Curated OER
By Heart
To memorize, or not to memorize: that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the fear and anguish of committing a poem to memory, to endure the heartache, to shuffle off this fear, and face the stares of classmates with the hue...
K20 LEARN
From Apples To Oranges: Examining Literary Devices
Make learning the definitions of literary terms memorable with a fun and engaging activity. Teams of scholars are given several terms and create an acrostic poem with simplified definitions and examples.
Curated OER
The Presidents Song
Remember learning to spell “encyclopedia” by singing along with Jiminy Cricket? How about using a singing exercise to learn the names of the presidents? “The Presidents Song,” includes the names, in order, from Washington to Coolidge....
Curated OER
Marine Poetry
Students identify characteristics of good poetry and compose their own. In this marine poetry lesson, students are introduced to several different types of poetry with a marine theme. After discussing the elements that make up a good...
Curated OER
Runny Babbit
Students are introduced to elements of poetry through the book Runny Babbit. In this poetry instructional activity, students learn about the newest Shel Silverstein book, then examine the poem's form, rhythm, and rhyme. Students look for...
Curated OER
Poetry Parade
Fifth graders watch as their teacher models what is expected of them during their upcoming poetry presentations. In groups, they practice reading poems based on line breaks and fluency. Individually, they choose their own poem to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Poet's Voice: Langston Hughes and You
Middle schoolers complete a unit of lessons that explore the poetic voice of Langston Hughes. They define voice, read and analyze various poems by Langston Hughes, and complete journal entries for each instructional activity.
Curated OER
Poetry to the Core
Second graders examine several examples of poetry in the six lessons of this unit. The lessons focus on five poetic forms, couplets, quatrains, limericks, Haiku, and free verse.
Curated OER
Poems Put to Use
Students listen to sample poetry recitations. They discuss times when poetry might be used in real-life situations to move/motivate other people or audiences. They identify particularly moving passages and then quote them effectively to...
Curated OER
Poetry: A Picture of Feelings
Students take a field trip to a place of interest. After the trip they share with a partner their most memorable memory about it. Later, they paint a picture representative of the trip and illustrate it with a poem using at least two...
Curated OER
Coin Poems
Students recite a poem that aids in coin recognition. They memorize a poem that helps them identify the shape and worth of a penny, nickel, dime and quarter.
Curated OER
pOETRY cUBS
Pupils develop an appreciation for different styles of poetry. It is also an excellent way to introduce a holiday, season, or theme. They also learn different techniques for memorization.
Curated OER
Poems Insprire Visual Art
Pupils examine artwork by artist Ernst Herter. They discuss what the art means to them. They create a collage to represent a poem of their chosing. They discover how literature is used as an inspiration for art.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Home Sweet Home: English Language Development Lessons (Theme 5)
Through grand discussion, picture cards, and poems, enhance language proficiency with a Home Sweet Home themed unit created to support English language development. Each lesson follows a listen, speak, move, and/or look routine that...
Curated OER
Much Ado About Shakespeare
Lesson ideas to introduce pupils to the life, language, and works of William Shakespeare.
Curated OER
Graduation
Students learn to recite poems and songs that they will recite and sing at their graduation for kindergarten. In this graduation lesson, students memorize and practice 5 poems and songs.
Curated OER
Pictures in Words: Poems of Tennyson and Noyes
Eleventh graders describe and analyze the effects of poetry on readers. They participate in an Internet scavenger hunt, an exercise involving interpretation of poetry through visual art, and an opportunity for students to create their...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Edgar Allan Poe's Journey Through Life and Literature
How was Edgar Allan Poe able to create "intriguing, memorable, and lasting literature"? To answer this question, learners analyze the syntax, diction, and characterizations in Poe's poems and short stories and compare the impact of these...
Curated OER
Birthday Soup
Students recognize their birthday and how it is written. In this lesson, students read a poem about birthdays. Students create a soup bowl that has their birthday month, day and year in it.
Louisiana Department of Education
Fahrenheit 451
In his 2013 introduction to Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman states, “Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.” In this extraordinary unit plan, readers "explore the power of written language to educate and influence...
Curated OER
Persevering Poetry
Young scholars practice perseverance by practicing and memorizing a poem. In this perseverance lesson plan, students see how their hard work pays off when they eventually memorize their poem.
Curated OER
Water is Life, Water is Poetry Seminar
Students participate in a discussion about water and create water-inspired poetry. In this poetry lesson, students demonstrate a memorable experience involving water by constructing a poem.
Curated OER
Presenting Poetry
Students encounter the fluency formula that states that it is important for kids to read and reread decodable words in a connected text. They must become effortless decoders in order to read fluently, and fluency in reading allows the...
Curated OER
Poetry Anthology of Basic Forms
Students explore the format of the following poetic forms: acrostic, haiku, cinquain, diamente, and free-verse.They create a handbook or anthology of these poetic forms, with at least one sample of original work in each format.