This guide contains a short introduction on the value of teaching poetry in elementary school and some ideas on how it should be taught. The guide presents seven classroom activities to make poetry come alive. Seven figures illustrating the activities are included. (MS)

The text samples presented in this document primarily serve to exemplify the level of complexity and quality that the Standards require all students in a given grade band to engage with. Additionally, they are suggestive of the breadth of texts that students should encounter in the text types required by the Standards. The choices should serve as…

Suggests techniques for teaching poetry which require student involvement as a way of developing poetry appreciation. (RB)

Describes a method for teaching disadvantaged students to write and contains samples of students' poetry. (RB)

Argues one way to make sense of a catastrophe is to use Kenneth Koch's poetry methods. By using these strategics, teachers can help students discover the thoughts and feelings of great artists. Students can then express their thoughts through these model poems. (BR)

Describes teaching methods and techniques found to be useful by practicing teachers, including midsemester written evaluations of teachers by students; telephone conversations and poetry; reading journals and assigned reading materials; grammar handbooks aimed at students, not teachers; and student conferences with their writing teachers. (HB)

Outlines a procedure that increases students' understanding of an assigned novel as it encourages them to write poetry. Suggests that students create lists of about 10 words or phrases that they felt helped create a successful opening to the novel and build on these words to create tone poems. (MM)

Examines the good fortune that marks the career of writing teachers. Shows how creative writing activities stimulate and inspire writing teachers. Includes five poems written by the author. (HB)

Describes how high school students can give J. Alfred Prufrock (from T.S. Eliot's serious poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock") a "makeover" so he can acquire more self-confidence. Shows how this makeover exercise can lead students to a deeper general understanding and appreciation of complex literary characters and of a…

Presents a technique for teaching poetry to disadvantaged youths. (RB)

Suggesting that the teaching of poetry must be engaging as well as challenging, this book presents practical approaches, guidelines, activities, and scenarios for teaching poetry in high school. It offers 40 complete poems; a discussion of assessment issues (including authentic assessment); poetry across the curriculum; and addresses and…

Describes a poetry assignment in which students select a poem to analyze and present before the class. Observes that unlike the traditional postures of detachment and impersonality, this approach of self-selections encourages students to establish an intimacy with poetry. (MM)

Describes a poetry-presentation assignment in which students select poems from examples studied in class and prepare oral presentations incorporating visual, dramatic, technical, or musical arts. Describes several student presentations resulting from this assignment. (MM)

Describes an activity in which students are given copies of a poem by Emily Dickinson in her own handwriting and are assigned the task, in groups, of preparing a version of the poem for publication. Notes that this activity makes students aware of an editor's work and the work that goes into preparing material for publication. (SR)

Describes how the author uses a poem by Marge Piercy called "Barbie Doll" to help students discover for themselves the implicit power of gender. Describes how students (1) examine the poem's language and have lively and insightful discussions as they find meanings for themselves; and (2) extend and elaborate on these meanings as they…