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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Looking Closely at Stanza 1—Identifying Rules to Live By Communicated in “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
Here is a lesson plan in which pupils connect themes and rules to live by from the story Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis to those found in the poem If by Rudyard Kipling. First, scholars discuss their reading and review Bud's...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing “If” and Noting Notices and Wonders of the First Stanza

For Teachers 6th Standards
After reading chapter 14 of the story Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, scholars take part in a read-aloud of the poem If by Rudyard Kipling and compare it to the reading of Bud, Not Buddy. Learners then go deeper into the poem...
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Worksheet
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Curated OER

Comparing Poems

For Students 4th - 6th Standards
Young literary analysts compare two poems by the same author. Readers look for slant rhyme, observe the beat and rhythm of each, and search for repeated vowel sounds. After re-reading, they observe the lack of punctuation and the stanza...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Looking Closely at Stanza 3—Identifying Rules to Live By Communicated in “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
Just as Bud, from the novel Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, had rules to live by, so does the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling, but how do the two relate? Pupils delve deep into the poem's third stanza, participate in a grand...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Structure and Theme in Stanza 4 of “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
Here is a lesson that provides scholars with two opportunities to stretch their compare-and-contrast muscles. First, learners compare and contrast their experience reading the fourth stanza of If by Rudyard Kipling to listening to the...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Notices and Wonders of the Second Stanza of “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
Here is an instructional activity that asks pupils to analyze poetry and sparks discussion about two different types of texts: asking how is the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling alike and different from the story, Bud, Not Buddy by...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Looking Closely at Stanza 2—Identifying Rules to Live By Communicated in “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
Pupils take part in a close reading of the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling, in which they delve deep into its meaning and identify its rules to live by. As the grand discussion progresses, learners then relate the poem's rules with those...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

The Poet's Toolbox

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
If you need a lesson for your poetry unit, use two poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ("Rain in Summer" and "The Slave in the Dismal Swamp") and a resource on Elements of Poetry. The lesson plan guides you through activities on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Reading for ELL Beginners

For Teachers 6th
Bring the imagery of the desert to your classroom with this ELL lesson plan. After reading Madeleine Dunphy’s Here in the Southwestern Desert, learners complete a graphic organizer about the features and images of the poem. The...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Notices, Wonders, and Vocabulary of the Third Stanza of “If”

For Teachers 6th Standards
How does one's experience reading a poem's text differ from listening to its audio version? Delve into the insightful question with the poem, If by Rudyard Kipling, as pupils compare and contrast their experience using a note-taking...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stanza Proud

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine different decades in American history, finding connections between the historical events and the poetry written during these time periods. They write their own poetry based on current world events.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

6th Grade: Express Yourself, Lesson 1: Poem

For Teachers 6th Standards
While originally created to accompany The Cay, this poetry lesson could be used on it's own, especially if you are working on dialect. Class members conduct a close reading of "When Malindy Sings" by Paul Laurence Dunbar and listen to an...
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Worksheet
Read Works

Spring

For Students 6th Standards
Celebrate the season of spring with a poem. After reading a four-stanza poem about the season, sixth grade readers respond to 10 reading comprehension questions that have them thinking about the purpose, imagery, and other types of...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Jigsaw, Part 1: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

For Teachers 6th Standards
Complete a puzzle one piece at a time. Scholars gather in triads to complete jigsaw activities over a monologue from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies. They read as a group and independently and use sticky notes to identify the gist of each...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "A New National Anthem" by Ada Limón

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Ada Limon's poem, "A New National Anthem," offers young scholars an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the US national anthem and the extent to which Key's vision applies to all Americans. After watching a video of Whitney...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Genre Focus Lesson

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students explore poetry by listening to readings, identifying and understanding the elements of poetry, as well as the types of poetry. Students respond to poetry through discussions and writing their own poem.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Raven

For Teachers 6th - 9th
After a close reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" individuals copy the rhythm and rhyme scheme and rewrite the final stanzas of the poem.
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Organizer
Curated OER

Writing Poems Worksheet

For Students 6th - 8th
In this writing poems worksheet, students record 10 nouns, then write 2 or 3 verbs next to each noun, and finally write a simile or metaphor that matches the noun and verbs in that row. Students then organize these lines into stanzas to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Out of the Dust: DR-TA

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Encourage good reading habits with an activity that asks class members to examine the title and cover of Out of the Dust, and then make predictions about the setting of and events in the tale.  
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days” by Walt Whitman

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Walt Whitman's poem "As I Walk These Broad Majestic Days" offers scholars an opportunity to practice their noticing skills. They first examine a postcard of the Newport News Shipyard listing things they notice about the image and how...
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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

What is Poetry? Contrasting Poetry and Prose

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Introduce middle schoolers to the different strategies used when reading prose versus poetry. Groups use a Venn diagram and a poetry analysis handout to compare the characteristics of an informational text and a  poem on the same subject...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

"From Citizen, VI [On the Train the Woman Standing]," Claudia Rankine

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Claudia Rankine's poem "From Citizen, VI [On the Train the Woman Standing]," asks readers to consider direct and more subtle forms of prejudice. After discussing the format of the poem, its tone, and the emotions expressed, class members...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Reading Comprehension: What is the Topic?

For Students 6th - 8th
For this reading comprehension worksheet, students read 3 stanzas of poetry by Lord Byron. Students then select the topics that each of the stanzas are about.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Basics of Poetry: Free Verse

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students analyze free verse poetry. For this free verse poetry lesson, students complete a worksheet for free verse poetry and read an example poem by Wallace Stevens. Students interpret the stanzas.

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