Book Summary
This poem follows the wind as it whips up a furious storm and then dies down again. Students learn to listen for ending rhymes in this poem about what happens when the wind blows. Approximate book level: Q. 

Build Background
Ask students to think about a time when there was a lot of wind. Ask them to describe what they saw and heard. Explain that sometimes wind blows gently and sometimes it blows fiercely; when the wind blows fiercely it can be scary. 

Discuss poetry's rhymes and rhythms. Read the title, Just the Wind. Ask students to tell words that describe how the wind acts. Prompt with the word blow. Ask students to come up with words that rhyme with blow and write them on the board (flow, row, mow, tow, grow). Explain that rhyming poetry follows a beat that is based on syllables.

Preview the Poem
Show students the front and back covers of the book. Discuss the pictures. Turn to the title page. Discuss the picture and the contents of the page (title, author, illustrator). Ask students to tell what this poem might say about wind based on the pictures and what they already know about wind. Tell students that remembering what they already know about wind will help them understand the poem as you read. 

Explain to students that in this poem, each pair of sentences contains a rhyming word at the end. Read the first page and ask students to tell you what two words are the rhyming words at the end of the pair of sentences (blow and fro).

During Reading
Have students listen as you read the poem. Tell them to clap or raise their hands whenever they hear the second word of a rhyming pair. Read the book expressively and emphasize the words that rhyme in each pair of sentences. 

Use think-aloud strategies to remind students to use what they already know about wind to help them make sense of the poem. React to parts of the poem with facial expressions and gestures. Allow students to stop and ask questions during reading, especially if there is something they do not understand.

After Reading

Reader Response
Ask students what they thought of the poem. Have volunteers summarize the poem or name their favorite part.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the poem.

• The wind blew in four major locations in the poem. Name those places (woods, shore, sea, town).
• What is the author's purpose for writing this poem? Is it to explain, entertain, or persuade?
• Why was the boy scared the wind might blow him away?