Do you hate to teach poetry? Do you want your students to learn and enjoy poetry? Try these simple ways to learn how to teach poetry...
Have you ever done a Google search for "poetry ideas" to teach in your high school English classroom? Let me spoil those search results for you - THEY'RE LAME! Poetry, especially at the high school level, it too important to be treated as a coloring activity, or worse,
Poetry is important because it promotes literacy, builds community, and fosters social/emotional learning. If you're not quite satisfied with your current poetry teaching tools, check out this awesome 29-page packet that provides a fun and memorable way for you and your students to learn about various types of poetry, important poetry terms, and, of course, practice writing poetry! You can get the Simile Self-Portrait (pictured above) for free by simply clicking on the button below.
Great Ideas And Tips For Teaching Poetry. Poetry reveals many aspects of life that they may not get to experience or witness first hand. Poetry may speak some ‘truth’ about how others live and that helps build empathy with our students. Read on for 6 ways you can set your students interest ablaze for poetry! Grades 4-12 | Middle School ELA | High School English
I like to spend a couple weeks each year teaching my students about poetry. We do a number of fun activities in addition to reading and writing different poems. We have a poetry battle, rank poetry, make a poetry journal, and much more! Here is a look into my poetry unit.... To kick off my poetry unit I have my students each complete this KWL Chart about Poetry. We then discuss what poetry is, what a poet's purpose is, what poems can have, etc. I use and display these posters during my unit! Over the years I have found poems that are great for young children to listen to. Instead of having multiple books that I have to search through to find the poem I want to read, I have typed the poems on individual pages and compiled them together. Each day I choose two different poems to read to my class. After reading the two poems, my students each vote on which poem they liked the best. We fill in the Poetry Battle bracket together. By the end of my poetry unit my class has found their all-time favorite poem (which is usually Brod Bager's poem Booger Love)! I also like for my students to fill out the Ranking Poetry page after listening to a poem. I like for them to fill these out after listening to poems that have the different parts of figurative language in them that we have learned about. Here are some of the different figurative language topics that I cover during my poetry unit. Each poster has the term, definition, and example. If you are looking for Figurative Language Posters click HERE to download my 23 Figurative Language Posters from my TpT Store! Each student makes their own Poetry Journal throughout my unit. They choose the cover of their journal. They color, cut, and glue it on the top of a brad folder. Each poem the student writes gets hole-punched and added to their folder! Each student also fills out the "About the Poet" page and adds it as the first page to their poetry journal. Here's a look at the different poems we learn about and write throughout the unit. I usually pick one poem a day to teach and have the students write during our allotted writing time. Word Picture Poem Who, What, When, Where, Why Poem Triplet Poem Shape Poem Quatrain Poem List Poem Limerick Poem -ing Poem I'm So Smart Poem Important Poem If It Weren't For You Poem If I Were...Poem I Wish...Poem I Like...Poem I Am Poem Holiday Poem Haiku Poem Free Verse Poem Diamante Poem Couplet Poem Color Poem Cinquain Poem Bio Poem Alphabet Alliteration Poem Adjective Poem 5 Senses Poem 2-Worder Poem Acrostic Poem By the end of the unit each student has a wonderful collection of poetry they have written. I slip a parent note in the first pocket of the folder and send each student's poetry journal home. The parent note tells the parents all the wonderful things we learned during our poetry unit and invites them to sit down with their child and read each poem their child has written. To make teaching your own poetry unit simple, easy, and fun...download my complete poetry unit on my TpT store by clicking HERE!
I admit, I have never been one to go all out for National Poetry Month in April. I enjoy reading poems with my class and poetry books definitely get their rotation in my monthly book display, but poetry projects or multi-day lessons never seem to fit in. First of all, April is peak testing season
I love poetry and I want to share how I break down my poetry unit and teach different poetic forms. The upper elementary and middle school years are a great time to dive in and get kids excited about poetry!
Many students are intimidated by poetry, so using music can help you ease them into poetry analysis as there's really no difference between looking at the lyrics of a song and the lines of a poem. Read on for 15 song and poem pairings that will liven up your poetry unit.
What is blackout poetry? Poetry writing that all students can feel successful with. Here's how to teach it. Freebie included!
