A Song By Any Other Name Would Be a Poem

Many classic tales, like "Cinderella," can be found worldwide. Bacis events are similar, but each retelling is molded by the culture in which it exists. Present your class with several version of tale (links provided) and have them...

Support your young writers as they explore the freedom and creative potential of a free verse poem. Based on a model poem written by Maya Angelou, this graphic organizer does an excellent job of helping learners form their unique ideas...

Looks like? Sounds like? Smells like? Feels like? Tastes like? Sometimes a white, blank, soulless piece of paper can intimidate writers. Provide potential poets with this template that can serve as a parking lot for words and phrases to...

Use "The Tell-Tale Heart" to approach point of view and the impact of a narrator. Pupils find specific textual examples of the narrator's derangement and form a personality before discussing a passage to determine some plot points. Class...

Focus on the musicality of poetry by reading out loud or playing a recording of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Bells" and "The City and the Sea." Discuss the tone, rhythm, and sounds of the poems before launching into a written analysis of the...

Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil changed history. Their sit-in at the lunch counter of the Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 became a model for the nonviolent protests that...

If you're introducing rhythm and meter into your poetry lesson, consider these activities based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Focusing on "Because I could not stop for Death," kids discuss accents, breves, and how they measure the...

Building vocabulary can be done at any age, and here's a resource that supports it in any academic subject. Teach parts of speech, explore domain-specific language, and use new vocabulary words to compose a diamond poem. 

Compare how word and phrase choice effects how abstract concepts such as theme are interpreted. Young analysts read then watch the film version of Death of a Salesman, consider word choice and theme, then create a found poem using words,...

Readers of all ages can work together in groups to create original poetry on the theme of "Imagine," inspired by John Lennon's classic song. They also create a mural to illustrate their poetry. A beautiful lesson, inspired by a beautiful...