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Exploring the Power of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Words through Diamante Poetry - Sharon Webster / NCTE
Grades
9 to 12
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Reading, writing, and thinking come together with history in this beautifully detailed lesson plan that focuses on the power and passion of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"...more
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Reading, writing, and thinking come together with history in this beautifully detailed lesson plan that focuses on the power and passion of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. After reading and interpreting the text, students are asked to create original poetry using words and themes taken from King's speech. All materials, including rubrics, handouts and worksheets (mainly PDF, a captioned audio clip, video clip, related Web resources, and links to NCTE/IRA standards) are included.
tag(s): african american (111), black history (128), civil rights (198), holidays (167), martin luther king (43), poetry (190)
In the Classroom
This lesson plan is ready to go, includes interactive elements, and is even linked to national standards. English class and history class can team up on this lesson and discuss the poetry and history behind King's magical words.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Interactive-Learning.com.au - K.O'Regan
Grades
6 to 12
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Don't let the simple appearance fool you! This site is a smorgasbord of interactive lessons on history, English, and music. Wonderful for the Humanities teacher, it allows teachers...more
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Don't let the simple appearance fool you! This site is a smorgasbord of interactive lessons on history, English, and music. Wonderful for the Humanities teacher, it allows teachers of any of those subjects to pick and choose what best fits their plans. Some examples of topics include archaeology, ancient Rome, South American Empires, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, letter writing, gorgeous grammar, common spelling errors, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, poetry, the theatre, film, composers, and at least twenty other topics. The site declares itself "student self-directed (self-explanatory)." The links are functional, the graphics are attractive, and, while some of the activities are simple and straightforward, many of them take students into analysis and synthesis without them even realizing they are thinking on higher levels and producing work with more depth.
tag(s): australia (27), civil rights (198), grammar (133), listening (73), medieval (31), poetry (190), renaissance (33), spelling (95)
In the Classroom
The world is open on this site. Choose any activity your students are interested in and this site can help you mold it into what you want for your curriculum. Students interested in fantasy? Have them investigate and write from the "Fantasy-Myths and Legends" prompt. Trouble with grammar? Have them print off the worksheets from "Gorgeous Grammar" and play online, interactive, Grammar Gorillas. This site's use is only limited by your imagination! From virtual site studies to student web projects-- it's all here!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Edward Lear - Marco Graziosi
Grades
4 to 12
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Enjoy Nonsense as only Edward Lear, the mid-1800s artist and poet, mastered it. This site highlights his Book of Nonsense and many others of his nonsense limericks and poetry....more
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Enjoy Nonsense as only Edward Lear, the mid-1800s artist and poet, mastered it. This site highlights his Book of Nonsense and many others of his nonsense limericks and poetry. Original covers of his books have been scanned and shown at this site. Your students will appreciate nonsense verse through this near-complete compilation of his works.
tag(s): literature (218), poetry (190)
In the Classroom
If you're a huge fan of nonsense lit, you can learn more by signing up for the free newsletter at this site. Share this "nonsense" on your interactive whiteboard or projector and have students attempt to create their own nonsense limericks collaboratively on the whiteboard (it's harder than you think!). Or use them as writing prompts during a humor unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Drop Me Off in Harlem - Artsedge
Grades
6 to 12
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Presented by the Kennedy Center's Artsedge program, this site is a wonderful kaleidoscope of information about Harlem from 1917 through 1935. It explores the artists of that time, including...more
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Presented by the Kennedy Center's Artsedge program, this site is a wonderful kaleidoscope of information about Harlem from 1917 through 1935. It explores the artists of that time, including writers, artists, actors, dancers, and musicians. Under Faces of the Harlem Renaissance there are categories for musicians, writers, actors, activists of the time such as W.E.B. DuBois and Charles Johnson, and more.
One of the nice things about this site is the easy access to the section they call "Classroom Activities." Scroll down to the bottom of any page to find it. Here they provide activities for grades 6-8 and 9-12 that are specific to grade level as well as links to lesson plans if you choose to use those. Under A Place Called Harlem, you will find the Media Player which still requires Flash, however there is so much information on this site that the media player will hardly be missed.