Problem: I would love to study poetry with my class but I'm not sure how to go about it. Solution: Read on! Here is a way to structure a week-long study of poetry: Preparation -
Hello Everyone! Well, we made it through our first week back after winter break! It was a four day week for kids, but teachers were there all five! We enjoyed some inservice time together on Monday before the kids came on Tuesday. It helps to ease into second semester a little! :) For the next few weeks in writing, we will focus on poetry. I looooove teaching poetry to our youngest writers because there isn't a wrong or right way to write poetry. At the beginning of the unit, kids don't realize they can be poets! In first grade we work on writing sensory poems, list poems, concrete or shape poems and other unrhymed poems. I have shared my poetry unit before, but because we are starting our unit in January, I felt as though having winter as an inspiration was an important component, so I added a few seasonal pages to the unit! I know some of you are buried in snow right now and you probably would rather not focus on winter and snow, but these little Texans don't get to see snow very often. In fact...It actually snowed a little bit on Friday, and the excitement was uncontrollable!! We had noses pressed to our window until we could bear it no longer. I let the kids go outside for a few minutes and you would have thought I gave them the moon!! Ahhhhh! There's nothing like catching snowflakes on your tongue!!! We will sooooooo use this experience for inspiration for writing some sensory poems!!! Anyway...Here are a few things you'll get in the updated poetry unit: The unit is now about 100 pages with templates and visuals for about 10 different kinds of poetry. If you are at all interested, simply hover and CLICK HERE!! :) You will be directed to the downloadable and printable 100 page unit! Yes, It's free!! Oh! We are also working on reading and understanding poetry written by other poets. It is important that kids learn to interpret other texts, and discuss the author's purpose. CLICK HERE for a 26 page printable unit on Shel Silverstein! I hope you have as much fun working on poetry with your kids as I do! Please let me know if there is anything else you want me to include in this unit!!! I am always open for suggestions, corrections, etc!! Have a wonderful week, everyone!!! Don't forget to find JOY in the journey!! :) Nancy
Teaching blackout poetry is an engaging way to help spruce up your poetry unit. Show a few examples, and your students will be eager to create a blackout masterpiece of their own. Keep reading to learn what blackout poetry is and just what you need to do to teach it. So, you’re thinking about teaching… Read More »A Beginner’s Guide To Teaching Blackout Poetry
Having students use the writing process for writing all types of poems is so helpful for growing poets! This resource covers everything students will need for writing their own poems from poetry graphic organizers in the prewriting stage to their own published copies. It includes graphic organizers and templates for 19 different types of poems, as well as elements of poetry. Teachers receive both a printable PDF version and a digital Google Slides™ version. Be sure to take a look at the product preview for a closer look at what is included! TYPES OF POETRY INCLUDED: Haiku Acrostic Poem Diamante Limerick Shape Poem Couplet Tercet Quatrain “I Am” Poem Quintain Cinquain Bio Poem Ballad Free Verse Sonnet Ode ABAB Rhyme Scheme AABB Rhyme Scheme ABCB Rhyme Scheme WHAT’S INCLUDED for EACH TYPE OF POETRY: 1. Prewriting Graphic Organizers (2 Options): Option 1: This option includes information about the type of poem, elements of the poem, and an example of this type of poem. There is a smaller space for brainstorming in this option. Option 2: Does not include information about the type of poem. The entire page is for students to brainstorm for their poem. 2. Rough Draft Templates: Each type of poem comes with a rough draft that clearly shows the structure of each poem. It also has an editing and revising checklist at the bottom specific to each type of poem. 3. Published Copy Templates (2 Options): Option 1: Clean, basic final copy paper specific for each poem’s structure Option 2: Visually specific for each poem (i.e. handheld mirror for an “I am” poem, a scroll for a sonnet, etc.) - perfect for a bulletin board display! ALSO INCLUDED: ELEMENTS OF POETRY GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS: “Brain Dump” Rhyme Figurative Language Sensory Details Mood Tone Word Choice Self-Assessment A “Book of Poems” and “Poetry Journal” Cover is also included (optional). This Poetry Writing resource can also be found discounted as part of the Poetry Bundle, which also includes: Poetry Word Wall Poetry Posters & Anchor Charts Poetry Puzzles Reading Poetry Graphic Organizers
From videos to haiku to poetry slams, there's something to pique every student's interest.
Engaging students in blackout poetry is a great way to teach poetry and encourage creativity. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to teach blackout poetry.
Looking for engaging strategies for teaching students poetry? Finding and analyzing poetic devices in songs will get your students hooked!
A poetry analysis graphic organizer designed to be paired with any poem. Created using Google Slides so it can be printed or assigned digitally. Structure: How many stanzas/verses? What words/phrases emphasize the images or themes? Are there words and/or lines repeated? What is the line length/rhyme scheme? Meaning: What is this poem about? What is the poet’s main message? Does the message change? What are the main ideas in this poem? Imagery: What pictures do you get in your mind when you read the poem? Does the poem contain similes, metaphors or personification? Why do you think the poet has included these images? Language: What words have been used to create images? Are there any complicated words? Is the language simple to understand? Which words and phrases create the images? What adjectives are included? Color, size, comparison? Effect: What is the effect of the poem? What does the poem make you think or feel about? What is the poet trying to say about their subject?
Teaching poetry is so much fun and so easy to do when you have the necessary tools! I remember my first year teaching fourth grade, our writing curriculum had nothing for teaching poetry. Luckily, I have always loved to write, especially poems, so I developed my own Poetry Unit. It was incredible to see even […]
Hello Everyone!! Happy April and Happy Poetry Month!! Poetry is one of the parts of our writing curriculum that I look forward to so much!...
Starting to plan poetry month? a poetry unit? or prepping ways to sprinkle poetry in throughout the school year? It can be so time consuming to find quality resources for poetry instruction! These low prep
Sonnets, limericks, free verse, haiku, and more.
Need poetry fun activities or lesson ideas? Whether you're looking for easy poems for 7 year olds or fun poetry books for 12 year olds and up, we've got you covered for kids' poems and even poetry games for students! Great for April Poetry Month, poetry day activities, or studying poems any time of year! Huge list of fun poetry for kids/rhymes ideas for lessons on poems!
