If you have been wondering how to go about teaching poetry to middle schoolers, then you need to read on to find out how I make teaching poetry an engaging unit in my middle school classroom.
Begin With An Essential Question
When I first started my teaching career I struggled to know how to teach poetry to middle schoolers. My own learning experiences with poetry were far from inspiring, I knew I did not want that experience for my own students.
I know that giving students choice in the classroom, when possible, helps to increase student engagement and learning. So I decided to create a poetry unit that first centered on an essential question.
The Best Poems for Middle Schoolers
Selecting the poems to use in a poetry unit can be determined in many different ways. I select poems that meet the complexity needs for middle school students to analyze the poems, as well as poems that fit topics they care about.
I chose to select poems for the following categories: classics, love, growing up, and identity.
Within those categories students explore a variety of poetry. This includes short, but complex, poems by poets such as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and William Carlos Williams.
Other poems I selected also include “Dear Basketball“, by Kobe Bryant, “Why Falling In Love Is Like Owning A Dog” by Taylor Mali, and a powerful poetry performance by Darius Simpson and Scout Bostley called “Lost Voices“.
By choosing poetry that is written and presented in a variety of ways, students can dive into the richness that poetry can bring into their world. They also experience the growth and changes of the genre throughout time.
A Personalized Learning Experience
Teaching poetry to middle schoolers is taken to the next level by creating a personalized learning experience by using a choice board.
As part of my current poetry unit, students are given time to read a set amount of poems from a poetry digital choice board.
After students read and study a poem, they complete a digital exit ticket that asks them to connect the poem back to the essential question. As the teacher, I’m able to learn what students are understanding about the poems as I prepare my lessons for the days ahead.
When to Use the Poetry Choice Board
I introduce the poetry digital choice board at the beginning of our poetry unit. I select a mentor text to use throughout our unit to teach students how to read and analyze poetry. We study poetic devices, tone and mood, figurative language, and structure. Students use the poems on the choice board to answer our essential question and analyze poetry.
Towards the end of the poetry unit students complete a one pager to show their analysis of their favorite poem.
Then students create a poetry anthology. More to come on that!
If you are looking to get started with teaching poetry to your middle school students, I have created a resource for you that includes a done-for-you poetry choice board and an editable choice board to modify for your students. The resource also includes a digital exit ticket so students can connect the poems to the essential question.
If you are looking for a way to dip your toes into poetry, I have created a Valentine’s Day Digital Escape Activity all about love poems. This is a no prep activity that engages students in learning about poetic devices and applying their understanding by reading and responding to questions about three love poems.
Teaching poetry to middle schoolers doesn’t have to be challenging. Give personalized learning a try with a poetry choice board!