8th Grade Poetry Resources

This comprehensive set offers 20 individual assignments, each providing an engaging introduction to the life, style, achievements, and legacy of a renowned poet. Written at a 7th-grade level for ESOL students, the content is clear, approachable, and adaptable, making it suitable for a wide range of learners across different grade levels or with varying reading abilities.

Each assignment includes four thoughtful questions designed to encourage students to think critically about the poet’s work and lasting impact. Whether used in an ESOL classroom or for general education, these assignments support the development of reading and comprehension skills while fostering a deeper appreciation for poetry. Perfect for building a love of literature in your students!

Looking for a thought-provoking, creative activity to pair with your Wonder novel study? This acrostic poem and "Design Your Own Choose Kindness Shirt" art activity are just what you need to inspire your students while reinforcing themes of kindness, empathy, and self-expression!

Recommended for grades 5-8.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

✨ Acrostic Poem Template: Students use their names to craft thoughtful poems inspired by the story and its powerful message. It’s perfect for encouraging critical thinking and creativity.

✨ Kindness T-Shirt Design Activity: Have your students imagine they’re creating their own “kindness campaign” by designing a T-shirt with a positive message or a powerful quote from the book. This hands-on activity promotes individuality, self-expression, and classroom collaboration.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT FOR YOUR CLASSROOM OR HOMESCHOOL:

✔️ No Prep, Easy to Use – Just print and go!

✔️ Aligned with SEL Themes – Focus on empathy, respect, and inclusivity.

✔️ Fun and Flexible – Use as a quick activity, a station in your classroom, or as part of a larger unit on Wonder.

✨ BONUS: These activities also make a great bulletin board display to celebrate your students’ creativity and showcase the lessons learned from Wonder.

Love this freebie? Take your Wonder novel study to the next level!

Check out my comprehensive Wonder Novel Study with over 100 pages of engaging activities that dive deeper into character analysis, themes, literary devices, and much more. It’s packed with tools to inspire rich discussions and critical thinking—all aligned to standards and designed for grades 5-8.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This is a digital download. You will not receive anything in the mail.

Please use a computer to download and not your phone.

Ring in the new year with this NO PREP acrostic poem goal writing activity! Students can choose their favorite words and write their own acrostic poem on the printable template while spelling out the words HAPPY NEW YEAR. Enjoy as morning work, center activity, brain break, or for your New Year's Party!

Find this and more:

New Year's Bundle

Directions:

• Print the template in color or black and white
• students write a word or phrase to describe what they hope the new year will bring for them or what goals they have for the new year
• In an acrostic poem, each line starts with a capital letter that spells out the poem's theme vertically
• Acrostic poems don't need to rhyme, but all the other poetic devices like alliteration, similes, and rhythm are often used to create an effect on the reader

What's included?

• 1 "Happy New Year" acrostic poem template in Color
• 1 "Happy New Year" acrostic poem template in Black and White

New Year's Resources

Writing Resources

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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10 colorful, themed Valentine's Day stationary sheets with lines and addressings. Also, 10 black and white images to write and color. Students can write to family members and friends to express their emotions and gratitudes. Easy to use--just xerox and let students choose their favorites. Fun to give and get!

Have your students practice writing Haikus about some of their favorite jobs. They can choose a job or pick from a list of jobs. They then get to brainstorm and create their own Haikus about the job. A fun way to incorporate poetry and Haikus.

I hope that you enjoy this product. If you did love it, please leave a review. Also visit my store at Finding The Fish.

This is a fun and easy activity for your classroom. Students will write two holiday Haikus. They can write about Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Winter, December, etc. The instructions tell them how to correctly write their own Haiku and then there are two examples. Students then will write 2 of their own Haikus.

If you enjoyed this product, please leave a review and follow my store. If you would like to see more products by me follow the link Finding the Fish. Thank you for your purchase and I hope you enjoy!

This is a fun, creative writing assignment you could give to your students during the month of October. Students will get to choose their own Halloween topic and then follow the instructions to write their own Cinquain.

