and that it’s normal, but tat the character has the heart and mind to succeed and that he believes in them. 6. In my poem, Wilbur is responding to the narrator telling them that they were right (no pun intended). Wilbur soared to high places… literally. There were plenty of bumps along the road (or runway) but he reached his goals just as the narrator suggested. 7. This fits in with the theme of Rags to Riches perfectly. The Wright brothers were just ordinary brothers from Ohio, but during the industrial revolution they became world icons. They invented human flight! They are fought over between Ohio and North Carolina. They will live on forever. It’s a great message to teach to children.