Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Tuesday 9/11/01" by Lucille Clifton
A photograph and a poem remind young people of the events of November 11, 2001. After examining Andrea Booher's photograph taken on September 13, 2001, and reading Lucille Clifton's poem "Tuesday 9/11/01", scholars compare their...
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Won't You Celebrate With Me: The Joy of Lucille Clifton
Young scholars explore the concept of poetry through movement and song. They watch Lucille Clifton read her poem, and write their own poem.
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Friendships and Differences
Students complete a variety of activities related to the book "My Friend Jacob" by Lucille Clifton. They complete a graphic organizer web about friendship qualities, and participate in a discussion about friendship. In small groups...
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A Poem's Theme
Show young poets how to use the main idea and voice to determine the theme of a poem. Model the steps using Listen Children. Lucille Clifton’s This Morning provides guided practice. Finally, class members use Nikki Giovanni’s Legacies...
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In My Own Voice
Young scholars engage in a language arts lesson in order to appreciate the study of names. They investigate the significance of a name to the owner. Students research the origins of their own name and state how it reflects their...
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Family Origins and American Cultural Pluralism
Students explore, analyze and discuss family origins, special legacies, and racial/cultural groups in literature and art that exposes them to positive examples in African-American history and culture. They encounter examples from dance,...
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Pass It On: African American Poetry to Inspire Writing
Young scholars read through poems in a book called Pass it On. There are 19 poems from famous African American poets contained in the book. The poems are specialized for children and after the children have learned about the author and...
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Children of Long Ago
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Children of Long Ago. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, answer short answer questions, have discussions,...
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Writing Anger
Students write about anger through poetry and introduce a productive way of dealing with unanswerable questions.
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No Fears
Twelfth graders imagine themselves living in a different world and attempt to see themselves in the world differently.
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What Smells?
Students read the poem "Light" together and then discuss how poetry can come from anywhere.