12th Grade Poetry Lesson (by date, oldest first)

NEW IN 2021: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-Based! This 45-page EDITABLE mini-unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quizzes on poetic devices, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of Dickinson's poems and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 45-page mini-unit on Dickinson's poetry:

• 10 Poems by Emily Dickinson: The 10 poems in this mini-unit feature Emily Dickinson's best works of poetry. The packet includes a representative sampling of riddle poems ("It sifts from Leaden Sieves"), nature poems ("There's a certain Slant of light"), death poems ("Because I could not stop for Death"), feminist poems ("I'm ceded — I've stopped being Theirs"), ars poetica ("I dwell in Possibility"), and more. The 10 poems are split between two Homework Packets, with each packet containing 5 poems. (12 pages)

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for two poems from each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive note. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (15 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (4 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

The entire 45-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc and PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials in a PDF file, which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'll be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource allows viewing accesses to 20 pages. Click on the green “PREVIEW” button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

This 40-page EDITABLE poetry unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 10 poems in this unit all pivot on vivid and evocative SENSORY IMAGERY.

Because even our strongest students often have difficulty analyzing poetic imagery, I designed this unit to help students learn to "unpack" images and to explain how images deepen a poem's meaning. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 40-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 10 poems by award-winning poets such as Emily Dickinson, Robert Hayden, Mary Oliver, Gary Soto, Sharon Olds, Mark Doty, Yusef Komunyakaa, Tony Hoagland, and others. The poems in each homework packet derive their meaning from the deft use of sensory images. These carefully selected poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (10 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).

• Discussion Questions: Lists of discussion questions for the first poems in each homework packet. The discussion questions will ensure that your class discussions get off to a productive start. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (8 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (2 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This entire 40-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry

Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

This 50-page EDITABLE poetry unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 12 poems in this unit pivot on the use of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, etc.

Teach your students how to analyze figurative language through a series of engaging lessons on poems that students are guaranteed to love. The literary device quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Here are some highlights from this 50-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 12 poems by award-winning poets such as Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Wilbur, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Julia Alvarez, Mark Doty, Sharon Olds, and others. The poems in each homework packet derive their meaning from the deft use of sensory images. These carefully selected poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (12 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices found in poems from the packet: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for two poems in each of two homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that your class discussions get off to a productive start. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (16 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This entire 50-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry

Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

NEW IN 2021: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-Based! This 45-page EDITABLE poetry curriculum promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 45-page curriculum:

• 10 Poems by Langston Hughes: The 10 poems in this mini-unit feature Langston Hughe's BEST works of poetry: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Mother to Son," "I, Too," "Theme for English B," "Let America Be America Again," "Harlem," and more. The poems are split between two homework packets, each of which features 5 poems. Each homework packet is followed by a classroom packet with discussion questions and quizzes related to the poems. (12 pages)

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive note. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (12 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (3 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

The entire 45-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to modify the resource to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF file, which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'll be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource allows viewing accesses to 30 pages. Click on the green "preview" button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

This 38-page EDITABLE poetry unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 10 poems in this mini-unit all focus on different kinds of ethical dilemmas.

Because teenagers are genuinely intrigued by ethical dilemmas, these poems will set the stage for your class to have authentic discussions that inspire a whole new depth of reflection. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Here are some highlights from this 38-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems about Ethical Dilemmas: The two homework packets contains a total of 10 poems by a diverse range of award-winning poets such as Robert Frost, William Stafford, Ada Limón, Jan Beatty, Ross Gay, and others. Every poem focuses on some kind of ethical dilemma. Because teenagers are genuinely intrigued by ethical dilemmas, these poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (10 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the nightly homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of two nightly homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive foot. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (7 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (3 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This entire 38-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry

Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!... This 40-page EDITABLE unit focuses on the most beautiful and compelling love poems in the history of love poetry! The unit on promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor.

The twelve poems are divided into two reading packets, with the first packet focusing traditional love poems, and the second packet focusing on modern love poems. Each reading packet is followed by a classwork packet that contains a quiz on literary devices, discussion questions for two poems, and quick writes. Finally, a third packet features a writing assignment, sample student paper, and glossary of literary devices.

