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...
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!
Hi, all! Long time, no blog. This quarter has been a crazy one full of extra-curricular activities, illness, and big decisions. I’m back today though because I COULD NOT WAIT to share with you about our classroom poetry café! We’ve been planning this for weeks… My students worked extremely hard all ... Read More about Classroom Poetry Slam
Roundup with lots of Montessori-inspired poetry activities for a poetry unit or for individual poetry activities at home or in the classroom.
Looking for new poetry for your middle school and high school students? These 30 poems, recommended and tested by secondary ELA teachers in their own classrooms, are sure to engage and inspire your students during National Poetry Month or any time of year.
Hi y’all. Let me just say that poetry is quite possibly one of my favorite things to teach. I use it in all content areas. Walk into my room, and you’ll probably find a poem about the rock cycle hanging next to a poem about skip counting. II use a few different forms of poetry ... Read More about Where I’m From Poetry
I've put together 30 poetry activities for reading poetry, writing poems, and incorporating poetry into your other subjects and lesson plans.
I have to admit – I was never a fan of poetry. In the words of my students, I just didn’t “get it.” That all changed my junior year of high school. I had what in most of my classmates’ minds was the toughest teacher in the school. She certainly wasn’t “warm and fuzzy,” but ... Read more
April is National Poetry Month, which is just around the corner. This post includes 25 ideas for teaching poetry to instill a love of poems!
Reading poetry out loud is an art in itself. Whether you're reading someone else's poem or your own, how you read the poem can affect the meaning. You need to take some steps to read the poem well. You'll also need to read the poem ahead...
I absolutely love teaching poetry! That explains why I teach it ALL year! Each month I focus on TWO types of poetry and then during POETRY MONTH, we review all of our work, create poetry portfolios for a review, and have a POETRY SLAM! Read on for details! 1. BULLETIN BOARD At the beginning of the year, make a bulletin board to display posters of the different types of poetry. Leave a space below each one to place a student example. Review it with your class and tell them by the end of the year, they will have written an example of all the types. For the time being, put a little sign under each type of poetry that says something like, "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon!" I place a large 12" X 18" black piece of construction paper under the posters. 2. MONTHLY POEMS Each month, introduce a new type of poem and teach the rules for that poem. If you created a bulletin board like above, add a student example. The following order works well for upper elementary! August- Couplets and Quatrains September- Acrostic and Cinquain October- Haiku and Humorous November- Diamante and Informative December- Free Verse and Concrete January- Narrative and Lyrical February- BioPoem and Ballad March- Limerick and Parody April- Review and Poetry Portfolios (see below) May- Poetry Slam 3. POETRY AND LYRICS ANALYSIS In addition to introducing a new type of poetry each month, also choose a poem or song to analyze each month. I actually try to do two of these a month - one regular poem and one song to analyze the lyrics. Students love the musical feature and I start to see them wiggle in their seats and try to sing the songs. I allow them to sing and even dance to the songs. Any little thing to get them excited about learning poetry! I love when they say, "My dad likes that music!" or "Who is that?" Use the following elements of poetry when analyzing poems! Alliteration- Ex. Slimy slugs slither slowly on the sidewalk. Imagery- Ex. The thick fuzzy coat was a blessing in the winter blizzard. Metaphor- Ex. A good laugh is sunshine in a house. Onomatopoeia- Ex. Bang, ding, pop! Personification- Ex. The wind whistled its happy tune. Repetition- Ex. Leaving my friends, leaving my home leaving my room, leaving my memories Rhyme- Ex. School, tool, rule Rhyme Scheme- Ex. Roses are red A data-blogger-escaped-comment-StartFragment Violets are blue B Sugar is sweet C And so are you. B Rhythm- (musical quality) Simile- Ex. She was as pale as a lump of sugar. Stanza- (a poetry paragraph) Theme- (the message) Tone- (feeling) Grab these free poetry study cards! 4. POETRY PORTFOLIO At the end of the year, I like to have students create their own Poetry Portfolio. Basically, they get out their notes from throughout the year or I supply them with directions. Since it is a review, I don't usually teach the rules for each of the poems. I either give it as a class project in centers or homework. If you don't have time for your class to write new poems for each different type, save the poems throughout the year and create a portfolio of poems. 5. POETRY SLAM Finish off the year with a Poetry Slam! Oh yeah! Students love to share their work and this way they can show ownership and pride of their hard work. 1. Allow your students to relax around the room and enjoy listening to poetry from their fellow classmates or set up chairs for them. It can be formal or informal! 2. Set up a schedule so students know the order of when to share their poems. 3. Have a special author's chair? Use it! 4. Do you have iPads, tablets, video cameras? Have the student videotape! I have my students rotate. After they present, they go to the video chair. That way each student gets the experience of both being the videographer and the presenter! AND parents absolutely love to see these videos! Thank you for visiting! Come back to get some more amazing ideas from Upper Elementary Snapshots!!!! If you need poetry resources, click below! They are sold separately too. Connect With Me! TPT Store Facebook Pinterest My Blog
