Poetry and CCS

How can poetry help students develop the knowledge and skills called for by the Common Core Standards?

Standards for Reading

• Critical Thinking Questions
  Students read or listen to the poem "Condolence" by Dorothy Parker and answer five questions. Links to the poem (text and audio file) available.
• Poetry Picnic
  Designed for first grade, this 14-lesson unit provides reading, writing, speaking and listening activities to develop and strengthen phonological awareness. In addition, children create original art projects and present a dramatic interpretation to compliment the poems. This 24-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
• Reading Comprehension
  Students read "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop and "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee (links to the poems included). Then they respond to comprehension questions.
• Responding to Young Adult Fiction through Writing Poetry: Trying to Understand a Mole
  This article from the ALAN review discusses the riddle poem, found poem, character poem, poem for two voices, and repeat poster poem as methods students might use to respond to fiction. The article also offers an explanation of each form.
• Seuss and Silverstein: Posing Questions, Presenting Points
  Working in small groups, students select and read books or short stories by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. Each group then prepares critical thinking questions and leads a class discussion about the issues raised in the story. Students use the interactive Literary Elements Map to explore the conflict in their selected texts.

Standards for Writing

• Found Poetry Assignment
  Definition, assignment, rubric, and online resources.
• Poem from a List of Prompts
  In this activity students build a poem line by line from a list of two-minute prompts given one after the other. Word processor required for access.
• Poet Phillis Wheatley
  Students edit a short paragraph about Wheatley. This activity is designed for elementary students.
• Research/Writing Challenges
  Seven options to encourage research and writing.
• Six-Trait Writing with Jack Prelutsky and the Brothers Grimm
  This series of 6 lessons is designed for kindergarten students. It uses Jack Prelutsky's poem, "I do not mind you, Winter Wind" and other literature. This 27-page handout requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

Standards for Speaking and Listening

• April Madness
  Celebrate National Poetry Month by combining poetry and rivalry. Students read or recite a poem and compete to advance in classroom brackets.
• By Heart: Memorizing and Performing a Favorite Poem
  Students memorize a poem, then write it from memory and recite it for others—and for possible inclusion on a class podcast or video. They also reflect on the value of committing poems to memory. Lesson includes links to poems and to other related pages.
• Improving Speaking Skills with Poetry Podcasting
  In this video (4:39) a teacher outlines a unit in which students record nursery rhymes, receive feedback, and reflect on their performance.
• Listening Comprehension Questions
  Students listen to "Sonnet 109" by William Shakespeare and "The Loon" by Mary Oliver links to both poems included). Then they respond to listening comprehension questions.
• Learning Recitation
  Videos of students from the Poetry Out Loud competition. Good models for the classroom.
• Listening to Poems While Reading Along
  In this activity students read and annotate a poem silently. Then they listen to a student read it aloud and consider what new things they notice. Finally, they listen to the poet himself read it aloud and consider what else they notice. Access requires word processor; lesson requires an audio or video of a poet reading the poem. This lesson is designed for the poetry of Taylor Mali but can easily be adapted for other poets.

Want more?

• Online Collections of Poetry
• Index of Specific Poets (4 links or more)
• Index of Specific Poets (fewer than 4 links)
  Poets A — D
  Poets E — H
  Poets I — L
  Poets M — P
  Poets Q — T
  Poets U — Z
• Poetry Terms, Genre (like Haiku), and other activities