Here's a detailed account of what you'll find in this 40-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 12 love poems by award-winning poets such as William Shakespeare, Anne Bradstreet, Christina Rossetti, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, E. E. Cummings, and others. While the first packet focuses on traditional love poetry, the second packet focuses on modern love poetry. Thus, the two packets will set you up to facilitate fascinating discussions about how our understanding of love has changed over the centuries! (12 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, sound devices, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether students can accurately identify the literary devices found in poems from the packet: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This unit features a list of discussion questions for two poems in each of the two homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that each class discussion is focused and productive. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (14 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This entire 40-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry

Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

NEW IN 2021: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-Based! This 40-page EDITABLE mini-unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quizzes on poetic devices, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of Elizabeth Bishop's poems and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 40-page curriculum:

• 10 Poems by Elizabeth Bishop: The 10 poems in this mini-unit feature Elizabeth Bishop's best works of poetry: "The Fish," "In the Waiting Room," "One Art," "The Man-Moth," "Sestina," and more. The 10 poems are split between two Homework Packets, with each packet featuring 5 poems. (12 pages)

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for one poem from each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive note. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (10 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This 40-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF file, which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'll be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource allows viewing accesses to 20 pages. Click on the green “preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

This lesson was designed to be used on the first day of a year-long 11th-grade American Literature course. The lesson includes a poetry packet with 7 poems by diverse American authors. Each of the poems raises important questions about what "America" represents. A land of freedom and equality? A refuge for immigrants? A diverse and inclusive nation? Or a land with entrenched inequality? A saber-rattling evil empire?

Here is a list of the poems:

1. Ada Limón, "A New National Anthem" (2018) — our new Poet Laureate!

2. Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus" (1883)

3. Walt Whitman, "I Hear America Singing" (1860)

4. Langston Hughes, "I, Too" (1923) — responding directly to Whitman!

5. Claude McKay, "America" (1921)

6. James Lasdun, "The Question" (2012) — is America "good or bad"?

7. Tony Hoagland, "America" (2003)

This resource also comes with a classwork packet that features discussion questions on the poems by Ada Limôn, Emma Lazarus, and Langston Hughes. The discussion questions come on three handouts, each of which contains 7 questions about a particular poem. Each handout also has a quick write where students can answer one of the questions in writing.

How might the concept of "America" represent a set of ideals and promises? Has this nation lived up to its ideals and promises? How might the idea of America be different from the reality?

Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was designed by a Ph.D. with a research specialization in American literature. Feel free to check out these complete units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Tommy Orange's There There

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese

NEW IN 2021: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-Based! This 35-page EDITABLE mini-unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quizzes on poetic devices, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of Gwendolyn Brooks's poems and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 35-page curriculum:

• 10 Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks: The 10 poems in this mini-unit feature Gwendolyn Brooks's best works of poetry: "The Sonnet-Ballad," "A Song in the Front Yard," "The Boy Died in My Alley," "We Real Cool," and more. The 10 poems are split between two Homework Packets, with each packet featuring 5 poems. (12 pages)

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for one poem from each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive note. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (7 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

The entire 35-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc and PDF. Because the Word doc is editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF file, which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'll be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource allows viewing accesses to 15 pages. Click on the green “PREVIEW” button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

This 45-page EDITABLE poetry curriculum promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 12 poems in this mini-unit all focus on the complex nature of family dynamics and parent-child relationships.

Because teenagers are caught up in complex relationships with their parents, these poems will set the stage for your class to have authentic discussions that inspire a whole new depth of reflection. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Here are some highlights from this 45-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems about Parent-Child Relationships: The two homework packets contain a total of 12 poems by a diverse range of award-winning poets such as Sylvia Plath, Theodore Roethke, Sharon Olds, Audre Lorde, Li-Young Lee, Galway Kinnell, Tony Hoagland, Ada Limón, and others. Every poem focuses on a different kind of parent-child dynamic. Because teenagers have a lot to say about relationships with parents, these poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (12 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and automatically generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive foot. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (10 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

This entire 44-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry

Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

UPDATED FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Finally, a poetry unit designed for high-school English that teenagers genuinely love!! Your students' skills in close reading and literary analysis of poems will skyrocket....

The 3-week unit features 60+ canonical poems written by a diverse spectrum of English-speaking poets. The poems and accompanying lesson plans are organized into 12 thematic packets which can be used in sequence over two weeks. That's over 200 pages worth of editable poetry resources!

This unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quick writes, literary device quizzes, and analytical writing assignments will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this editable 200-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems (5-6 Poems per Packet): The 12 homework packets contain a total of 71 poems by a diverse range of award-winning poets such as William Shakespeare, John Keats, Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Robert Hayden, Theodore Roethke, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Mary Oliver, Gary Soto, Li-Young Lee, Ada Limón, Elizabeth Acevedo, and others. The poems are collected into ten reading packets that focus on prominent literary devices and themes: 1) poems using sensory imagery, 2) poems using figurative language, 3) love poems, 4) poems on ethical dilemmas, 5) poems on complex parent-child dynamics, and 6) poems on cultural identity. Because teenagers have a lot to say about these themes, the poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (75 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: A total of ten quizzes, each with 10 questions about a wide range of literary devices: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Open each class with a quiz to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets. Answer keys included. (24 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive foot. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (60 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (24 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (15 pages)

This entire resource packet will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as PDF documents — which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources.

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Should you prefer to purchase the poetry units individually, here are links to the five poetry units:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Poems on Ethical Dilemmas

Poetry Unit #5: Poems on Family Relationships

Poetry Unit #6: Poems on Cultural Identity

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with the Poetry ESCAPE ROOM - Halloween Edition!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Halloween-themed Escape Room about poetry. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are Language Arts skills-based so that with this fun lesson on a sugar-filled holiday, learning is not sacrificed. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

Your room has been transformed into a haunted house of horrors and your students can only escape by solving 5 challenging poetry skills-based tasks about Halloween!

• In Cold Blood: In the first task, students must fill in the blanks with the Halloween-inspired idioms. Once cards are assembled correctly, designated letters within each card reveal the first code.
• Haunted: In the second task, students must correctly identify the figurative language devices used in the chilling poem, Haunted by Siegfried Sassoon. Shaded boxes within the answers will reveal the second code.
• Watch Your Tone: In the third task, students will read 6 excerpts from Halloween-inspired poems by authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, and Lord Byron and identify the tone of each poem. When cards are matched correctly, shaded letters will reveal the code.
• The Witch: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of Mary Elizabeth Coleridge's famously dark poem, The Witch. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.... "Let me in at the door!"
• Pop Quiz: In the final task, students must complete a crossword puzzle using information they learned from the first four tasks. Circled letters within the crossword will reveal the final code. Once they bring that to you, they may escape the haunted house of horrors.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room is suitable for middle and high school students and is ideal during the month of October or any time you want to give your students a fright!

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Have you stumbled upon this resource but it is nowhere near Halloween? Check out the original best-selling escape room here:

⭐ Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

Enjoy more seasonal resources by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Halloween ESCAPE ROOM

⭐Thanksgiving ESCAPE ROOM

⭐Christmas ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Hanukkah Kwanzaa Christmas Diwali ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ New Year's ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Valentine's Day ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ St. Patrick's Day ESCAPE ROOM

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching poetry with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with the Poetry ESCAPE ROOM!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Poetry Escape Room. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are skills-based so that with the escape room, learning is not sacrificed; in fact, your students will come away with a stronger understanding of poetic terms and devices. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying (and the number of poems they have analyzed) in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

The ghosts of Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, and Maya Angelou have risen from the grave to lock your students inside your classroom. They are upset because they believe that students spend too much time talking about (fill in the blank with whatever is hip with students these days) and not enough time reading and writing poetry. Students cannot escape until they complete 5 poetry-based tasks to show these ghosts of poets past that they do in fact know their poetry.

• Match 'Em Up: In the first task, students must match up poetic terms and devices with their definitions. Letters intersected by the lines between the terms and definitions will reveal their first code.
• Figuratively Speaking: In the second task, students must correctly identify the figurative language used in poem excerpts. When matched correctly, shaded boxes reveal their second code.
• Television: In the third task, students must closely read the poem, Television, by Roald Dahl. Then, they must correctly identify poetic terms and devices within the poem. When matched correctly on a chart, the third code is revealed.
• Playground Blues: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of Back in the Playground Blues by Adrian Mitchell. Letters of the multiple choice CCSS-aligned question answers following the poem reveal their fourth code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the final task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle that forms a quote about poetry. Once the puzzle is assembled and students bring the quote to you, they may escape the room.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room is suitable for middle and high school students and is ideal any time during your poetry unit. Students will need to know definitions of poetic devices and terms in order to complete the activity. Some of the terms covered: alliteration, imagery, free verse, internal rhyme, tone, mood, stanza, stress, onomatopoeia, allusion, hyperbole, syntax, extended metaphor, haiku, oxymoron....