Providing students with high quality background information for Boy Overboard can be a little bit of a challenge. Many resources are older and out of date and many links are sadly broken. Here, I’ve collected a range of free resources to assist you in providing background information for Boy Overb
Hi, all! Long time, no blog. This quarter has been a crazy one full of extra-curricular activities, illness, and big decisions. I’m back today though because I COULD NOT WAIT to share with you about our classroom poetry café! We’ve been planning this for weeks… My students worked extremely hard all ... Read More about Classroom Poetry Slam
One of my all-time favorite books to use when teaching poetry is Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, but you CAN’T just read it. For students to really “get” what the boy is talking about in the book, students have to first know the poems that Ms. Stretchberry is making him read. What better way […]
Are you a fan of The Giving Tree? Use these free worksheets & poetry study printables to use alongside Shel Silverstein Poems.
Poetry is a great way to help students practice inference because so much of poetry lives between the lines. Poets have to be so precise with words and phrases that a great deal of emotion is only ever implied. To help students practice inference, I've put together this collection of 10 engaging poems!
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
Do you have students who struggle writing poetry? I always have several each year. A few activities that have been extremely effective with both struggling writers and those who love creating original poems have been the more "hands-on" activities. When your students are struggling writing, have them: 1. Write "chance" poems. They choose pre-selected words and put them into any order they wish. I have had students who hate to write come up with some amazing poems this way. The retail kits for magnetic poetry (which is practicing chance poetry) are pretty expensive. You can create your own using a digital kit, or simply cut words from newspapers and magazines (see below). I had students make these years ago and store them in plastic bags. ONLINE ACTIVITY: They can create their poems using an online program like the one found on MagneticPoetry.com. 2. Create a "Dada" poem. "Dada" poems stem from the Dadaism art movement of the early 20th century. The anti-establishment movement often parodied art, or perhaps "found" art in everyday objects and images. Whether you consider their works art or not, they certainly paved the way for modern movements. One "Dada" poem your students can create is to draw words from a bag at random. As they draw them, they place the words in the poem in the same order as drawn. That's it. When they want the poem to end, they stop drawing words. A second "Dada" poem is a "sound" poem. Your students can create a poem using only sounds and record it for the class. Most of the sound poems created during the Dada movement were nonsense, not really words at all. However, beat-box artists practice a form of this, and while it may be nonsense, it's still interesting and can be catchy. ONLINE ACTIVITY: Students can use the website Incredibox to mix different beat-box sounds. 3. Have your students create "redacted" poems. "Redacted" poems are similar to "chance" poems, except they cross-out (or redact) words on a page, rather than pick and place the words. I've seen many beautiful examples on Pinterest using book pages. However, articles from a newspaper or magazine work just as well. (See my examples below.) Students can either use markers or colors to cross-out the words they do not want to include, or use white-out/liquid paper. The samples shown here came from the following publications: Entertainment Weekly, Car and Driver, MacLife, and Helzberg Diamonds. For reluctant boys, provide them with a short advertisement from one of their favorite magazines. Many of my male students like hunting/fishing, sports, and cars. When given a short grouping of words about something they like, they'll most likely enjoy it. The only problem I consistently face with them is keeping it school appropriate. Girls typically write more about love and heartbreak. I have found jewelry ads to be most effective for them because they will contain more words like "love," "sparkling," and "irresistible." All of these activities are featured in my "Poetry 9-1-1: First Aid for Writing Poetry" packet, which also contains over 40 formulas for writing original poems. You can also get the presentation Write Like Poets that has students write parody poems and many other formulas while learning more about famous poets and movements. I recently updated it with redacted poem page activities. And if you are looking for additional poetry resources, I have over 35 poetry downloads, including many freebies. Click on the links below to check out my teacherspayteachers store.
