The poems of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are the focus of a unit that asks readers to consider how an artist's life and changes in society influences his or her work. After careful study of Whitman's and Dickinson's perspectives on...

What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...

Students explore a variety of poetry and poetry concepts. They examine figurative language, mood, and literary devices. The students write and recite their own poetry.

How do poets convey emotion and represent their views of life? Pupils learn more about Whitman and Dickinson through the unit and analyze their bold reinvention of craft and style for poets to come. Looking at classic pieces such as...

Students explore the traits of writing in this six lessons unit. Poems, fiction, and drama are evaluated to identify writing strategies. Utilization of vocabulary and writing rubrics help students judge the effectiveness of their own...

Based on Emily Dickinson's poem "A Spider sewed at Night" and Walt Whitman's poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider," the authors of this site seek to "explore the nature of creativity, artistry, and audience." They bring together existing...

This extensive site studies the life and work of Walt Whitman. Provides a detailed biography and an analysis of Whitman's literary contributions. Includes detailed information about the development of "Leaves of Grass" and photographs of...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Walt Whitman and his invention of the American free verse. It includes links to his poems "Song of Myself" and "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." It provides...

Take a journey through Walt Whitman's poem 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' with the help of three animators who each used a different animation style to bring this beautiful poem to life. [3:28]

American Passages presents a concise biography of nineteenth century progressive American poet, Walt Whitman. See "Walt Whitman Activities" for artifacts and activities.

A learning module that begins with the poem "O Captain! My Captain" by Walt Whitman, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...

By looking to examples of popular poetry in a variety of forms, students learn to analyze, appreciate, and synthesize poetry in the classroom. "Writing Poetry Like Pros" provides several links to poetry texts and suggestions for creating...

This thirty-three-part learning module provides a poetry unit designed for 8th graders. This blendspace provides videos, web resources, and reference sheets related to the study of eighth grade poetry content.

A learning module that begins with the poem "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...

A learning module that begins with "Excerpts from 'Song of Myself': 1, 2, 6, 52" by Walt Whitman, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned...

A learning module that begins with "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online...

CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each text is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see the...

A poem by Walt Whitman, "Song of the Exhibition," and the on-line catalog of the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition that celebrate the growth, power, and expansion of the nation.

The Heath Anthology of American Literature offers a look at classroom issues, strategies, themes, comparisons, and other criteria for teaching this William Cullen Bryant and his poetry to students.