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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
After sketching an essential person and reading an article, scholars read the poem "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón. They listen to the poem in English and Spanish and record lines that stand out to them. Small...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “One day is there of the series” by Emily Dickinson

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
A activity begins with learners saying three words they associate with Thanksgiving dinner. They examine a picture of a menu from a Thanksgiving meal and discuss what they believe the artist wants them to feel, pointing out details....
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Lesson Plan
National Council of Teachers of English

A Bear of a Poem: Composing and Performing Found Poetry

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Scholars work collaboratively to compose a found poem from one of their favorite stories. With a finished product in hand, class members form a circle and perform their work for an audience by taking turns reciting one line till the poem...
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Lesson Plan
National Council of Teachers of English

Writing Acrostic Poems with Thematically Related Texts in the Content Areas

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Scholars scour thematically aligned texts to gather a bank of words they can use in an original acrostic poem. 
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Lesson Plan
National Council of Teachers of English

Writing Poetry with Rebus and Rhyme

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Young scholars write rhyming poems using rebus. With pictures instead of words, authors create original work about things they love. 
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
A lesson spotlights the poem "Tamales on Christmas" by Christian Robinson. Scholars discuss their favorite foods and then examine a lively picture of a family preparing tamales. After listening to the poem twice, learners participate in...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "The Teller of Tales" by Gabriela Mistral

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
The poem "The Teller of Tales" by Gabriela Mistral is the subject of a thoughtful lesson that allows scholars to listen to or read the poem, then discuss its meaning. 
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Alice Paul" by Katharine Rolston Fisher

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Powerful women need not look like Wonder Woman. After writing a paragraph about a strong woman they know, young scholars examine images of Alice Paul and then do a close reading of Katharine Rolston Fisher's poem "Alice Paul." Finally,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Short Poems Are Scary!

For Teachers K - 5th
What do all those chairs and pencils do in the classroom once everyone leaves? Allow imaginations to run wild with frighteningly short poems!
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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry

For Teachers K - 12th
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acrostic Book Report

For Teachers K - 8th
Young scholars read the story Wild Horse Winter and construct acrostic poems. In this poetry lesson, students use adjectives and events in the text to develop an acrostic poem.
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Lesson Plan
Poetry Society

How do Poets Use Language?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Why do writers choose the language they do? Here's a resource that has the poet himself answer that very question. Joseph Coelho explains why he chose the words and images he used in his poem, "If All the World Were Paper."
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Palm of My Heart: Poetry By African American Children

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Elementary students explore African American culture by reading children's poetry. They read the book, The Palm of My Heart which features poetry by an assortment of young African American boys and girls. Students define several...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “Home” by Bruce Weigl

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
A poetry lesson takes a close look at home. Scholars discuss with partners what they are most grateful for at their homes. A timelapse video showcases potato tubers growing. While watching, pupils write down what they notice. Learners...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "November 2: Día De Los Muertos" By Alberto Ríos

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Scholars examine a colorful and detailed picture, then view an engaging video in preparation for reading the poem "November 2: Día De Los Muertos" by Alberto Ríos. Learners discuss their observations, feelings conveyed, and the...
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Activity
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Curated OER

Earth Day Reading Comprehension

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Here is a really neat Earth Day reading passage that can be used online or printed. The initial passage provides learners with the opportunity to read a poem entitled, "Woodman, Spare That Tree!" It also includes comprehension questions...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Poem in Your Pocket Day: Ideas for Celebrating

For Students K - 12th
First instituted in New York City in 2002 and recognized nationwide in 2009, "Poem in Your Pocket Day" is part of National Poetry Month (April) and celebrates poetry in everyday life. A brief news story includes 9 ideas about how to...
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Printables
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Dr. Seuss Enterprises

A Poem a Day

For Teachers Pre-K - 8th
Celebrate National Poetry month with a quote a day from Dr. Seuss's books. Each poster includes the date (a day in April), a quote from a book, an image from the book, and a thumbnail of the book cover. 
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Lesson Plan
Poetry Society

The Jumblies

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Who would ever think to go to sea in a sieve? Only Edward Lear's Jumblies! The poem "The Jumblies" is the inspiration for these poetry reading and writing activities that ask learners to think about how strangers are different, consider...
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Worksheet
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Busy Teacher’s Café

"Smart" by Shel Silverstein

For Students 2nd - 4th Standards
Find out just how smart your young mathematicians are with this cross-curricular math and language arts lesson. After first reading Shel Silverstein's poem "Smart", students draw pictures of coins to model the different exchanges...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Ladybug Poem

For Students K - 2nd
For this poetry worksheet, students read the poem "Ladybug," color the picture, underline the rhyming words and then write the rhyming words on pages two through four.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Cubes

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Reading aloud can be scary, but it's an important way to build oral fluency. Break the class into groups of four or five learners. Each learner will roll a cube to determine which poem they read aloud to their small group. Feel free to...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Shel Silverstein's Poems

For Students 1st - 8th
Check to see that readers recall specific details from Shel Silverstein's poems. The poems appear to be taken from the collection Falling Up. Bring this classic children's author to your class with this resource.
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Invigorate Your Curriculum with the Poetry of Emily Dickinson

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Dickinson’s poems enliven the disciplines of language arts, social science, and even math.

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