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We've gone digital! Check out the paperless version for distance learning:

⭐ Digital Poetry Escape Room

Poetry escape rooms for the holidays:

⭐ Back to School Poetry Escape Room

⭐ Halloween Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Thanksgiving Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Christmas Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

Check out more great resources for your poetry unit:

⭐ Poetry Unit Anticipation Activity

⭐ Still I Rise (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Caged Bird (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Harlem (A Dream Deferred) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Figurative Language Challenge Game

⭐ Sonnet 130 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ Sonnet 18 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

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⭐⭐⭐ For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE ⭐⭐⭐

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with Shakespeare's Othello ESCAPE ROOM!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for Othello by William Shakespeare. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

Instead of coming into your room this morning, your students have traveled all the way to Venice to visit their dear friend Othello. As they spend time with him, he becomes increasingly agitated, anxious, and paranoid. His friend Iago circles around his ear and Othello finally admits that he believes his beloved wife is having an affair. When he mentions plans of plucking his very special rose for good, it is time for your students to step in and save Desdemona! The only way to escape the room and save Des is by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

• Plot it Out: In the first task, students must order the major plot points of Othello on Freytag's Pyramid. When ordered correctly, letters in the shaded boxes on the chart form their first code.
• Guess Who: In the second task, students must match each character from Othello with their description by drawing a line connecting them. Letters not intersected by these lines will form their second code word.
• Criss-Cross: In the third task, students must complete a crossword puzzle about major plot points, characters, setting, and quotes from the play. Circled letters within the crossword, once unscrambled, reveal the code.
• Say What: In the fourth task, students must match notable quotes with the characters who said them. When cards are matched correctly, the fourth code is revealed.
• Hidden Message: In the fifth and final task, students must discover a hidden message (a notable quote from Othello) using clues from the first four tasks and answer the final question.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print & Classroom Preparation Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

This escape room is an ideal way to end your unit on O_thello_ and a great way to review for the final test.

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Also, check out these great products by Language Arts Excellence to complement your unit on Othello:

⭐ Othello Quote Posters

⭐ Shakespeare Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Shakespeare ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint

⭐ Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Shakespeare's "Death Lines" Activity

⭐ Shakespeare Resource Bundle

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This resource features a set of 20 reader response journal prompts for use during your unit on Edgar Allan Poe. Each bell ringer is comprised of a quote from the Master of Suspense himself and a thoughtfully crafted question that encourages students to personally connect and appreciate the timelessness of his musings. Prompts can be used as bell-ringers (most popular and mean the first 5 minutes of every class for more than a month are planned for you!), exit tickets, stations, full class or small group discussion questions, for homework, task cards, sub plans, as a filler activity… the possibilities are endless!

Example of a prompt:

"Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not?”

Think of a time when you did something while you were very much aware that you should not be doing it. Why did you do it? What were the consequences of your decision to commit this wrong?

Enjoy using these bell ringers during your study of any of Poe's stories, Halloween, or any time throughout the year when you just need to hear a few wise words from the Father of Horror!

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We've gone digital! Check out our paperless version to support distance learning:

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Digital Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

Save 20% off this resource when you purchase as part of a bundle of Edgar Allan Poe products:

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

More resources to round out your Edgar Allan Poe unit:

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe PowerPoint

⭐ Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Human Tic Tac Toe Review Game

Chilling literature guides to frighten your students for months!

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

⭐ The Tell-Tale Heart Literature Guide

⭐ The Black Cat Literature Guide

⭐ The Pit and the Pendulum Literature Guide

⭐ The Masque of the Red Death Literature Guide

⭐ The Cask of Amontillado Literature Guide

⭐ The Fall of the House of Usher Literature Guide

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Short Story BUNDLE

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⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with the Christmas Poetry ESCAPE ROOM!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Christmas-themed Poetry Escape Room. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. All tasks are Language Arts skills-based so that with this fun lesson on a sugar-filled holiday, learning is not sacrificed. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

Your students are stuck in your classroom and cannot leave for Christmas vacation until they solve 5 challenging poetry-based tasks about Christmas!