Learn all about Blackout Poetry, with tips and tricks for incorporating this engaging strategy in your ELA classroom.
Unlock the layers of meaning within texts with our versatile SOAPStone Graphic Organizer. Created on Google Slides, this resource offers the perfect blend of digital assignment and traditional printing. It serves as an invaluable tool for students to analyze and interpret texts effectively through the SOAPStone acronym, deciphering Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Significance, and Tone. Key Features: Structured Analysis: The SOAPStone acronym provides a systematic framework for students to follow, guiding them through a comprehensive text analysis. Digital and Printable: Accessible via digital platforms or traditional print, this resource adapts to diverse learning preferences and environments, ensuring accessibility and convenience. Textual Insight: This organizer prompts students to delve deep into texts, fostering a profound understanding of the author's perspective, context, and intent. SOAPStone Breakdown: Speaker: Students will investigate the source's creator, their background, and point of view, considering social status, job, gender, religion, and more, to understand how these factors may affect the source. Occasion: The organizer encourages students to explore the time and place of the source's creation, along with significant events of the era, illuminating the context's impact on the source's meaning. Audience: Students will delve into the intended audience of the source, recognizing how this affects the source's meaning. Purpose: The resource prompts students to analyze the source's purpose, uncovering its intent and objectives. Significance: Students will contemplate why the source is important, considering its broader implications. Tone: The organizer challenges students to discern the author's attitude and emotional sense toward the subject, fostering an understanding of the piece's tone. Why Choose Our SOAPStone Graphic Organizer: Structured Learning: This resource provides a structured framework for students to analyze texts, making it accessible to learners of all levels. Digital and Printable: Designed for both digital and print use, this graphic organizer adapts to various learning environments, enhancing accessibility. Comprehensive Analysis: By guiding students to consider the SOAPStone elements, this organizer fosters a comprehensive understanding of texts and their nuances. Empower your students to become proficient text analysts, uncovering the layers of meaning within documents, speeches, and literary works. The SOAPStone Graphic Organizer is an invaluable tool for promoting critical analysis, interpretation, and deep insight into texts. Elevate your teaching and inspire your students with a resource designed to deepen their text analysis skills and broaden their understanding of complex writings, preparing them for academic excellence. Transform your classroom with the SOAPStone Graphic Organizer from History and Literacy for All! Welcome to History and Literacy for All, your go-to resource for engaging and educational materials designed to enrich the history classroom experience. Our store is dedicated to providing a wide range of resources, including graphic organizers, literacy tools, and history-focused content that empowers both teachers and students. Key Features of Our Shop: Graphic Organizers: Explore our collection of meticulously crafted graphic organizers that are tailored to support students in visualizing and comprehending historical concepts. These visual aids enhance learning and critical thinking in the history classroom. Literacy Enrichment: We understand the importance of literacy in the history classroom. Our materials integrate effective reading and writing strategies, designed to boost students' literacy skills while engaging with historical content. Digital and Printable Resources: Whether you prefer digital teaching tools for a tech-savvy classroom or traditional printables for a hands-on approach, our products are available in both formats. Our Google Slides-compatible materials make online teaching a breeze. Why Choose History and Literacy for All: Our products are created by an experienced educator with a passion for history and literacy in the classroom. We offer an array of resources suitable for various grade levels and teaching styles. Every item in our shop is designed to foster a deep understanding of historical events and inspire a love for learning. Discover how our graphic organizers, literacy tools, and history materials can transform your history classroom. Explore our shop today and equip yourself with the tools you need to engage, educate, and empower your students. Thank you for choosing History and Literacy for All as your trusted resource for history and literacy education. We're committed to helping you make a lasting impact in your classroom.
