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Poetry Teacher Resources
Find teacher approved Poetry educational resource ideas and activities
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Use the short story "How I Started Writing Poetry" by Reginald Lockett, as a jumping off point for improving the writing of your English language arts class. Writers will begin by reading this short story and identifying exactly what Lockett does in his writing to make it strong. Young writers can record this information to create a writing toolbox. Then, move this discussion into practice about how to use hooks, adjectives, and description in their own writing.
Use Mattie Stepanek’s Heartsongs book of poetry to inspire young poets to write about their own lives, experiences, and feelings. After reading the introduction to Mattie’s book, in which he talks about himself and his reasons for writing poetry, class members make predictions about the topics they might find in Heartsongs. Then learners examine the master poem and compose their own poems about family, feelings, and struggles.
Embark on a journey of writing several different types of poetry. Fifth graders read several examples, and use the examples to model their own writing. Each poem is to be accompanied by a different art visual representation. In the end, each young poet produces his or her own poetry books for evaluation.
Upper elementary learners discover classic and contemporary poetry. They read several poems, discover the power of performing them, and analyze the different parts that make the poems work. At the end, they use what they learned to create their own poems.
Poetry can be fun! To set your pupils giggling, have them listen to poems from If Kids Ruled the School by Bruce Lansky. Then, they can study the different types of poetry on www.gigglepoetry.com, and choose one form on which to base their own original poem. Have them present their poem or skit in front of the class. The lesson is designed for sharing computers, but teachers can print necessary materials from the website instead.
Pupils develop an understanding of a variety of poetry patterns and the role figurative language often plays in poetry. They construct original poems using the various patterns and figurative language taught in this lesson plan.
Students develop empathy through writing. In this writing skills lesson, students read the listed poems and then respond to analysis questions about them. Students write poetry responses of the characters in the poems they read. The poetry should incorporate figurative language and voice.
Aspiring writers complete and discuss fill-in-the-blank cliché expressions, define cliché as a form of predictable writing, take cliché expressions and turn them into new, unpredictable ones, read poetry that illustrates writer's use of simile or comparison, brainstorm examples of phrases that illustrate poetic tension, and complete an independent poetry writing assignment.
Fourth graders read and analyze poetry and examine the process of writing poetry. They read and analyze the poem "From a Railway Carriage" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and answer comprehension questions. They identify the similes, metaphors, and homonyms in the poem and write a class poem about the magic of travel.
For this complete, ready to use poetry unit, sixth graders read, discuss, analyze, and present poetry. Through the investigation of a wide variety of poetry, pupils gain an appreciation and understanding of poetry, poetic language and how poets relate messages through this form of literature. The culminating presentation assignment is included. A great resource, the unit uses activities and instructional strategies supported by best practices.