One of the nice things about this site is the easy access to the section they call "Classroom Activities." Scroll down to the bottom of any page to find it. Here they provide activities for grades 6-8 and 9-12 that are specific to grade level as well as links to lesson plans if you choose to use those. Under A Place Called Harlem, you will find the Media Player which still requires Flash, however there is so much information on this site that the media player will hardly be missed.
tag(s): 1910s (7), 1920s (15), 1930s (20), dance (26), harlem (8)
In the Classroom
Because of the sheer variety of links offered, this is an ideal lesson to spread among a class. As a culminating activity have a "Harlem Day" where students present their information. They might dress and speak as the person they studied; they might present music, poetry, or art from that time, or even create a Harlem "nightclub" to share their information.Why not extend student learning and have them create video clips using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to share on your interactive whiteboard or projector via TeacherTube, reviewed here. Other project ideas could be a blog using Edublogs, reviewed here, written from the perspective of someone living in Harlem during the great depression, or a wiki written between one of the famous artists and the president at the time (Herbert Hoover, for example). A good wiki tool to use is PBWorks, reviewed here.
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It's Fun to Read - Starfall Education
Grades
K to 1
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It's Fun to Read provides simple reading activities for beginning readers such as read-along, labeling, poetry, and tongue twisters. The activities provide opportunities for students...more
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It's Fun to Read provides simple reading activities for beginning readers such as read-along, labeling, poetry, and tongue twisters. The activities provide opportunities for students to learn color words, number words, descriptive vocabulary, and spelling rules. All About Me! is a great activity for labeling rooms in a house, creating their own self image and talking about their favorite toys and pets. There is also an Art Gallery, Music, Bird Riddles, and more. This site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
In the Classroom
Display the site on an interactive white board to introduce word wall vocabulary, such as number and color words, to beginning readers. As the students see the words appear on the web site, have them place the word card on the class word wall.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A Timeline of Poetry In English - RPO Eds., U Toronto Eng. Dept & Press
Grades
8 to 12
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to...more
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This is a very simple site with a wealth of information presented in a straightforward manner. It divides-- by years-- the traditional progression of English from Early to Middle to Early Modern to Present Day. Within Early Modern and Present Day English it also divides into categories within the genre. Present Day begins with the Romantics and continues through Post-modernism. Throughout the timeline there are links to representative poems included in the RPO database. Most of the poets have biographical information included with their poetry (family information, languages, education, religion, and more).
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Many of the poets mentioned along the timeline will be unfamiliar to students. Students might choose a poet and create a "life" for him/her within the culture and society in which he lived and present the poet with one of his works to the class. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own interactive timelines about the poet they research using a site such as Sutori, reviewed here, that can include images, text, and collaboration.Another project might be to have groups of students choose poems from each time period within present day English and compare the poems based upon the society of the time in which they were written, incorporating humanities and historical analysis. Use the biographical information provided with some of the poets to engage your students in the life and times of the poet. Have students complete research projects about one of the poets highlighted at this website or create a fictitious blog of his/her life. Challenge students to create their own original poetry in similar form to the poet they have researched.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry Everywhere Collection - WGBH Foundation
Grades
7 to 12
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This is an amazing site with 12 notable poems that include a Quicktime video of the poem reading- either by the poet or an animated enactment (i.e. Emily Dickinson). Each ...more
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This is an amazing site with 12 notable poems that include a Quicktime video of the poem reading- either by the poet or an animated enactment (i.e. Emily Dickinson). Each of the lessons includes a broad spectrum of activities, lesson plans, and PDF worksheets. While you do have to register to fully access the material, it is free. Registration does require an email address (for teacher domains only: lesson plans, activities, etc..), so students do not need to register to view the videos.
