Soft Schools
Practice Reading Poetry
Identify the rhyme scheme in a activity that features "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Readers use the nursery rhyme to reinforce poetic elements in four comprehension questions.
Read Works
A Bird Came Down the Walk
"A Bird Came Down the Walk" by Emily Dickinson is the focus text of a narrative poetry-based reading comprehension worksheet. After reading her poem, young readers respond to seven multiple choice and three short...
Curated OER
Stage a Poetry Slam!
Students write and perform poetry. In this poetry presentation activity, students learn about the concept of a poetry slam. Students plan and hold their own poetry slam.
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September Acrostic
In this writing worksheet, students write an original acrostic poem about the month of September. Students begin each line with a word or phrase that starts with the letter on that line.
Denver Art Museum
The Poetry in Non-Events
The photograph, Nellie and her Italian Soda is viewed and discussed by the class. They are instructed to use the photograph as inspiration to write a poem about non-events, or things that are beautiful in every day life. Pupils use...
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Poet Analysis: Ciaran Carson
Students analyze lyrics and narration by reading poetry. In this language arts lesson, students read and examine the poem Belfast Confetti. Students discuss the topics and questions asked by the author Ciaran Carson.
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Personification
Young writers discover that personification is when a writer gives an object the qualities of a person. After practicing identifying personification in many of the slides, individuals compose their own poem that uses this technique. They...
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Dance: Sharp and Smooth Energy Qualities
Learners use different qualities of movement to express themselves. In this lesson on movement, students use different qualities of energy and then use their experience as an inspiration for writing poetry.
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Poem in Your Pocket Day: Ideas for Celebrating
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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Calligrams
Poetry can inspire learners to create beautiful works of art. In this presentation, they are shown how to design calligrams, a type of poetry that uses words as art. This is a creative way to motivate learners to explore poetry.
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Plot/Poetry Review
Before a writer can create a well-composed piece, he/she needs to know the ropes. Review parts of speech, plot, and elements of poetry with this set of questions presented as a PowerPoint. The text, being white, is kind of difficult to...
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Observing Connections: Art, Poetry, and the Environment
Students write poems. In this language arts lesson, students view the works of Edward Hicks. Students write a poem and illustration based on the style of Edward Hicks.
Poetry Class
Writing a Monologue
The works of Carol Ann Duffy, Scottish poet and Britain's 2009 poet laureate, serve as a model for a writing activity that asks class members to select a character card, brainstorm lists of words, phrases, actions, and items associated...
Candlewick Press
A Classroom Guide to Peter H. Reynolds's Creatrilogy
Help young readers find, identify, and use their voices with a set of empowering activities based on Peter H. Reynolds' trilogy of books. Sky Color, Ish, and The Dot focus on recognizing moods and treating each other...
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Growing Poems
Students write garden inspired poetry. In this poetry lesson plan, students go out into the garden and write poems about how they feel, what they see, and what is going on in the garden.
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"Leap, plashless": Emily Dickinson & Poetic Imagination
Learners examine different poems from Emily Dickinson. They practice listening for meter in the poems and make connections between the texts. They also practice their own creative writing skills.
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Creature Feature Poetry Keyword Search!
Young scholars examine the differences between fact and opinion, and brainstorm ideas for a keyword list by analyzing facts. They listen to poems, and create posters listing three keywords about each creature featured in the poetry.
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Pirate Poems
Students increase their awareness of the fundamental of poetry. They write their own poetry on a familiar topic. Students create a paper-bag puppet on which to display their poem. They are told that poetry is a special way to tell a story.
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Fluency Is Too Cool for School
What does a successful reader sound like? Help readers gain fluency and become successful readers through repeated readings of given poems. They use the cover-up method to help them decode new words and chart their progress as they...
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A Poem's Theme
Show young poets how to use the main idea and voice to determine the theme of a poem. Model the steps using Listen Children. Lucille Clifton’s This Morning provides guided practice. Finally, class members use Nikki Giovanni’s...
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Kennings: Poetry
Using a list of adjectives, learners answer a riddle. Through this creative presentation, your class can review the use of adjectives and descriptive language. They read a poem full of adjectives and guess which animal is being...
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China Acrostic Poem
In this creating a poem worksheet, students use the letters in CHINA to write an acrostic poem. Students write 5 lines about the country China.
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Language Arts: Awesome Authors Website
Young scholars examine the writing techniques of professional authors and apply them to their own work. In pairs, they email authors to discover the tricks of the trade. Students create their own Website for their work.
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"Leap, Plashless": Emily Dickinson & Poetic Imagination
Students read and explore one of Emily Dickinson's nature poems, "A Bird Came Down the Walk-" through interaction with a variety of art forms. Clips of a hymn to hear meter and the viewing of bird images exposes them to the language and...