Which number do you see? This set is ideal for introducing numbers in the first class! The large cards allow children to learn numbers in a creative imaginative, symbolic and meaningful way. These "Hidden numbers" cards can be printed recto verso in order to have the image on the front and the beautiful poetry on the back. The children can guess the hidden number observing the image. They can read the image on many levels (counting elements, listening to the poetry, finding numbers in shape and geometry); each child sees something different and when this happens is really magical! The "Hidden numbers" document can be printed in A3 format. The resolution and quality of the drawing are high (were originally made on A3 paper). Ideal to hang in the classroom after guessing, drawing and number writing. The small cards (8,5x11cm) can be introduced in a second moment to exercise and memorize the numbers and symbols. For example the children pick a card and have to say the number and show it with their fingers as fast as possible. This material is made by a Waldorf teacher with lots of love, first for the pupils, now for you. In proceeding to the command you will have: -two pdf documents that group the digit posters (to be printed in A3, A2, or A4 size) - numbers 1 to 9 -one pdf document that includes the small cards (to be printed in A4 size and cut them out) - numbers 1 to 10 You can then directly access the documents by following these steps: 1. Log in to your Etsy account. 2. Click on “You” (top right) 3. Choose “Purchases and reviews” 4. Find the order. Click on “Download Files” (to the right of the order) 5. The file will go to your “Downloads” folder Please leave me a comment if you are interested in buying the finished cards and how big would you like to have them. Thank you! Note on authors copyright: this material cannot be copied or disseminated I also offer support and advice about planning a Steiner - Waldorf curriculum at home or in small school realities :) please contact me if you need. www.amaeducation.one
Activities that boost fluency all year long…and that you only have to prep once!
Are you a fan of The Giving Tree? Use these free worksheets & poetry study printables to use alongside Shel Silverstein Poems.
Engage secondary students in meaningful literary analysis by pairing short films with poetry. Visual texts inspire students who are normally reluctant to read poetry to dive in and look for comparisons.
When trying to differentiate instruction for our students, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are 6 Easy Ways to Differentiate Instruction
These puzzles are a fun, interactive figurative language activity that are great to use as part of a reading center, in guided reading groups, an early finisher activity, or as independent practice! They are included as a printable print & cut version or a Google Slides™ version. These 17 figurative language terms, student-friendly definitions, and images can also be found as part of the Figurative Language Word Wall and are described in more detail in the Figurative Language Anchor Charts & Student Notebook Sheets. Terms Included: personification onomatopoeia hyperbole idiom metaphor simile symbolism allusion irony sarcasm cliche adage/proverb imagery pun alliteration analogy (2 options) More Reading and Writing Resources: • Reading Anchor Charts & Student Notebook Sheets • Reading and Writing Visuals MegaBundle • Reading Comprehension Graphic Organizers • Nonfiction Text Features Gallery Walk
Learn about the best haiku books for kids, from kindergarten through upper elementary grades. Get excellent examples of haiku poetry in many different forms.
Enjoy this delightful collection of nature poetry for kids, with 22 nature poems available as a free, printable PDF download.
Teaching slam poetry doesn't have to be boring! These 12 slam poetry ideas will help your middle school and high school students ROCK slam poetry...
During poetry stations, students move around the classroom doing various activities related to poetry. The station activity in this blog post has students read an engaging poem and respond to the poem in an unconventional way. If you’d like to replicate this activity in your classroom here are the s
Have your students ever described poetry as boring or confusing? It is common for them to feel overwhelmed by poetry because it is so different from other styles of writing. In order for students to move past this attitude, they need to feel confident in their ability to read and write poetry. In this blog post, you will learn how you can instill the love of poetry in high school students. I will also share some of my students' favorite activities for teaching poetry in high school.
Are you a fan of The Giving Tree? Use these free worksheets & poetry study printables to use alongside Shel Silverstein Poems.
Looking for flexible, creative activities to go with your next whole class novel unit in ELA? Find them here!
A lesson plan! A lesson plan! My kingdom for a lesson plan!
Confession… I’m not crazy about poetry. I usually prefer stories. Sometimes I feel like teachers go way overboard in dissecting poetry. This graphic organizer guides my poetry reviews. …
From videos to haiku to poetry slams, there's something to pique every student's interest.