tag(s): poetry (190)
In the Classroom
If you are looking for something worthwhile as a quarter ending or are deeply involved in poetry, this site is great. Billy Collins reading "The Lanyard" is tough not to love and you can choose any of the included features to use or not. Because the site uses Quicktime, you have the option of replaying the video or pausing for discussion where you choose. Share the video on your interactive whiteboard or projector. This is wonderful as a class discussion. Another use for this site is to assign different poems to small groups of students and have them explicate them and then present them to the class. You could even shock the world of traditional English class or school video news announcements with a video "poetry break" during Poetry Month (April). Why not video the presentations and share them using a site such as Teachers.TV reviewed here.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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AstroViewer - Dirk Matussek
Grades
3 to 12
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AstroViewer is an interactive night sky map that allows you to pinpoint constellations and planets. The online interactive sky map is free. You can also download the trial version of...more
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AstroViewer is an interactive night sky map that allows you to pinpoint constellations and planets. The online interactive sky map is free. You can also download the trial version of the sky map for free or purchase the license key to unlock a full download. The free online sky map uses controls for time of night, month, or year, or position on the globe to easily find objects in the night sky. A 3-dimensional view of the night sky provides details even for beginners of Astronomy to find stars, constellations, and planets. View constellations see from other parts of the globe. Forecast constellations that will be seen months from now or those from past months. The frequently asked questions answer the most common questions when using sky maps or looking at celestial objects. Download a PDF manual for using AstroViewer. Other functions available include a mini-night sky button or night sky view that can be added to your existing class website. The site requires Java.
tag(s): planets (112), solar system (109), stars (68)
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projection screen to share this interactive "sky map" with your class. Identify the changes in constellation location through the months of the year. Track motions of planets across the sky as well as the differences between Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Use these in a presentation about the mythology or significance behind constellation names. Or turn down the lights and use the "night sky" as a writing prompt during a poetry unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeenInk Online Magazine - The 21st Century and the Young Authors Foundation
Grades
5 to 12
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This print magazine for teens also has a free, online version. While not all the content from the print magazine is found online, you will find a wealth of cool ...more
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This print magazine for teens also has a free, online version. While not all the content from the print magazine is found online, you will find a wealth of cool teen stuff there. Written solely by teens, the site includes edgy stories, poetry, opinion pieces, photography, extensive author and celebrity interviews, and call-outs for stories and contests. You need not "join" or "subscribe (at a cost) to read and use the site.
tag(s): photography (118), poetry (190), writing (317)
In the Classroom
English teachers, create your own TeenInk publication in your classroom. Work with your school's technology teacher to have students set up an online publication like the one at this site--perhaps on a wiki. Don't dare call it a literary magazine these days. Use TeenInk as a prototype of an edgy, creative outlet for your students. Put Shakespeare on the shelf for a few weeks and consider using the TeenInk site's content to show story elements and literary devices. If school policies prohibit publishing content online, make the wiki private and share the password with invited guests. Learn more about wikis at the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading A to Z - learninga-z.com
Grades
K to 6
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This site has downloadable, leveled reading books for sale, but there are plenty of free stories with illustrations. Along with the stories are worksheets to test reading comprehension,...more
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This site has downloadable, leveled reading books for sale, but there are plenty of free stories with illustrations. Along with the stories are worksheets to test reading comprehension, focus on grammar from the stories, and review what took place in the story. The stories are organized by reading level, from A to Z. New free offerings appear frequently. Schools can apply for a free trial to check out the full offerings. Some stories are available in Spanish. The site offers other genres for free download including poetry, comics, pocket books, alphabet books, and wordless books. Phonics books complete the offerings.
Caution: although you are able to use many of these items for free, most downloads ask that you input your email address. You can bypass this by clicking submit without inputting your email address.
