Collaborative Practice - Save the Children: Spike Milligan Poem - The ABC

The email from Emma got me thinking about how we could create a factual but easy to read and interesting space book. I remembered a poem which I used to love when I was younger it is called The ABC by Spike Milligan. The poem is about the alphabet but is written from the point of view of the letters and where they are in the alphabet. The reason I have thought about this is that we could do a similar idea with our solar system...The planets could be talking about each other but based on facts.

For example this bit of information about Jupiter could be turned into part of a story:

Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our Solar System. The Earth could fit inside Jupiter more than 1000 times.

Jupiter is a very stormy planet. There are storms found throughout the atmosphere, and most of the storms seem to never end. The many different cloud formations and storms in the atmosphere also make Jupiter a very colorful planet.

The ABC Poem

'Twas midnight in the schoolroom 

And every desk was shut 

When suddenly from the alphabet 

Was heard a loud "Tut-Tut!" 

Said A to B, "I don't like C; 

His manners are a lack. 

For all I ever see of C 

Is a semi-circular back!" 

"I disagree," said D to B, 

"I've never found C so. 

From where I stand he seems to be 

An uncompleted O." 

C was vexed, "I'm much perplexed, 

You criticise my shape. 

I'm made like that, to help spell Cat 

And Cow and Cool and Cape." 

"He's right" said E; said F, "Whoopee!" 

Said G, "'Ip, 'Ip, 'ooray!" 

"You're dropping me," roared H to G. 

"Don't do it please I pray." 

"Out of my way," LL said to K. 

"I'll make poor I look ILL." 

To stop this stunt J stood in front, 

And presto! ILL was JILL. 

"U know," said V, "that W 

Is twice the age of me. 

For as a Roman V is five 

I'm half as young as he." 

X and Y yawned sleepily, 

"Look at the time!" they said. 

"Let's all get off to beddy byes." 

They did, then "Z-z-z."