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HIGH SCHOOL POETRY UNIT | 3 Weeks of Lesson Plans | 60+ Poems in 12 Packets!
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
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.
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
BUNDLE: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Resources
By The Red-Haired Reader
This product bundles all of my Roll of Thunder products together at a discount! You'll have 5 reading check quizzes, individual chapter activities, a Socratic Seminar, and even a movie viewing guide!
CKLA Unit 3 Resources - 4th Grade | ELA | Science of Reading
By Fortunate in Fifth Grade
CKLA follows the Science of Reading. Many schools are moving to the Science of Reading and adopting curricula like CKLA however not purchasing printable resources. I have found myself in the same spot. As I work through this curriculum I am making resources to help other teachers navigate CKLA and what they need in their classrooms to be successful. Make sure to follow me to get notified when I add additional units.
What's included: 79 posters and handouts needed in Unit 3 in color and black and white versions. Notes on how to use each resource on the margin of each slide.
SAVE and get the BUNDLE!! Includes the resources and the focus board.
Looking for other Unit Resources? Grab Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, and Unit 8.
Also, I have focus boards for Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, and Unit 8.
Or SAVE BIG and grab the MEGA BUNDLE which includes ALL unit resources and ALL focus boards!
Also, follow me and be notified when new products are uploaded.
Blog
CKLA Unit 3 Resources - 5th Grade | ELA | Science of Reading
By Fortunate in Fifth Grade
CKLA follows the Science of Reading. Many schools are moving to the Science of Reading and adopting curricula like CKLA however not purchasing printable resources. I have found myself in the same spot. As I work through this curriculum I am making resources to help other teachers navigate CKLA and what they need in their classrooms to be successful. Make sure to follow me to get notified when I add additional units.
What's included: 71 posters and handouts needed in Unit 3 in color and black and white versions. Notes on how to use each resource on the margin of each slide.
SAVE and get the BUNDLE which also includes the focus board.
Need the timeline that is introduced in Unit 2 and is used throughout other units? I have created one HERE for a great visual for students!
Looking for other Unit Resources? Grab Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8 and Unit 9.
Also, I have focus boards for Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8 and Unit 9.
Also, follow me and be notified when new products are uploaded.
Blog
Black History Month Biographical Reading Passages & Research- Growing Bundle!
By Veronica Reyes
Are you looking for a way to ⭐️TEACH and INSPIRE⭐️ for Black History Month?
These are your curated gateway to the vibrant world of Black Changemakers and their profound contributions to the world. Perfect for a project for Black History Month! Designed especially for elementary school students, this kid-friendly research newsletter brings you fun and informative snapshots, engaging stories, and interesting facts about Black and African American changemakers and their creative brilliance. All newsletters are biographical.
This is a reading passage newsletter GROWING BUNDLE with-
- Misty Copeland
- Ruby Bridges
- Louis Armstrong
- Maya Angelou
- Jacob Lawrence
- Serena Williams
- Jackie Robinson
- Jesse Owens
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Barack Obama
- Wangari Maathai
- Harriet Tubman
- Pelé
- Roberto Clemente
...and many more to come
Black Artist Reading Passages + Research Report Template + Black History Month
By Veronica Reyes
GROWING BUNDLE- As we grow- you get more!!! Close Reading Articles with biographical information.
This is a reading research newsletter bundle with-
- Misty Copeland
- Ruby Bridges
- Louis Armstrong
- Maya Angelou
- Jacob Lawrence
- Billie Holiday
All newsletters are biographical.
These are your curated gateway to the vibrant world of Black artists and their profound contributions to the arts. Designed especially for elementary school students, this kid-friendly research newsletter brings you fun and informative snapshots, engaging stories, and interesting facts about Black and African American artists and their creative brilliance.
Key Features:
Research Templates
Product Description:
Are you a teacher looking for an engaging way to develop your students' research and presentation skills? Look no further! Our "Blank Research Report Template for Biographies" is the perfect tool to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and research skills in your classroom.
Two blank templates-
-One that is pre-filled with some of black artists' picture and name
-One that is blank and requires the student to write his name and draw thier portrait (can be used for any person)
Key Features:
How It Works:
Students can use this as a jumping off point for a research project or for Black History Month.