Caution: although you are able to use many of these items for free, most downloads ask that you input your email address. You can bypass this by clicking submit without inputting your email address.
tag(s): reading comprehension (142), worksheets (70)
In the Classroom
The books can be projected on an interactive whiteboard for students to highlight new vocabulary, signal words, etc. with their fingers then read independently. You may want to create a guided reacing activity using Read Ahead, reviewed here. Tell your students' parents about this site to encourage them to read or download and print more stories for their children. Include the link in your class newsletter or on your website. Beginning readers, ELL, and ENL students will enjoy the wordless books whose stories they can tell themselves or tell in their own languages. Students may want to make up their own wordless picture books after seeing some of these examples.
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The Pledge of Allegiance - Hubbard's Cupboard
Grades
K to 0
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The Pledge of Allegiance is a five-day lesson guide to introduce the Pledge of Allegiance to kindergarteners. The guide suggests great literature, poetry, cross curricular activities,...more
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The Pledge of Allegiance is a five-day lesson guide to introduce the Pledge of Allegiance to kindergarteners. The guide suggests great literature, poetry, cross curricular activities, and extensions. Follow the day-to-day plan for teaching the history and verbiage of The Pledge of Allegiance.
In the Classroom
Use this guide during the first week of school. Provide a slide show of snapshots of the flag being flown in various locations around our country using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Record your class saying the Pledge as the audio portion of the slides.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Loud Lit - Loudlit.org
Grades
1 to 12
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Loud Lit offers "literature for your ears and eyes" (although the site's visual appearance is quite plain!). This collaborative project with public domain offers recorded literature....more
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Loud Lit offers "literature for your ears and eyes" (although the site's visual appearance is quite plain!). This collaborative project with public domain offers recorded literature. You are given the options of listening to the literature, listening and reading the literature, or downloading the literature to an MP3 player. The number of items available for public use is constantly increasing. The current contents include novels, poetry, classic children's literature, a few historical items, and classic short stories. Some examples of the available literature includes A Tale of Two Cities, The Little Match Girl, The Gift of the Magi, The Declaration of Independence, The Gettysburg Address, and countless others. A separate column lets you know about newly recorded items.
tag(s): audio books (23), declaration of independence (15), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (11), literature (218), poetry (190)
In the Classroom
This site is helpful for many subjects and grade levels. Have students use this website when they have to memorize poetry, the Gettysburg Address, or the Declaration of Independence. ESL and ELL students and many learning support students will benefit from the option of "reading" in multi-media format. Use the audio stories with younger students for listening skills. During a poetry unit, why not have students choose one of the poems to read and listen to? Have the students analyze and write in their journal about what they think the poem means. Replace paper journals by using a blog tool like edublogs, reviewed here. Then have the students share the original poem and their own opinions with the class, making this activity a listening, reading, writing, and speaking lesson. If you are into podcasting, enhance learning by encouraging students to create some of their own poetry readings with commentary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Circus Theme Unit - abcteach
Grades
K to 3
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This website provides numerous activities (mainly printable pages) all about the circus. Subject areas include math, language arts, writing, poetry, and other areas. Some of the pages...more
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This website provides numerous activities (mainly printable pages) all about the circus. Subject areas include math, language arts, writing, poetry, and other areas. Some of the pages include coloring pages, literature themes, alliteration, word searches, writing prompts, and more. Be aware, although most of this website is free - a few of the printable pages require a membership.
tag(s): counting (60), handwriting (16), poetry (190), writing (317)
In the Classroom
Use these free pages to help your students learn writing, counting, and other skills while enjoying the "circus" theme.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fridge Magnet Poetry Board - Nitric Interactive
Grades
3 to 8
2 Favorites
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Introducing fridge magnets on the web! This interesting site could provide great creative writing entertainment and engaging grammar for students. The site provides a variety of words,...more
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Introducing fridge magnets on the web! This interesting site could provide great creative writing entertainment and engaging grammar for students. The site provides a variety of words, on magnet-looking pieces, that the students can manipulate to create their own stories or poems. Younger students may need assistance with some of the more difficult vocabulary words. The actual "magnets" appear in a new window and require Java. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..
