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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "My Skeleton" by Jane Hirshfield

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Jane Hirshfield's poem "My Skeleton" asks readers to pause and think about the amazing, often taken-for-granted structure that protects and gives form to human bodies. After observing the human skeleton's image, class members read the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whale Song Acrostic

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
What do whales sing about? Invite your class to imagine the thoughts of whales before writing acrostic poems on the topic. The plan blends together a bit of life science with plenty of opportunities for creativity and writing.
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "The Shapes of Leaves" by Arthur Sze

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Arthur Sze's poem, "The Shapes of Leaves," encourages young scholars to notice and speak for others who "do not speak." The activity begins with pupils writing about a tree that they really like. The class then examines an image of...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Heart to Heart" by Rita Dove

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Take heart! Here's a lesson that will encourage learners to notice details. After listening to Sarah Vaughan singing "My Funny Valentine" and noting how the word heart relates to Valentine's Day, scholars observe a human heart image....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry: Walking With My Iguana

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Bring a little excitement to your next poetry analysis lesson. Using the highly energetic poem "Walking With My Iguana," learners consider poem structure and rhyme. They listen to the poem, discuss the rhythm and tone with their...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Wonder and Joy" by Robinson Jeffers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A study of Robinson Jeffers' poem "Wonder and Joy" reminds readers to notice and rekindle the appreciation of the many wondrous aspects of life. After a close reading of the poem, scholars use the provided questions to discuss the poem.
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "In the Next Galaxy" by Ruth Stone

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Imagine what life might be like in a different galaxy. That's the challenge young scientists take on in a warm-up activity designed to prepare them for a close reading of Ruth Stone's poem "In the Next Galaxy." After class members share...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “Dead Stars” by Ada Limón

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pay attention! A lesson featuring Ada Limon's poem "Dead Stars" is designed to help learners develop their noticing skills. Class members first study the constellation Orion's image and list what they notice and how the image makes them...
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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Water/Ways: The Poetry of Science

For Teachers 1st - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Life Poetry: Limericks & Cinquain Poems

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young oceanographers conduct independent online research to learn about ocean life, explore limerick and cinquain poem structure and syllabication, and produce poetry that conveys the information they found. Links don't work, but it's...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Toward the Winter Solstice" by Timothy Steele

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Timothy Steele's poem, "Toward the Winter Solstice," offers scholars an opportunity to consider what poets and scientists could learn from each other's work. First, learners examine a NASA image of a star-forming region in the Orion...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “The Everglades” by Campbell McGrath

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Florida's Everglades come alive for young environmental scientists as they watch a video taken in the park and read a poem about the watery paradise. After a careful study of the two resources, class members consider the function of the...
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Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young botanists dig into a lesson that has them planting lima bean seeds and observing their growth. They compare their experience to that of the speaker in Robert Frost's poem, "Putting in the Seed."
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Activity
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Curated OER

Earth Day Reading Comprehension

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Here is a really neat Earth Day reading passage that can be used online or printed. The initial passage provides learners with the opportunity to read a poem entitled, "Woodman, Spare That Tree!" It also includes comprehension questions...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Rain Forest Acrostic Poem

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this rain forest poetry writing activity, students create their own poem, using the provided format. Each line of poetry will begin with the letter highlighted in the title, "Rain Forest."
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Solar System Acrostic Poem

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this poetry writing worksheet, students read the title SOLAR SYSTEM. Students use these letters to begin each line of poetry.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Hidden Beauty

For Teachers K - 2nd
Expose the beautiful mystery of bulbs as young botanists learn all about these fascinating plants. They glean information from a short text before observing actual bulbs (consider an onion), and comparing their findings with predictions....
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Lesson Plan
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Baylor College

Body Strength

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Your young learners will discover how muscular strength and endurance can increase with this truly hands-on activity! Beginning by writing an acrostic for the word strength, class members then engage in tracking their ability to squeeze...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Falling Leaves Poetry Spinners

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Why settle for autumn leaves as classroom decorations when you could use autumn poetry? After taking a nature walk and collecting fall artifacts, including seed pods and fallen leaves, learners demonstrate the movement of the season with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Poetic Planet - Writing Poems about the Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
As a way to combine language arts and science, try this activity on writing cloud poetry. Begin by showing a PowerPoint presentation and images of cloud types. Take meteorology masters outdoors to explore the sky using the provided...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Plants Acrostic Poem

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this acrostic poem worksheet, students show what they know about plants by writing an acrostic poem. Students use the letters in PLANTS to begin each line of poetry that tells about plants.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Dinosaur Acrostic Poem

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this writing poetry worksheet, students explore acrostic poems. Students write an acrostic poem by using the eight letters in the word "dinosaur" to describe a dinosaur.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Animals Acrostic Poem

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this animals acrostic poem worksheet, students read an example of an acrostic poem and then write one using the letters ANIMALS.

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