Poets.org
Explore resources to help you bring poetry alive in your classrooms. You will find lesson plans, poems for kids and teens, poetry terms, and more.
Primary Source Activities
These rich Primary Sources come with questions to guide students through analysis and can be used to facilitate classroom discussions.
- Poetry from the Tang Dynasty One of the most famous poets of the Tang dynasty was Li Bai, also known as Li Po (701–762). Explore “The Ching-Ting Mountain” then create your own “word picture.” (Secondary)
- Haiku About Children Playing Read a Haiku poem about children playing then write your own Haiku. (Elementary)
- A World of Beauty: The Poetry of Sappho Read the poem “Some Say…”, then find your own way to express what you most enjoy. (Secondary)
- Poem by Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472) Explore Aztec poetry, then write a poem about a subject in nature. (Secondary)
- “May their roads home be on the trail of peace” Explore the writing of a Native American poet, then write a poem about a subject in nature. (Secondary)
Additional Resources
See these collections for additional National Poetry Month ideas.
Poetry Out Loud
Turn poems into powerful speeches with style and rhythm. Poetry Out Loud offers plenty of lesson plans about reciting poetry in dynamic ways.
Edutopia
Quickly access dozens of resources for teaching poetry and celebrating National Poetry Month.