New ReviewAre the works of Sylvia Plath relevant to the modern reader? The narrator of a short video argues for why viewers should read the works of Sylvia Plath,  citing lines from Plath's poetry and images from her stories.

New ReviewWhile Liberia is named after "liberty," the nation has struggled with political turmoil. It was founded by free African Americans in the 1820s, but has been plagued by civil war and violence in recent decades. Various activities,...

New ReviewAn author study provides learners the opportunity to explore in depth the life of, the influences on, and the works of a single literary figure. Introduce middle schoolers to Langston Hughes with a unit that models how to approach an...

New ReviewLangston Hughes' "Harlem" launches a study of how to respond positively when a personal dream is deferred. After a careful analysis of the poem, class members consider the various ways people can respond to difficult situations and how...

New ReviewTone and Mood are not synonymous! Introduce young readers to these literary devices with a series of exercises that not only point out the significant differences between the terms but also shows them how to identify both the tone and...

An English Language Arts Reading Comprehension Practice Test for Grade 10 asks scholars to read a poem and answer two multiple-choice questions about the poem. They finish the task by responding to an open-response essay question. 

While it may be true that roses are red and violets are blue, not every adolescent poem must begin with those lines. The lesson plan provides strategies for teaching poetry analysis, helping learners improve their own poetry writing....

If anyone suffers from metrophobia—the fear of poetry—the PowerPoint on the elements of poetry may help alleviate their worries. The presentation introduces learners to poetic elements, including simile, metaphor, and personification....

Work on literal and figurative meanings with a lesson focused on Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" and "The Road Not Taken." Readers identify the literary devices used by the poet to set the poems' themes, settings, and narrative...

Groups create dances to showcase one phrase from a free-verse poem. Scholars reflect on their learning experience using an assessment in which class members respond to questions and share their feelings with their peers. 

Interpretive dance and prosody is the focus of a lesson designed to encourage movement and poetry analysis. Independently and in small groups, poetry enthusiasts explore a variety of free-verse poems, discuss specific words and phrases...

The five senses are the focus of a lesson designed to explore feelings that a poem evokes through a variety of words and phrases. After a read-aloud and grand conversation, scholars dance to the free-verse poem "Clothesline" by Ralph...

After a brain dance to warm up gross motor skills, small groups create and present a dance that showcases the free-verse poem "Sparklers" by Mark Vinz. The lesson closes with a progress monitoring system designed to assess comprehension...

Introduce the importance of prosody with a lesson that spotlights the free-verse poem "Sparklers" by Mark Vinz. Poetry enthusiasts begin with a discussion about using feeling and expression. They then take part in a vocal exercise that...

Poetry enthusiasts read the poem, Sparklers by Mark Vinz, discuss their feelings after hearing it, and create an interpretive dance based on the emotions it provoked. 

Encourage pupils to get up and move! A lesson showcases the free-verse poem "Dragonfly" by Georgia Heard, and challenges scholars to express feelings through interpretive dance. 

Every time you make a choice, it prevents another option from taking shape. Spend some time analyzing "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost with a reading activity that includes four discussion questions that recall evidence from the text.

Ponder the complexities of war, peace, and country with Stephen Crane's "War is Kind." After reading the poem, learners answer six questions in a class discussion or as an individual assessment.

Can beautiful words change the world? Literary scholars discover how to paint their visions of change using poetry in a series of three workshops. Each independent topic gives participants a chance to examine their feelings about...

Poets bring images to life with poetic forms, style and word choice, and figurative language.  A comprehensive poetry unit focuses on key reading skills, literary skills, and writing skills. In addition, every poem within the unit...

Explication may sound like a fancy word, but it's just a fancy way to say analysis. Using a handout on poetry explications, part of a larger series on specific writing assignments, writers learn how to break down and analyze a poem. The...

A poetry analysis handout contains information about literal meanings, tone, title, structure, sound, rhythm, and other poetic devices. Use the handout as a support for assigning a literary analysis and watch learners demonstrate a...

Water is the source of life. It appears in poetry in both peaceful and torrential descriptions; it appears in earth science in its liquid, gaseous, and solid states. Combine these interpretations of our planet's most precious and...

Follow poetry instruction with a four-category rubric designed to guide budding poets' writing of free verse poetry.