8th Grade Poetry Lesson

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 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

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 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

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

This resource is a digital resource to be used in conjunction with Google Drive.

This resource is 100% editable and is on Google Slides

Dive into the poetry of Phillis Wheatley, America's first African American woman to publish a book of poetry. This comprehensive digital resource offers students an opportunity to analyze three of her most significant poems, helping them to appreciate her literary genius and historical impact.

What's Included:

• Introduction to Phillis Wheatley
• Poems: "On Being Brought from Africa to America", "To His Excellency George Washington and "On the death of Mr Snider Murder’d by Richardson"
• Slide for creation of students' own poem
• Interactive slides: student will write their answers directly on the slides (another option is to project the slides and have them answer the prompts in their notebooks or on separate paper)

Benefits:

• Easy to Use: Ready-to-go slides that can be easily integrated into your lesson plan.
• Interactive: Engages students with creative exercises and visual learning aids.

This resource is for personal use in one classroom only. Please do not distribute

to others or post publically online (within your Google Classroom, etc. is

permitted). If a friend or colleague would enjoy this resource, you may

purchase additional licenses at a discounted price. The information ,activities

and images included are copyrighted. You may not reuse or sell any part of

this resource as your own. 

Please provide your feedback and receive TeachShare credits towards you next purchase.

To view more of my products, visit my store at Nemo's Nook.

Unlock the power of poetry in your classroom with this comprehensive SIFT Poetry Analysis Worksheet! This resource is designed to guide students through analyzing poems using the SIFT method—Symbols, Imagery, Figurative Language, and Tone and Theme. Perfect for middle and high school students, this worksheet encourages critical thinking and deep literary analysis.

What’s Included:

• Easy-to-follow SIFT analysis guide
• Scaffolded questions to support all learners
• Space for annotations and reflection
• Engaging design to enhance student engagement

Why You’ll Love It:

• Great for individual, group, or class-wide analysis
• Can be used with any poem
• Supports critical thinking and literary comprehension
• No-prep and ready to print!

This resource features a full-length lesson plan and accompanying materials for a song/poem pairing of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe and the popular song, "Sad Beautiful Tragic" by Taylor Swift. Lesson plan is Common Core aligned and centers around rhyme scheme, repetition, figurative language, and theme. This student-tested activity is the perfect addition for your Edgar Allan Poe unit and is guaranteed to show your students the timelessness of Poe's poetry in an engaging and contemporary way.

Product Includes:

• Meticulously-crafted lesson plan with objectives, materials, warm-up, explanation, application, synthesis, homework, and differentiated extension activities
• Full text of poem (song cannot be included due to copyright restrictions)
• Teacher's key for song/poem analysis
• Comprehension questions

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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 Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Brochure

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe's Obituary

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Quote Posters

⭐ Edgar Allan Poe Resource Bundle

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This resource features the most fun your students will have with figurative language all year!

I created this Figurative Language Challenge activity and lesson plan several years ago for my middle school students as they were studying Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem of a man spiraling into madness, "The Raven." Little did I know that it would become the most requested game among my students of all time. This resource includes a meticulously-detailed lesson plan using warm-up, explanation, application, and synthesis, and a one-of-a-kind game that will get your students excited about identifying the copious amount of figurative language that pervades the poem. This is the perfect lesson plan for a Friday, on Halloween, or any time you need to amp up the energy in your classroom without sacrificing learning... and of course, it is Common Core aligned!

Product Includes:

• Full-length lesson plan
• Figurative Language Review Sheet
• 8 Figurative Language Signs to hang in room
• Teacher's Answer Key

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Also, check out these great products by Language Arts Excellence to supplement your unit on The Raven:

⭐ The Raven ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

⭐ The Raven Socratic Seminar Lesson & Materials

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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⭐

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⭐

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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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This product features a fun and engaging pre-reading activity for A Midsummer Night's Dream called "Tossing Lines." Give your students a chance to become familiar with the lines before they even begin reading the play. This is a prediction activity that encourages critical thinking and actually gets students excited to start reading Shakespeare! Over the years, this non-intimidating approach to Shakespeare has been the most often requested anticipatory activity that I do with my students.

Product Includes:

- Comprehensive Lesson Plan

- 24 Unique "Tossing Lines" cards tailored to A Midsummer Night's Dream

I hope you enjoy this activity as much as I do with my students!

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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:

⭐ Shakespeare ESCAPE ROOM

⭐Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint

⭐Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt

⭐Elizabethan England Differentiated Mini Unit – Common Core Aligned

⭐A Midsummer Night's Dream Literature Guide

⭐A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay Prompts

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Puzzles

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Do-Now Journal Prompts

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

⭐A Midsummer Night's Dream Anticipation Activity

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⭐ Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This resources features the first task of our popular Poetry ESCAPE ROOM. Check out this freebie to get a feel for how our escape rooms operate!