tag(s): writing (317)
In the Classroom
This site would be great on individual classroom computers or a cluster or as a whole class grammar or figures of speech lesson on interactive whiteboard. Another idea: Have students create a story related to a current classroom topic or skill. Have students submit their creations to share on the site by submitting a screen "dump" (also known as a screen shot). Use the PrtSc key to "copy" your screen and PASTE it into a document for submission. We recommend making the submission anonymous or using the class as the name.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Online Picasso Project - Prof. Dr. Enrique Mallen
Grades
2 to 12
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Explore everything you ever wanted to see and read about Picasso using this fabulous online collection. See a biographical timeline with images of the artworks intermingled, explore...more
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Explore everything you ever wanted to see and read about Picasso using this fabulous online collection. See a biographical timeline with images of the artworks intermingled, explore the works up close using an "explore" tool, and compare works side by side by using the checkboxes and "compare" button. Whether you are trying to inspire an art project with some visuals before turning students loose with their own materials or are teaching a lesson in art criticism, this site is a treasury. A few of the resources open a little slowly simply because of the large volume of information that is loading. The tool seems to work best when you go in through "biography."
tag(s): picasso (4)
In the Classroom
Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or large screen in your art class. Use the whiteboard tools to draw and highlight aspects of the works. If you assign students to do research on featured artists, this site is a MUST. Literature teachers approaching works of the early 20th century may also want to compare Picasso's revolutionary approaches to some of the changes in poetry at the same time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BBC-GCSE Bitesize English - The BBC
Grades
8 to 12
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This great, interactive site was actually developed to assist students in the UK prepare for exams in that country. However, it is a fantastic site for any teacher anywhere who ...more
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This great, interactive site was actually developed to assist students in the UK prepare for exams in that country. However, it is a fantastic site for any teacher anywhere who teaches writing. It addresses writing to persuade, inform, advise, or explain. It offers a variety of methods usuable by students independently or in a class. It offers interactive tests, mock exams, and audio recordings on each topic -- available as mp3, RealAudio, or downloadable pdf acripts. A wonderful addition is a set of audio recordings of poetry critiques (good models for poetry podcasts your students could create). One language note: to "revise" material in the UK is the same as to "review" it in the U.S. One "revises" before a test.
tag(s): poetry (190), process writing (38), writing (317)
In the Classroom
This is a gold mine to delve into again and again for both students and teachers. It offers simple techniques for remembering what's important such as GAP (genre, audience, purpose) and allows individuality for student needs. One idea might be to assign a different genre of essay (inform, describe, explain, advise, etc.) to different students in the same class. Using the tools on the site to improve their writing, students could then share their finished products with the rest of the class, explaining their methods and revision techniques. ESL students and poor reasders will benefit from the audio recordings. Be sure to make this site available from your teacher web pages as a reference, as well.
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Women in Poetry - Carolyn Kohli/The Academy of American Poets
Grades
9 to 12
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This unit (an extensive set of lesson plans) uses both critical writing and the Internet to explore women in poetry. It helps to make students familiar with the work of ...more
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This unit (an extensive set of lesson plans) uses both critical writing and the Internet to explore women in poetry. It helps to make students familiar with the work of women poets and confident in understanding poetry. Students get practice reading poems critically, learn technical poetry vocabulary, do research on the web, write responses, and more. Examples of themes explored in the unit include "Entering the Darkness Out of Childhood," "Voices of the Mothers," and "The Body Electric." The culminating project is creating a webpage. The lesson plans are very detailed, so that even teachers reluctant about teaching poetry will engage their students with this literary form.
In the Classroom
Choose the lesson options that best meet your needs and time limits or simply use the research and project portions. Although the site suggests making a web page on your school server, a wiki would be an easy place to create the culminating projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetryfoundation.org - Poetry Foundation
Grades
3 to 12
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0 Comments
If poetry is your interest, this is the site for you. This is a vast site that takes some mining to find what you want simply because there is so ...more
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If poetry is your interest, this is the site for you. This is a vast site that takes some mining to find what you want simply because there is so much of it. From a poetry search to poetry news, blogs, and podcasts, there is something here for any poetry lover. A smorgasbord of rhyme, about rhyme, and for rhyme, take a look for poem wealth. The Jack Prelutsky audio was especially interesting: hearing the poet reading his own poetry is something special. For older students, podcasts will hold a lot of appeal and can generate great class discussion.
