Hook kids into a study on poetry elements by asking them to bring in the lyrics to their favorite song. Discuss the elements in one or two songs (preferably that demonstrate rhyme, figurative language, or a repeating phrase). Groups do...

Whether you are viewing a landscape painting of a farm, examining a still-life portrait of a bowl of fruit, or reading a descriptive poem about cultivating food, you can't deny that agriculture plays a major role in visual and language...

Examine poetic structure and literary devices in an activity focused on Maya Angelou's "Woman Work." The first two pages provide the full text of the poem, which middle schoolers can annotate and highlight. They go on to complete a...

Wrap up your poetry unit with a portfolio. This resource includes specific requirements for the presentation and content of a portfolio. Writers include examples of literary devices, write six original poems, and conduct a study of a...

Change, growth, and a sense of belonging are the focus of a unit that uses poetry to explore these themes and the distinguishing features of poetry as well. 

Study some of the most prominent poets and works of poetry in history with a language arts poetry unit. From Virgil to Shakespeare to Dickinson to Angelou, the resources present biographies and examples of poetic elements to the sixth...

Have your elementary learners listen to poems for rhythm and rhyming, and then work together to write one line of a poem. They will complete a practice worksheet for rhythm and rhyming before writing their original poem. This is a great...

A band of brothers or the Devil's agents? Nobel warriors freeing the oppressed or mercenaries working for the military/industrial complex? Groups examine poems from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II to determine the poets'...

Invite learners to introduce themselves through poetry. After brainstorming and choosing details, pupils draft two acrostic poems using their names as the base. They then evaluate and revise their poems.

Third and fourth graders examine the many writing crafts that poets use to convey their message, such as rhythm, imagery, and repetition. By dissecting a poem into stanzas and analyzing the lines in each stanza, young poets are able to...

Poetry comes in all shapes and sizes. Young writers pick a shape, select words and phrases that describe how the shape makes them feel, and create a shape poem. A raindrop example and step-by-step instructions give your budding poets a...

Bring together concepts covered in earlier lessons in the ten-part instructional activity series to analyze one of Poe's most famous poems, "The Raven." Class members discuss many different aspects of the poem and take turns reading...

Is poetry easier to write than other forms of literature? Does it always have to rhyme? The future poets in your class read several statements about the structure, meaning, and importance of poetry before listing the best lyrics from...

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.

Numerous people from China immigrated to the US during the era of industrialization and expansion. Provide your class with a glimpse into the life of a Chinese immigrant through the poetry they left behind. They then compose a poem of...

Calligrams, or shape poems, are the focus of ninth exercise in a ten-part poetry writing series.

Do your students suffer from metrophobia? Assuage their fears by asking them to craft an acrostic, a form poem that begins with a single word. The first in a series of ten poetry writing exercises.

Need some ideas for poetry lessons? Check out this packet loaded with suggestions for elementary, middle, and high school writers.

Focus on the musicality of poetry by reading out loud or playing a recording of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Bells" and "The City and the Sea." Discuss the tone, rhythm, and sounds of the poems before launching into a written analysis of 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...

The cat might have got your tongue, but you can’t avoid the elephant in the room while you wait for the other shoe to drop. After all, the early bird gets the worm and the chickens are circling. After researching Poet Laureate Kay Ryan...

The logic, rhythm, and beauty of math sometimes get lost amidst numbers and variables. Amplify math's lyricism with a poetry project that uses metaphors and similes to compare mathematical concepts to other images.

Support your young writers as they explore the freedom and creative potential of a free verse poem. Based on a model poem written by Maya Angelou, this graphic organizer does an excellent job of helping learners form their unique ideas...

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...