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 the first task of our Poetry ESCAPE ROOM in order to get a feel for what our escape rooms are like. The activity involves creative thinking, logic, and collaboration. 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. This resource features task 1 of the escape room:

• Match 'Em Up: In this 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 code.

Product Includes:

• Task Sign
• Task Instructions
• Match 'Em Up Worksheet
• Answer Key

This task is suitable for middle and high school students and is ideal any time during your poetry unit.

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Get the full escape room here: Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

More poetry escape rooms by Language Arts Excellence

⭐ Digital Poetry Escape Room

⭐ Back to School Poetry Escape Room

⭐ Halloween Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Thanksgiving Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Christmas Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Poetry Escape Room Bundle

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This resource features all the materials you need to conduct a thoughtful and engaging "HOT SEAT" for A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. The hot seat is set up essentially like a talk show, however in order to allow for full class participation, there are multiple interviewers and multiple character guests. Through role play, this lesson tests your students' understanding of the play and allows them to showcase their knowledge of the characters and the relationships between them. Your students will be having so much fun that they will not even realize the high-order thinking skills they are applying.

Product Includes:

- Meticulously Explained 2-Day Lesson Plan

- Character Instructions

- Interviewer Instructions

- Sample Chart

- 8 Character Signs

- 3 Fire Signs

- Student Example

This is the perfect activity for when a school vacation is coming up and you’re scrounging for lesson ideas. I always like to use it prior to a break; while so many other classes are watching movies, you have a practically hands-free lesson that your students (and administration) will love!

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

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ 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 Essay Prompts & Rubric

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Literature Guide

⭐ A Midsummer Night's Dream Puzzles

⭐ Shakespeare ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint

⭐ Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This resource features a set of 25 reader response journal prompts for use during your unit on Shakespeare. Each bell ringer is comprised of a Shakespearean quote from one of his plays or sonnets and a thoughtfully crafted question that encourages students to personally connect and appreciate the timelessness of his work. 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!), summarizers, 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:

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players… and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages” ~ As You Like It

What types of roles do you play in your own life? How do these roles differ and to what audience(s) are they played? Why do we find ourselves playing different roles for different people within our lives?

Enjoy using these bell ringers during your study of any Shakespearean play or any time throughout the year when you just need to hear a few wise words from the Bard!

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

⭐ Shakespeare Digital Bell Ringer Journal Prompts

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

⭐ Shakespeare Resource Bundle

Also, check out these great products to add to your Shakespeare unit by Language Arts Excellence:

⭐ Shakespeare ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt

⭐ Introduction to Shakespeare Powerpoint

⭐ Shakespeare Crossword Puzzle

⭐ Shakespeare's "Death Lines" Activity

⭐ Shakespeare Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

⭐ William Shakespeare Quote Posters

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Socratic Seminar Materials for Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven

A Socratic Seminar (or a "Fish Bowl" Conversation as I like to call them with my students) is a higher order way of assessing whether your students are able to understand and react to your class texts. These seminars rely on the power of inquiry and allow students to take the lead in their learning and discussion. The only problem? They require a great deal of preparation. Fortunately, this student-tested resource was created to include everything you need to conduct a structured and formal set of Socratic Seminars in your classroom surrounding The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe... with very little preparation required on your end.

This product includes:

• Assignment Directions with step-by-step instructions on how to conduct fishbowls in your classroom

• Fun Introductory Lesson Plan on Academic Conversations

• 5 Discussion Questions for each “Fish Bowl”

• “Fish Bowl” Preparation Sheet

• Conversation Builder Prompts

• Observation Sheet

• Rubric

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Also, check out these great products by Language Arts Excellence to supplement your unit on The Raven:

⭐ The Raven ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ The Raven Figurative Language Challenge

⭐ The Raven Literature Guide

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

Now with digital worksheet to support distance learning!

This product features an engaging "Poetry Talk" activity that will have your students thinking, writing, speaking, and moving on the first day of your poetry unit. In this activity, they must choose between 6 different quotes about poetry from famous authors like T. S. Eliot and Carl Sandburg and articulate why the quote aligns with their perspective on poetry. This is a great way for students to think independently about poetry, share their ideas with others, and to give you a sense of where your students stand on the subject of poetry! We have also recently added a digital version of the History Talk worksheet to support distance learning and cut down on paper.

Product includes:

• Comprehensive Lesson Plan
• "Poetry Talk" Sheet for students to fill out
• 6 Corresponding "Poetry Quote" signs to hang up around your room
• Digital Worksheet to support distance learning for use with Google Drive - newly added!
• Detailed instructions for accessing digital resource

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

⭐ Poetry ESCAPE ROOM

⭐ Still I Rise (Angelou) Lesson Plan & Materials

⭐ Caged Bird (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