In the Classroom
A caution: the site does contain links to poems that some schools or grade levels may find inappropriate (lesbian poetry, for example). However, the audio portions are excellent so sticking to what is geared specifically for your interests is easy and totally safe. Remember to connect speakers or headphones. Why not try making a poetry podcast with your class after you hear these?
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Listening to Poetry: Sounds of the Sonnet - National Endowment for the Humanities
Grades
8 to 12
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If you want to make your students love the SOUND of poetry, this is the site for you. While knowing the terms for rhythms, meters, etc. is important to teachers ...more
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If you want to make your students love the SOUND of poetry, this is the site for you. While knowing the terms for rhythms, meters, etc. is important to teachers and for testing, it seems more important for students to understand the sound that comes from language and appreciate it. The terms can always come later and will be connected to a meaningful experience students can recall. This site provides seven sound experiments to whet your students' appetites for poetry. The site provides step-by-step instructions on the seven "experiments" used to involved students in the music of language. It also provides multiple links to different eras from the early Elizabethan sonnets to the Romantics through Victorian and American poets.
In the Classroom
Conduct these lessons in their "traditional" ways or consider letting students make a podcast of one or more of the experiments so their peers can "hear" the lesson over and over with explanation and commentary from their peers. These podcasts could be the start of a library to accompany the teaching of poetry in your school. If you have never tried podcasting, the relatively simple structure of these "experiments" gives you a structured place to start.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Panoramas.dk
Grades
K to 12
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Have a high speed Internet connection? (Most schools do) Then you MUST visit these 3D virtual tours of beautiful sites all over the world with your students. Read the Welcome ...more
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Have a high speed Internet connection? (Most schools do) Then you MUST visit these 3D virtual tours of beautiful sites all over the world with your students. Read the Welcome message on the home page for directions and details, then explore the current features and several years of archives for 3D virtual tours from major world capitals to true "experiences" such as Times Square and white water rafting. Even the tour of a Banyan tree will amaze you. Bring the world into your classroom for geography, landforms, world cultures, foreign language study, or literary settings. Be in the midst of festivals or atop the Sydney Bridge.
tag(s): images (256), landforms (37), virtual field trips (80)
In the Classroom
Use a projector--or better yet, an interactive whiteboard--to take students atop the Eiffel Tower, to the high Sierras, or aboard a Mars explorer. Allow student to navigate on the whiteboard. Nte that Shift and Ctrl keys alow you to zoom, as well. Be sure to click at the top of the 3D view to Read More about the image. These tours will make landforms real, culture come alive, and science a visual art form. As you introduce terms and place, use images! You could even use a tour as a writing prompt for poetry or descriptive writing. Include the link on your teacher web page for students to "tour the world" outside of class or feature one location a week to broaden class horizons on a classroom desktop.Comments
What a GREAT idea! Thank you. I found one with mountain biking and vistas. I'll put it up early in the period and come back to it in the end and have them write their exit cards about it. Then I will revisit it in a week or two when we start talking about metaphorical language.Shirley, CA, Grades: 6 - 12
I plan to use this as a way to start the school year with my sixth grade G/T kids. I will display a panorama on an interactive whiteboard-- one of mountains with peaks and valleys. I will ask, "Why would I show you this and say that this is our classroom this year?" The students will write down an idea on a slip of paper, guessing why I might use this as an introduction to my class. They will most likely introduce all of the classroom conduct and learning environment issues that I want to touch upon that first day: peaks and valleys during the year, some rugged terrain, studying mountains and geography, some amazing views (everyone's opinions), and more. It will also get them thinking in analogies and allow me to see how quickly some of them do this and how literal others are.Thinking, PA, Grades: 5 - 10
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