National Endowment for the Humanities
Arabic Poetry: Guzzle a Ghazal!
High schoolers research the evolution and cultural significance of the Arabic ghazal form of poetry. They, in groups, compose an original ghazal poem and read it aloud to the class.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 7: Poetry
Over the course of a 12-lesson language arts unit, young scholars analyze a variety of poems taking a close look at figurative language and tone. They learn to compare and contrast, improve comprehension, and identify settings. To...
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Technopoet - Poetry Lesson Plans
Practice word processing while writing different types of poems. First, elementary and middle schoolers use Word templates to write poetry. They use rhyming and descriptive words as they work with clipart, text wrapping, and picture...
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Nurture Poetry
Students create a poetry book. In this poetry lesson, students write a cinquain poem, name poem, haiku, limerick, and preposition poem.
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
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Discussing Poetry In Class
Learners investigate syllabic metre and rhyming techniques by analyzing poetry. In this language arts instructional activity, students read the poem Considering the Snail and discuss the nature and mood of the poem with their...
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Word Beads: Writing Poetry
Second graders write rhyming poems. In this poetry writing lesson, 2nd graders discuss the meaning of the word "funny." They use word tiles to create a rhyming poem which they transpose into their writing journals. They listen to...
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Poetry In Motion
Fourth graders read and analyze poetry and examine the process of writing poetry. They read and analyze the poem "From a Railway Carriage" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and answer comprehension questions. They identify the similes,...
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Mouse Mess
Scholars practice rhyming and phonemic awareness using trade books and poetry. They will listen to the book Mouse Mess several times throughout the week, identifying rhyming words, and matching words that begin with the same sound. Then...
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Lesson: That Long Jakes
Cross-media analysis takes time and attention to detail. The class analyzes the painting Long Jakes and the poem "Backward Bill." They pay attention to the similarities and differences in each piece, looking for details that describe the...
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I Spy Poetry
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,...
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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Splish, Splash Poetry
Young scholars write weather shape poems and sing weather related songs. For this creative writing lesson, students read the book, It's Raining, It's Pouring and list weather words they heard in the story. Young scholars use the writing...
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Spider Poems: The Spider and the Fly
Pupils review the information they gathered on different websites to write a poem about spiders. They use other websites to gain more information if needed. They share their poem with the class.
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Rhyming With Pancakes
Learners listen to the book The Great Pancake Escape as an introduction to rhyming and its use in storytelling. Provide examples of simple words that rhyme with other simple words and come up with rhymes with an end word from an earlier...
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Troublesome Word Rap
Create songs and raps to develop an understanding of the proper use of common misused words and homophones. First, your class defines misused words and homophones correctly by utilizing the words in a rap or song. Then they use poetry...
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Poetry for the Common Good
Young scholars identify examples of philanthropy in poetry or song. In this philanthropy lesson, students examine several poems such as Give by Carrie A. Thomas and identify concepts of philanthropy in the poem. Young scholars construct...
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Deciphering the Mechanics of Poetry
Eighth graders study poetic devices and use them in their own writing and apply them when reading poetry. In groups, they describe an item using poetic devices.
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Deciphering the Mechanics of Poetry
Eighth graders analyze a variety of poems to develop the ability to recognize and explain a variety pf poetic devises.
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Let's Fly Our Kites
Students practice reading and writing using a short poem and information about kites. In this kite poem lesson plan, students read and write using a common poem. This lesson plan includes practice with reading, rhyming, handwriting,...
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Introduction to Poetry
Students determine the rhyme scheme of a poem and find examples of similes. For this poetry analysis lesson, students review definitions needed for the topic and analyze the rhyme or rhythm for the example poems. Students also find...
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Reading and Writing About Boxing
Students analyze the life of Jack Johnson and his relationship with other boxers. They write about his life by using the same style as Muhammad Ali, his taunts and boasts using rhyming.
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African American Poetry: Family and Traditions
Students are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...
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Poetry of Abraham Lincoln
Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...