Academy of American Poets
The Immigrant Experience
The Buttonhook by Mary Jo Salter is the focus of a unit that explores the immigration experience to Ellis Island. First, scholars bring in an artifact that represents their heritage. A group-exercise allows them to share and discuss...
K20 LEARN
From Apples To Oranges: Examining Literary Devices
Make learning the definitions of literary terms memorable with a fun and engaging activity. Teams of scholars are given several terms and create an acrostic poem with simplified definitions and examples.
Read Works
City Autumn
Glimpse a beautiful moment through poetry with a reading comprehension activity. As sixth graders read through "City Autumn" by Joseph Moncure March, they answer ten questions about the setting, mood, vocabulary, and punctuation of the...
EngageNY
Reading about Freaky Frogs: “The Amazon Horned Frog"
The Amazon Horned Frog is the focus of a activity designed to encourage readers to ask and answer questions. A frog-themed poem opens the door to a whole-group discussion. Following a read-aloud of an informational text, a three-page...
Anti-Defamation League
"What is it Like to be an Outsider?”: Building Empathy for the Experiences of Immigrants
This lesson plan highlights the struggles of immigrants and the importance of showing empathy. Beginning with a read-aloud of a book in another language and a poem, scholars take part in a thoughtful discussion. Then, the class examines...
Curated OER
Modernism in Poetry, Painting, and Music
Are you teaching Modernism to your class? Connect different areas of artistic expression in the Modernist Era. Learners read T.S. Eliot, view art by Pablo Picasso, and listen to a Modernist musical composition. This final assignment is...
KERA
Matisse and Picasso
Discover Modernism through the eyes of artists. Over the course of six well-thought-out lessons, learners examine works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse while completing a range of collaborative and hands-on activities. A great resource!
Curated OER
Clouds
Incorporate art and poetry into an early elementary science lesson about cloud formation. With fun and engaging activities that follow a natural learning progression, youngsters will develop key vocabulary and conceptual understanding...
Curated OER
Magic Squares for Cyrano de Bergerac Act II
There is some tricky vocabulary in Act II of Cyrano de Bergerac! Front-load these words with this magic squares activity. Sixteen new words are listed, along with their definitions. Kids must match each word to its definition, completing...
Curated OER
Lesson: Paul Chan: Tree of Life
Paul Chan's work has been known to show the cycle of change. Learners explore the concept of change by analyzing his work and reading the poem "For Which it Stands." They consider symbolism, communication, art, and society as they use...
Curated OER
Louisiana's Tragic Hero - "Evangeline"
"Ye who believe...List to a Tale of Love in Acadie." Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline," launches a study of tragic heroines, epic poetry, the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada, and their subsequent migration to Louisiana. The...
Curated OER
The Odyssey Lesson 5
Review the vocabulary from The Odyssey with this fun "I Have, Who Has" game. First, give students random vocabulary cards (included) that say "I have (vocabalary word). Who has (definition of another vocabulary word)?" Students are...
Curated OER
Rhythm and Rhyme
Youngsters listen to poetry and music to understand that words are made of sounds. In this rhythm and rhyme lesson, students create songbooks of healthy eating songs. They will also act out pantomimes and dance to the music. Each...
Reed Novel Studies
Ella Enchanted: Novel Study
Ella in Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted receives the gift of obedience and must do what others tell her, but her strong personality struggles with this gift. Scholars review how Ella handles her fate by completing vocabulary...
Curated OER
West Virginia Acrostic
In this recalling facts about West Virginia worksheet, students use the letters that spell the name of the state to write an acrostic poem. Students create 1 poem.
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Poems and Poetry
In this poems and poetry worksheet, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write,...
Curated OER
Making Connections between Robert Frost's Life and His Poetry
Become acquainted with Robert Frost's life in order to allow your class to fully appreciate how his background influenced his poetry. They analyze specified poems in relation to theme, setting and the use of imagery.
Curated OER
Explore José Martí's Poems
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 additional activities are...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
Curated OER
What are the Elements of Poetry
Middle schoolers read the poem "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes" and analyze the form, figurative language, and mood. They complete a T-chart containing what they have learned about Pablo and the evidence from the poem supporting their...
Curated OER
Delaware Acrostic
In this Delaware worksheet, students write an acrostic poem about the state of Delaware. Students use each letter in DELAWARE to start each line of poetry.
Curated OER
Beethoven Manuscript Sold at Auction
Students react to a series of statements about Beethoven, then read a news article about the sale of a 179-year-old manuscript by the musical genius. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Curated OER
MTV's Poetry
Students use several strategies in poetry to convey tone and speaker. In this language arts activity, students read and build vocabulary as they gain a larger understanding of how to write poetry. Students then work in groups in order to...
Curated OER
Poetry: Robert Louis Stevenson
In this poetry study learning exercise, students will read the poem, "My Kingdom" by Robert Louis Stevenson and complete various activities such as answer 20 short response questions, write a creative story about a kingdom, review the...