• Festively Figurative: In the first task, students must identify the figurative language devices used in beautiful Christmas poems. Shaded boxes in the correct answers form the first code.
• Little Tree: In the second task, students must perform a close reading of the poem [little tree] by E. E. Cummings and fill in a poetic elements chart with correct answers about the poem. Shaded boxes next to the correct answers will reveal the second code.
• Rhyme Scheme: In the third task, students will read the first lines of 8 Christmas poems and identify the rhyme scheme of each excerpt. When the rhyme scheme cards are matched correctly, the code is revealed.
• The Oxen: In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of the poem The Oxen by Thomas Hardy. The letters of the multiple choice questions about the poem will form the fourth code.
• Jig Saw Quote: In the final task, students must assemble a jig saw puzzle that forms a short Christmas poem. Once the puzzle is assembled and students answer the final question, they may escape to Christmas vacation!

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Welcome Sign for Your Door

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Sheet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

This escape room is suitable for middle and high school students and is ideal for any time during the month of December (or Christmas in July!).

___________________________________________________________________

Have you stumbled upon this resource but it is nowhere near Christmas? Check out the original best-selling escape room here:

⭐ Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

Also, check out more great Christmas resources by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ A Christmas Carol ESCAPE ROOM

⭐‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Figurative Language Lesson Plan

⭐ The Little Match Girl Sensory Details Lesson Plan

⭐"Christmas Talk" Lesson Plan

⭐The Gift of the Magi & The Necklace Compare/Contrast Essay

⭐Christmas Song Figurative Language Powerpoint Presentation

⭐Figurative Language in Christmas Songs - 32 Task Cards

...and an escape room for every holiday:

⭐ Christmas ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Hanukkah Kwanzaa Christmas Diwali ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Halloween ESCAPE ROOM

⭐Thanksgiving ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Thanksgiving Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ New Year's ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Valentine's Day ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ St. Patrick's Day ESCAPE ROOM

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⭐⭐⭐For the escape room enthusiasts out there, you can now build your own bundle at 20% off the cover price of 3 or more escape rooms! Click the link to check out all of the escape rooms Language Arts Excellence has to offer: Build Your Own Escape Room BUNDLE⭐⭐⭐

___________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Any teacher of middle or high school students knows that emotions tend to run wild on Valentine's Day, and instead of fighting it, this lesson on Shakespearean language will help you to take advantage of the birds and the bees buzzing around in your classroom!

This full-length lesson plan revolves around Shakespeare's mastery of the English language with an emphasis on his knack for coming up with the most compassionate of compliments and scathing of insults. Through a non-intimidating approach, students will have the opportunity to do a little bit of acting and make connections to modern day as they explore Shakespeare's language of love and hate. I am always astounded by the level of maturity of the discussion that arises from this activity as students discuss what makes a compliment or insult particularly effective and from whom it means the most. This is sure to be a lesson that you will use again and again on February 14th.

Product includes:

• Meticulously laid-out lesson with objectives, warm-up, explanation, application, synthesis, and 2 extension activity ideas
• 2-sided worksheet of Shakespearean compliment/insult lists

Though this product is ideal for use on Valentine's Day, it really can be used all year long. I tend to save it for the day prior to school vacation. I hope that your students get a kick out of indulging in their heightened emotions for this lesson.

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Save 20% off this resource when you purchase as part of a bundle of Shakespeare products:

⭐ Shakespeare Resource Bundle

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Also, check out these great Valentine's Day resources from Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Valentine's Day Collaborative Writing Activity

⭐ Valentine's Day Figurative Language Practice

⭐ Valentine's Day Love Song Figurative Language BUNDLE

⭐ Sonnet 130 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ Sonnet 18 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ Valentine's Day Mad Libs

⭐ Valentine's Day "Love Talk" Lesson Plan

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Celebrate Black History Month with this engaging lesson on Maya Angelou's stunningly poignant poem of injustice, "Caged Bird."

This dynamic lesson plan on Angelou's poem is the perfect addition to your poetry unit. In this lesson, students will analyze the figurative language within the poem and respond to its powerful theme through independent work, paired activities, and full class discussion. The lesson plan even includes a unique way to read the poem as a class that will have your students engaged from the start. The meticulously laid-out materials will prompt your students to think, speak, read, draw, and write all in one class period and interacting deeply with one of the most celebrated works of American poetry.

