Lesson Plan

The Poet's Toolbox

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

If you need a lesson for your poetry unit, use two poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ("Rain in Summer" and "The Slave in the Dismal Swamp") and a resource on Elements of Poetry. The lesson plan guides you through activities on figurative language and poetic structure, and provides worksheets for kids to write their own examples of similes and metaphors. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Tell kids to bring in lyrics from their favorite songs, and have them find the poetic elements listed in the lesson
  • Highlight a different line on each of the copies of the poems, and have kids read their own highlighted line rather than asking for volunteers
Pros
  • Addresses poetic structure and poetic elements, and provides materials to reinforce each concept
Cons
  • None
Common Core