If you enjoyed this product, please leave a review and follow my store. If you would like to see more products by me follow the link Finding the Fish. Thank you for your purchase and I hope you enjoy!

What is IRONY? Is a digital Powerpoint presentation which provides an an overview of the meaning and usage of Irony. This is meant to be an introductory lesson to the basics of this Literary Device.

This product is meant to be used in conjunction with one of our many short stories lessons

Nothing like catching two curriculum areas in one. This assignment will help you meet expectations in both music and language. Students are asked to analyze poetry and lyrics, both those used in class and those of their own choosing. The assignment has students looking at: * vocabulary used * structure * techniques * important words * feelings Students are also asked to consider how the poem/music is meant to be performed. They are also asked to consider the background of the poet/musician.

Do you need examples of oxymorons for your students? Do you struggle to find lists to share with your students? Do you want to support your students in learning figurative language? Then download this Oxymoron Figurative Language Reference Handout FULLY EDITABLE! This editable list of over 40 oxymorons with definitions can be used as a handout or for your own worksheets. Perfect to put in a writing binder or at writing centers for students to have easy access. No more searching the internet to find the right examples. It's all right here!

Included in this resource:

• 40+ Oxymorons with definitions

✈️ Click here to follow A World to Explore Store and be the first to know about brand-new games and activities!

❤ Other Resources You'll LOVE:

• Editable list of Oxymoron Onomatopoeia & Alliteration
• Editable List of Idioms, Similes, & Metaphors
• Figurative Language EDITABLE Lists Similes, Idioms, Oxymoron, Alliteration

Grammar & Figurative Language

Homophones Choice Board 

SIMILES Choice Board, Student Checklist, Rubric, 48 Similes w/ definitions

METAPHORS Choice Board, Checklist, Rubric, Metaphors w definition

Digital Grammar Practice - ALL ABOUT ANIMALS - Walruses

Digital Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Practice - ALL ABOUT ANIMALS - Gorillas

Grammar:

VIRTUAL Grammar Scategories - Making Grammar FUN! by A World to Explore Store

BUNDLE Grammar Games! Parts of Speech Scategories 2 KaBOOM Irregular Verbs

KaBOOM Grammar Games - Irregular Plural Nouns by A World to Explore Store

KaBOOM! Virtual GRAMMAR Game #1 - Irregular Past Tense Verbs

KaBOOM! Virtual GRAMMAR Game #2 - Irregular Past Tense Verbs

Rock, Paper, Scissors - Grammar Games! Irregular Past Tense Verbs

Rock, Paper, Scissors Grammar Games Irregular Plural Nouns 

FUN:

Truth or Dare...the Classroom Party Game You Didn't Know You Needed!

Truth or Dare 2nd Edition

BUNDLE Truth or Dare Versions 1 & 2

Virtual Scategories & Truth or Dare (All Ages!)

Digital Online GAME Two Things in Common (This2That)

Happiness Quiz & Reflection Questions (Great for SEL, Self-Esteem, Well-Being!)

50 FlipGrid Discussion Questions Posting Tips & Rubric

30 Digital Borders/Frames on Lined Paper for Writing Prompts

Craft creative text message poems instantly! Your friend's in a pinch, tasked with writing a self-poem due in 10 minutes. Don't let them down—help them shine with our quick, witty, and unique text message poetry ideas. Get inspired and rescue your friend's grade with our rapid-fire poetic solutions. Dive into the world of spontaneous verse crafting and save the day with clever lines and heartfelt sentiments. Instant text message poetry for last-minute rescue missions!

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Students will do a close read of "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou and "All the Single Ladies" by Beyonce looking for the key ideas and details, as well as the themes of both pieces. Students will also be asked to compare and contrast both works. Comes complete with answer key.

An easy to understand presentation to help students with mood and tone. Includes: Definitions Quotes Examples Group/Individual Activities with word banks Whole class reviews (Poetry and Prose) Great for literature classes and writing reviews! Meets CCSS.

This product contains an assignment for students to create their own acrostic poem for their favorite faction from Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is the perfect assignment to give after conducting a Mock Choosing Ceremony in your classroom.