Product Includes:

- Comprehensive lesson plan with warm-up, explanation, application, and synthesis

- Student packet: copy of the poem, notes on Maya Angelou, chart and drawing activity, open response question

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Also, check out these great resources for your poetry unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Poetry Unit Anticipation Activity

⭐ "Still I Rise" (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Harlem (A Dream Deferred) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Black History Month Poetry {{BUNDLE}}

⭐ Figurative Language Challenge Game

⭐ Sonnet 130 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ Sonnet 18 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

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⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

Get ready to have the most fun you'll have teaching with a lesson that your students will be talking about for years to come with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream ESCAPE ROOM!

There is no wonder why escape rooms are so popular; they are highly engaging and encourage people to work together and think creatively in order to solve different puzzles... all while trying to beat the clock! This meticulously-crafted resource features all of the materials you need to conduct a full-length Escape Room for A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Planning an escape room may seem like quite the daunting task, but this product provides everything from the basics and set-up instructions to signs and answer keys so that yours runs smoothly from start to finish. The activity involves movement, energy, creative thinking and most of all, collaboration. Your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize the higher order thinking skills they are applying in the playing of this game!

How does it work?

Titania and Oberon’s squabbles have led to a shift in the seasons and chaos throughout the land… and your students have all found themselves TRAPPED inside their magical fairy world. The only way to escape is by solving 5 different skills-based puzzles, discovering a hidden message, and finding clues along the way.

• In the first task, students must match each character from A Midsummer Night's Dream with their description by drawing a line connecting them. Letters not intersected by these lines will form their first code word.
• In the second task, students must complete a crossword puzzle about major plot points, characters, setting, and quotes from the play. Circled letters within the crossword, once unscrambled, reveal their second code.
• In the third task, students must complete fill-in-the-blank sentences using vocabulary words from the play. The vocabulary cards, once assembled correctly, will reveal the third code.
• In the fourth task, students must perform a close reading of Titania’s “Set Your Heart at Rest” speech to Oberon in Act II scene i. Letters of the correct multiple choice question answers reveal the fourth code.
• In the fifth and final task, students must discover the hidden message (a notable quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream) using clues from the first four tasks and answer the final question.

Product Includes:

- Escape Room Basics

- Detailed Day-Of Instructions

- Escape Room Print & Classroom Preparation Checklist

- Student Teams Chart

- Materials for 5 Tasks: task signs to be folded upright, task instructions (2 per page for easy printing), and necessary information to be kept at stations

- Student Answer Booklet

- Teacher Answer Keys

- Escape Room Reflection for homework or in-class writing activity

- Theme Reflection for homework assignment or in-class writing activity

This escape room is an ideal way to end your unit on A Midsummer Night's Dream and a great way to review for the final test.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Save 20% off this resource when you purchase as part of a bundle of all A Midsummer Night's Dream products by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Activity BUNDLE

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Also, check out these great products by Language Arts Excellence to complement your unit on A Midsummer Night's Dream:

⭐ Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint, Scavenger Hunt & Lesson Plan

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Anticipation Activity

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Bell-Ringer Prompts

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream HOT SEAT!

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Social Media Materials

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Puzzles

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay Prompts & Rubric

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Literature Guide

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Celebrate Black History Month with this dynamic lesson on pursuing your dreams in Langston Hughes' provocative poem, Harlem (A Dream Deferred).

This differentiated lesson plan on Hughes' poem is the perfect addition to your poetry unit. In this lesson, students will analyze the figurative language within the poem and respond to its powerful theme through independent work, paired activities, and full class discussion. These meticulously laid-out materials will have your students thinking, speaking, reading, drawing, and writing all in one class period and interacting deeply with one of the most breathtaking works of American poetry.

Product Includes:

- Comprehensive lesson plan with warm-up, explanation, application, synthesis, and differentiated extension activities

- Student packet

- Copy of the poem

- Notes on Langston Hughes

- Drawing Activity

- Open Response Question

- Extension Activity for Forging Original Poetry

This lesson plan is Common Core Aligned.

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Also, check out these great resources for your poetry unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Poetry Unit Anticipation Activity

⭐ "Still I Rise" (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Caged Bird (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Black History Month Poetry {{BUNDLE}}

⭐ Figurative Language Challenge Game

⭐ Sonnet 130 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ Sonnet 18 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

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