April 22  is Earth Day as proclaimed by the United Nations in 2009.  Here’s an English Language Arts  activity you can incorporate into your lessons that will raise awareness of some of the issues important to humankind and especially to Michael Jackson as expressed in his “Earth Song“.  Focusing on lyrics fits in nicely with [...]

In the United States, February is Black (African-American) History Month, a time when many teachers tailor lessons to feature the contributions of African-Americans. Since the oral tradition is significant in African-American history, and since oral language skill is one of the English Language Arts and Common Core Core Standards for ELA many are expected to [...]

“There’s nothing new under the sun!” True, but students can be inspired by the old to do something new for themselves. Sounds weird, but that’s exactly what can occur when students we invite to pattern the writing they read.  Students soon learn that close reading, analysis and imitation unleash bursts of creativity that lead to [...]

  What an exciting time to feature the contributions of Latina/Latino Writers, Speakers and Movie Makers!   Lost for ideas? Check out HISPANIC HERITAGE and NATIONAL HISPANIC HISTORY MONTH sites. Invite students to bring in picture books, poems, and selections for their history books to write found poems, Pantoums, an “I Am From” poems about people, places and [...]

April is Poetry Month throughout the nation and what an exciting and creative way to have your students write about the subject you teach!  Their writing will help you “see” them more personally, too. Depending on the grade you teach, you may have students write a traditional poem with rhyme and rhythm, one of the [...]

How are you going to celebrate?     “What you learn through reading and writing poetry will stay with you throughout your life,” Michelle Obama said in a statement about a national initiative to support the study of poetry. “It will spark your imagination and broaden your horizons and even help your performance in the [...]

First, of course, it’s important to decide what you want to learn about the students and their ability to write poetry.  Will students have studied poetry already and have a working definition of what a poem is?  If so, you could measure how well students create a poem that fits that definition. Here’s one I [...]

In the United States, March is Women’s History Month. You’ll find the 2013 National Women’s History Month Theme: Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics can be inspiring and enlightening for both male and female students. What an opportune time to feature the writing of females and to encourage [...]

 Looking for a poem to evoke conversation and teach patterning?                              “Dayrbeak in Alabama” by Langston Hughes is an excellent poem for any grade because it subtly addresses current social and political issues of diversity, it demonstrates the use of similes and an extended metaphor, and appeals to the senses in a way that students of all [...]

Complete an analysis  by telling the T.I.M.E.  of the poem. (See page 5 in handout packet at this link.) Click Writing about Poetry w-Grading Guidelines for printable assignment sheets.   Introduction  What is most memorable idea, image or literary device you recall about the poem? What direct quotation from the poem would be an effective attention getter? [...]