Product Includes:

• Concise assignment directions
• Beautifully-made example

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Check out these great resources to supplement your unit on Divergent by Veronica Roth:

⭐ Divergent Unit Test

⭐ Divergent Socratic Seminar Lesson Plan and Materials

⭐ Divergent "Silent Conversation" Quote Pass Activity

⭐ Divergent Fear Landscape Assignment

⭐ Divergent Faction Personality Quiz

⭐ Divergent Symbolism Lesson Plan: Tattoos of Divergent Characters

⭐ Divergent Mock Choosing Ceremony - Lesson Plans and Materials

⭐ Divergent Characters Word Search

⭐ Divergent Worksheet Bundle

⭐ Divergent Final Project - Long Lost Sixth Faction

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Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence

This product will allow your students to easily understand and analyze Robert Frost's "Design" by breaking it down line-by-line!

Instruct your students to fold the paper in half the long way, and to cut along the black lines into the midline of the paper. They will end up with a long, skinny version of the poem on the front of the flaps, and analysis question inside.

As they read the poem, they will peel back the flap to reveal questions that ask them to analyze the poem for tone, word choice, connotation, mood, author's purpose, imagery, and theme. Please ask if you have any questions!

This product will allow your students to easily understand and analyze Robert Hayden's "Frederick Douglass"!

Instruct your students to fold the paper in half the long way, and to cut along the black lines into the midline of the paper. They will end up with a long, skinny version of the poem on the front of the flaps, and analysis question inside.

As they read the poem, they will peel back the flap to reveal questions that ask them to analyze the poem for word choice, simile, syntax, main idea, tone, mood, author’s purpose, repetition, and figurative vs. literal meaning.

This product is perfect for your students' interactive notebooks, as an in-class activity, or for homework. The activity would be appropriate for accelerated middle school or high school classes. Please ask if you have any questions!

***Interested in checking out what a foldable poetry analysis from my store looks like? Please download my freebie here! Foldable Poetry Analysis for The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel: FREEBIE ***

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Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

This product will allow your students to easily understand and analyze William Carlos Williams' "The Dance" by breaking it down line-by-line!

Instruct your students to fold the paper in half the long way, and to cut along the black lines into the midline of the paper. They will end up with a long, skinny version of the poem on the front of the flaps, and analysis question inside.

As they read the poem, they will peel back the flap to reveal questions that ask them to analyze for imagery, repetition, onomatopoeia, mood, simile, form and structure, author's purpose, characterization, and syntax. Please ask if you have any questions!

***Interested in checking out what a foldable poetry analysis from my store looks like? Please download my freebie here! Foldable Poetry Analysis for The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel: FREEBIE ***

Please help my little business grow!
Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

This product will allow your students to easily understand and analyze Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Love's Philosophy" by breaking it down line-by-line!

Instruct your students to fold the paper in half the long way, and to cut along the black lines into the midline of the paper. They will end up with a long, skinny version of the poem on the front of the flaps, and analysis question inside.

As they read the poem, they will peel back the flap to reveal questions that ask them to analyze the poem for imagery, word choice, connotation, characterization, tone, personification, main idea, mood, and theme. Please ask if you have any questions!

***Interested in checking out what a foldable poetry analysis from my store looks like? Please download my freebie here! Foldable Poetry Analysis for The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel: FREEBIE ***

Please help my little business grow! Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!

This product will allow your students to easily understand and analyze "Merry-Go-Round" by Langston Hughes by breaking it down line-by-line!

Instruct your students to fold the paper in half the long way, and to cut along the black lines into the midline of the paper. They will end up with a long, skinny version of the poem on the front of the flaps, and analysis question inside.

As they read the poem, they will peel back the flap to reveal questions that ask them to analyze the poem for characterization, conflict, mood, author's purpose, point of view, symbolism, and setting. Please ask if you have any questions!

***Interested in checking out what a foldable poetry analysis from my store looks like? Please download my freebie here! Foldable Poetry Analysis for The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel: FREEBIE ***

Please help my little business grow!

Did you know that you can receive $ credit towards future TeachShare purchases by reviewing this product? Please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account" at TpT. Thank you!