Lesson Plan

What is Poetry? Contrasting Poetry and Prose

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Introduce middle schoolers to the different strategies used when reading prose versus poetry. Groups use a Venn diagram and a poetry analysis handout to compare the characteristics of an informational text and a  poem on the same subject and share their insights with the whole class. To end the instructional activity, individuals complete a quick write to answer the original question, "What is poetry?"

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Set aside extra prep time to prepare questions for Koriyama's poem, and review the TP-CASST Poetry Analysis handout and the informational article
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires copies, one per participant, of multiple handouts
  • Groups require access to internet-connected devices with printing capability
Pros
  • The plan is richly detailed and carefully scaffolded
Cons
  • None