Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Poetic Planet - Writing Poems about the Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
As a way to combine language arts and science, try this lesson on writing cloud poetry. Begin by showing a PowerPoint presentation and images of cloud types. Take meteorology masters outdoors to explore the sky using the provided "Cloud...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explore your Culture through Storytelling

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Explore the cultural heritage through of your class through reading, writing, and speaking exercises. They create illustrated mini-books that express their unique cultural and personal experiences. They share their stores with the class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Nonsense Poetry and Whimsy

For Teachers K - 2nd
Primary learners are introduced to Lewis Carroll's whimsical poetry. They read "The Nursery Alice" Carroll's adaptation for younger readers, view story illustrations, listen to poetry and write whimsical verses of their own about food.
Worksheet
Curated OER

A Poem About Sadness

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this emotional health worksheet, students explore the feelings of sadness, grief and loss by first reading and decorating a poem which states that it is all right to feel sad. Students color emotion pictures and discuss as a group why...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Spy Poetry

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Explore the components of rhythm and form through a reading of Jean Marzollo's I Spy books. After discussing Marzollo’s format, the class agrees upon a theme for a class book and topics that fit with that theme. Pupils write a poem,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pictures in Words: Poems of Tennyson and Noyes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how Tennyson and Noyes use words to paint vivid pictures. They read and analyze two poems, complete an online scavenger hunt, complete a worksheet, and write examples of alliteration, personification, metaphor, simile,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compare and Contrast Poems vs. Lyrics

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Combine your pupils' love of music with their growing knowledge of poetry! First, have them bring in their favorite songs for a discussion on word choice and literary devices. Then, use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explore José Martí's Poems

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Explore Cuba and its fight for independence through José Martí's poems "Dos patrias" and "Yo soy un hombre sincero." Identify common themes and touch on various concepts (a list is provided here). Resources and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is Perception Reality? Writing Paradoxes in Poetry

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Explore the paradox of the universe - or, at least, of popular music - with this instructional activity. Using the songs "Inaudible Melodies" by Jack Johnson and "She" by Green Day, your class will complete a graphic organizer to help...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Seeing Sense in Photographs & Poems

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze photographs and poetry as forms of each other. In this poetry and photography analysis instructional activity, students use the photographs of Alfred Stieglitz and poetry from William Carlos William to explore how poetry...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Robert Frost's "Mending Wall": A Marriage of Poetic Form and Content

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the relationship between a poem's form and its content in Robert Frost's poem, 'Mending Wall.' They read and analyze the poem, explore websites, listen to an audio clip of Frost reading the poem, and write an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Preparing for Poetry: A Reader's First Steps

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students complete poetry analysis using William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" as a part of a study of figurative language. In this Shakespearean language lesson, students define literal and figurative language and practice paraphrasing and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Poetry Unit

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore, analyze and interpret one form of poetry writing called Poetry Slam. They hear several examples of unexpected poetry and view a video of "Slam Nation." The books, "Hey You! C'mere: A Poetry Slam," by Elizabeth Swados...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Dinosaur Acrostic Poem

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this writing poetry learning exercise, students explore acrostic poems. Students write an acrostic poem by using the eight letters in the word "dinosaur" to describe a dinosaur.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Colonial America Acrostic Poem

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this acrostic poem worksheet, students explore colonial America. Students write an acrostic poem about colonial America using the six letters in the word colony.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Explication and Analysis Using "In Her Shoes"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore language arts by viewing movie clips in class. In this poetry analysis lesson, students view scenes from the movie "In Her Shoes" and define what poetry is. High schoolers read the poem "One Art" and identify its...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock and Poetry: A Thematic Project

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore poetry. In this literature instructional activity, students examine music and lyrics by Natalie Merchant in order to make the transition to analyzing poetry by Keats and Wordsworth.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Explorer Acrostic Poem

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this explorer acrostic poem worksheet, students read an example of an acrostic poem and then write one using the letters EXPLORER.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Math Meets Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify Fibonacci's sequence of numbers and use the pattern to write poetry with one syllable words. In this math and writing lesson, students identify Fibonacci's sequence of numbers and learn about this early mathematician....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Patchwork Adventure Poetry

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore poetry by completing a worksheet.  In this poetry activity, 3rd graders create a quilt using images students have drawn based on imagery.  Students practice using vocabulary from the poem "Adventures of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Giggle Poetry" Theater

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners read and perform "Giggle Poetry Theater." In small groups, they read the poems, collect props, rehearse, and present their poem to their classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tricks of the Trade A Collection of Concrete Poems-for writing concrete poems

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore concrete poetry. In this lesson about poetry, students read A Poke in the I, by Paul B. Janeczko, and are introduced to concrete poems. Students read several different kinds of concrete poems including single-word, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpretation of Poems

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recite poetry and analyze its meaning.  In this poetry interpretation lesson, students listen to a poem and work in groups to write what the poem is about.  Students share and discuss the poem.  Groups report back...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Poetry, Take Me Away!

For Teachers 5th
Students explore a variety of poetry and poetry concepts. They examine figurative language, mood, and literary devices. The students write and recite their own poetry.