Browse lesson plans

Cause and effect

Students will identify and interpret cause and effect as expressed in poetry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Rochelle Mullis.

Figurative language: Metaphor

This lesson is a part of a unit on poetry and figurative language. It is designed to teach students the characteristics of metaphor within the context of poetry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Nancy Meyers.

Figurative language: Similes

Students will define and identify similes as well as evaluate the use of similes in the poem, "The Base Stealer" by Robert Francis.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Kimberly Conville.

An integrated poetry unit

My students have always disliked poetry. The different ways in which this lesson approaches poetry and the connection it makes to their "March Madness" studies seems to make poetry more enjoyable, fun, and relevant for my students. In order to integrate with the sixth grade math and social studies teachers, I teach this unit during the ACC tournament to coincide with the "March Madness" unit that is covered in the math classes.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Nancy Guthrie.

Listen to a poem

Use the poems "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and "Sea Fever" to teach the poetic devices of rhythm, meter and scansion.

Format: lesson plan (grade 12 English Language Arts)

A matter of identity: Writing an extended metaphor poem

Students apply their knowledge of literary devices by reading and analyzing the poem “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco. Students then create their own poem incorporating the literary devices studied and analyzed in the above mentioned poem. This lesson includes modifications for a Novice Low Limited English student.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–10 English Language Arts and English Language Development)

By Susan Brooks and Carrie Mabry.

Maya Angelou: Study and response to "Still I Rise"

Students read biographical information on Maya Angelou and her poem, "Still I Rise." Students identify support and elaboration in poem, then respond by either writing a letter to the author or his/her own poem in response.

Format: lesson plan (grade 7–8 English Language Arts)

By Barbara Groome and Jo Peterson Gibbs.

Poetry from prose: A different kind of "book report"

Students use a word-processing program to write a poem that summarizes important themes or events central to the plot of a novel. Once the poem is proofread, students type the poem according to specific directions. They then print their work and illustrate over or around the writing for an illustrated "book report." Students incorporate details from the novel in their writing and in their illustrations of their poems. In this way, students focus on the themes or events in the novel that appeal to them most -- the ones they feel are most important to the novel's meaning.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

By Sally Watts.

Poetry through music: "Smooth"

This lesson draws students into a study of poetry, using Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas' "Smooth" as an entry point.

Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development)

By Andrea Belletti.

Seeing two poems

This lesson will teach students how to actively read a poem and identify poetic devices.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Karyn A. Gloden.

Singing the "Song of Life"

This lesson requires students to use their reading, comprehension, and analysis skills to analyze a poem and respond creatively to the selection.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts)

By Angela Taylor.

Thematic and organizational patterns in McLaurin's "The Rite Time of Night"

Students will learn to identify and color-code thematic and organizational patterns found in the narrative and then use two-column note-taking to highlight how these patterns helped McLaurin give his story focus and organization. As a suggested follow-up activity, students are given ideas for writing their own narratives, using similar techniques as McLaurin.

Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts)

By Vickie Smith.

Resources on the web

Pictures in words: Poems of Tennyson and Noyes

In this lesson from EDSITEment, students will explore how poets Tennyson and Noyes use words to paint vivid and memorable pictures and describe how “word pictures” emphasize or qualify the meanings of their poems. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Using the four-square strategy to define and identify poetic terms

This lesson from ReadWriteThink helps young students understand poetry. Use of the four-square strategy offers the student a systematic structure for defining poetic terms. Through the exploration of various poetry websites, students define alliteration,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

What am I? Teaching poetry through riddles

Riddles are an excellent vehicle for introducing students to poetry and poetry writing. In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students explore, analyze, and discuss how metaphor, simile, and metonymy are used in riddle poems. They will use metaphor, simile, and... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink