College of the Canyons
Free Verse
Free verse poetry is often regarded as poetry without structure, but in reality, it is a poetic form that adheres to its own poet's thought and breath patterns. Delve into the rules and famous examples of free-verse poetry with a short...
Curated OER
Famous Poems and Poets: Enjoy the World of Words
Class members select a culture from a provided list and research the customs, beliefs, traditions, clothing, and environment of this group. They then create an idea web and craft this information into a poem. The instructional activity...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B" is featured in a instructional activity that asks pupils to first read a biography of Hughes and list things about his life they think are important. The class then reads the poem and compares what...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "On Being Brought from Africa to America" by Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley's poem, "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is the focus of a lesson that asks readers to consider how the poem is a critique of slavery. Groups comprise a list of words and phrases they notice as well as questions...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "When Fannie Lou Hamer Said" by Mahogany L. Browne
After watching an excerpt from a video of Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony before Congress, pupils do a close reading of Mahogany L. Browne's poem "When Fannie Lou Hamer Said," annotate words and phrases that draw their attention and list...
Curated OER
Investigating Langston Hughes
Third graders read and appreciate the writing of great American Authors. use technology to garner information about famous American authors. They have selected sites to explore. The information they save be used for a future Powerpoint.
Poetry4kids
Onomatopoeia Poetry Lesson Plan
Two exercises boost scholars' knowledge of a onomatopoeia with excerpts from famous poems. In exercise one, participants circle onomatopoeia words. Exercise two challenges writers to choose three words to use in an original poem.
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Silly Song Parody
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and it's a great way to learn about poetic structure! Young poets use familiar tunes to write a song parody based on straightforward guidelines.
Curated OER
Poetry Calendar
Students research the work of famous poets. They design and create a school year calendar based on the work of famous poets. Students research five poets born during each month.
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Concrete or “Shape” Poem
Writers compose an original shape poem. Scholars choose a subject to write about and create a visual representation by forming a corresponding picture using the poem's words.
Curated OER
Poetry: Techniques & Form
Ninth graders explore poetic technique and figurative language in this ten lesson plan unit. Comparisons are made between a variety of forms of poetic expressions and the lives of several poets are studied.
Curated OER
Authors of the Past and Present
Learners research a chosen author. In this authors lesson, students pick one author from the list provided, do research, and write a paper.
Curated OER
Where in the World?
Sixth graders research online various types of poetry. In this poetry analysis activity, 6th graders research different types of poetry online, their characteristics, and poets. Students create a class atlas that incorporates the seven...
Poets.org
Love as a Two-way Street
Create an abundance of understanding, as your high school learners learn to analyze multiple love poems. Part one of this resource has learners define what love is, examine art that reflects the love between Robert and Elizabeth...
Curated OER
International Children's Book Day
Celebrate International Children's Book Day using this resource. Learners complete activities, such as reading a passage, sequencing, unscrambling sentences, writing questions, conducting surveys, and writing. Students complete twelve...
Curated OER
POEtry-A Close Look at Edgar Allen Poe
Learners examine the life and works of Edgar Allen Poe. They are to analyze how his life influenced his writing. They create a website of the information they have found. They share their information with the class.
Curated OER
Contributions of Immigrants
Young scholars identify the contributions of immigrants to America. They analyze the value of these contributions as well. They discuss how these contributions affect other's personal perspectives of immigrants.
Curated OER
Burns' Night and dialect
Students explore poetry and dialect. They research Burn's Night and how people celebrate it. Students examine the Scottish dialect and its similarities to English grammar. Students write their own poetry.
Curated OER
Haiku
Students lie in the grass on their backs for fifteen minutes. They let go of any inner dialogue and simply see, feel, hear, and smell. When the time is over, students write down words about what they experienced.
Curated OER
Haiku For You
Students discuss prior knowledge of Haiku. They use computers with internet connection to find information about haiku. Students work in small groups to summarize their research and discuss Japanese culture. Students write and illustrate...
Curated OER
A Poem for Nature
Students imagine what it would be like to enter a landscape painting and then write a poem on nature.
Luminarium
Luminarium: Richard Lovelace (1618 1657)
This is the perfect site for the student of Richard Lovelace. It contains famous lines from several of his poems, a brief biography, a list of many of his poems which can be read on-line from this site, critical essays written on his...
Luminarium
Luminarium: Robert Herrick (1591 1674)
This is the perfect site for the student of cavalier poet and clergyman Robert Herrick. It contains famous lines from several of his poems, a brief biography, a list of many of his poems which can be read online from this site, critical...
Authors Calendar
Author's Calendar: Chinua Achebe
A complete biography of Achebe includes quotes from him as well as a brief synopsis of his novels. There is a list of all his works.