Living Voices: Multicultural Poetry in the Middle School Classroom

Grades   6 – 8  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

What is Poetry? Contrasting Poetry and Prose

Students often find poetry frustrating and meaningless. By helping students think critically about the differences between poetry and prose, this introduction sets the stage for different strategies for comprehending poetic texts.

 

Grades   6 – 8  |  Lesson Plan  |  Unit

Discovering Memory: Li-Young Lee’s Poem “Mnemonic” and the Brain

Students learn about memory by doing a memory-writing exercise, studying the brain to understand how it affects memory, reading Li-Young Lee’s poem “Mnemonic,” and creating projects to demonstrate their understanding.

 

Grades   6 – 8  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Color of Silence: Sensory Imagery in Pat Mora’s Poem “Echoes”

Pat Mora’s poem “Echoes” demonstrates that our senses are powerful tools for literary analysis and comprehension as students use their senses to discover new ways to read and write.

 

Grades   6 – 8  |  Lesson Plan  |  Standard Lesson

Entering History: Nikki Giovanni and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nikki Giovanni’s poem “The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.” is paired with Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, taking students on a quest through time to the Civil Rights movement.

 

Grades   7 – 12  |  Lesson Plan  |  Unit

Crossing Boundaries Through Bilingual, Spoken-Word Poetry

Students explore the idea of “crossing boundaries” through bilingual, spoken-word poetry, culminating in a poetry slam at school or in the community.