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Poetry

The Academy of American Poets: http://www.poets.org/npm/resource.cfm

Bio Poem or Me Poem
First name________
3-4 adjectives that describe you
daughter of... ( son, brother, sister, niece, nephew, etc)
Friend of ( or lover of something like lover of chocolate) 3 things
Who feels ( 3 things)_________
Who needs ( 3 things)_______
Who gives ( 3 things)_______
Who fears (3 things)_______
Who would like to see ( 3 things)___________
Resident of ( place)__________
Last Name__________
Bio poems can be taken a step further and Reader-Writer posters can be created. Students include bio poems, pictures of themselves and family, an excerpt from their favorite author/poet, an original piece of their writing they especially liked, a list of their favorite books and authors with a line or two telling why it made their list, and their favorite quotation. They decorate their posters to personalize them and could add additional quotations, school appropriate song lyrics, other favorites, etc.
You can also take photos of the students and put them on construction paper with the poems. Students can trace their hands and write words on the fingers (eg. adjectives describing themselves) interests, family members, etc on the hands. Make a bulletin board out of the hands or put them around the doorway. Students can draw the flag of their heritage. This creates a rich "getting to know you" bulletin board.

Casey at the Bat: http://realserver.bu.edu:8080/ramgen/f/a/favoritepoem/video/lsamuel.rm
Read by a sixth grade boy

Composing Cinquain Poems: A Quick-Writing Activity: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=51

DOWN BY THE BAY RHYMING LESSON: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/319.html
Find ideas here to help develop a lesson plan with silly rhyming sequences.

Favorite Poem Project: http://www.favoritepoem.org/ 
You choose a poem that you have read, perhaps many times, that bears some significance in your life. Write a brief statement about why the particular poem is your choice for this Project. Choices of poems written in English or in any other language are accepted. The most important thing to convey in your submission is your personal relationship to the poem you've selected.   There are text copies, tapes and videos of people reading poetry as well as ideas for using poetry with classes of all ages.

Fun With Words-Poetry: http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/6th_grade/6_FunWithWords-Poetry.pdf
Developed as part of the 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project, this 41-page unit by sixth grade teacher Connie Jones includes six lessons (nine days, plus time for creating, revising, illustrating, presenting) of approximately 40 minutes each. There is an oral presentation rubric on page 38.

Funny Poems and Children's Poetry: http://www.robertpottle.com/

Giggle Poetry: http://gigglepoetry.com
At this site children can learn how to write nursery rhymes, limericks, and list poems. Students can enter a poetry contest and read the winning entries. They can also read interviews with your favorite poets and ask them questions.

In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=78

Jeff's Poems for Kids: http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jmondak/
There are yucky and funny poems and a poem of the week, such as Daddy's Making Dinner; Franky the Onion and Garlic the Kid; and The Toy Box Ate My Brother.

Kristine O'Connell George's Children's Poetry Corner: http://www.kristinegeorge.com/

Listening to Poetry: Sounds of the Sonnet: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=365

Play with Words: Rhyme & Verse: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=259

A Pocketful of Rhymes: http://members.aol.com/Bvsangl/pocket.html
Here's a good site for introducing poetry to kids while also building comprehension and vocabulary skills. This site has a small library of poems dedicated to entertaining kids, but there are also plenty of poetry exercises that ask students to hypothesize poetic themes or finish off incomplete rhymes.

Poetic Forms and Terminology: http://members.tripod.com/~theWORDshop/renga.htm
Glossary of many poetic terms plus links to Web sites providing additional information about each term.

Poetry.com: http://www.poetry.com

Poetry 180-A Poem a Day for American High Schools:
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-more.html

POETRY EXPRESS: http://www.poetryexpress.org/
Explor poetry with 15 Poems You Can Write Now, with templates or guidelines for getting your students to successfully create poetry.

Poetry For Kids: http://www.poetry4kids.com/

POETRY FOR KIDS: http://42explore.com/poetry.htm
A college English education professor maintains this webpage, full of links to poetry appropriate for students in various grades. There is also poetry by students.

Poetry for Kids: http://www.ceap.wcu.edu/Broughton/Poetryunit.html
This site includes tons of ideas for using poetry with kids and integrating it across all areas of curriculum.

Poetry Machine: http://www.shakespeare.com/Poetry/ieindex.html
Use the magnetic words to create a Shakespearen poem. Roll the dice and receive a random selection of words.

Poetry Pals: http://www.geocities.com/cponykid/index1.html
Encourage your students to write poetry and send in their work to this site, which posts the writings of budding lyricists. The site's content is both instructive and fun. Be sure to check out the online magnetic poetry set where students can rearrange a pile of words into catchy couplets.

Poetry Teachers: http://www.poetryteachers.com/index.html

Poetry Terms: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/pmglossary1.html
This glossary lists poetry terms and definitions to use when talking about poetry.

Poetry Writing With Jack Prelutsky, Karla Kuskin and Jean Marzolla: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/index.htm

The Poetry Zone: http://www.poetryzone.co.uk/

Positively Poetry: http://home.hiwaay.net/~emedia/kv/poetry1.html
Created by a 15 year old who likes poetry, this site showcases poetry from kids around the world. Poetry from students at different U.S. schools is also featured. Kids can send in potential topics about which they'd like to write. The site prides itself on content that is screened and kid-safe.

Rhyme Zone: http://www.rhymezone.com/
Great resource for budding poets that includes a search feature for rhyming words, synonyms, antonyms and more. Also contains a wide range of links, including Shakespeare and Mother Goose.

River of Words: http://www.riverofwords.org/
"River of Words is an environmental art and poetry program created to promote watershed awareness, literacy, and the arts. Through our annual art and poetry contest and our educator's tools, River of Words helps communities begin exploring the natural and cultural history of their own homegrounds."

SIDEWALK POETRY: http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/3lesson.htm
Consider having a school poetry fair to showcase every class and their poetic works. Students will illustrate one of their poetry samples with sidewalk chalk outside on school cement, writing the text and their names into the design as well. Great exercise for any grade level.

Ted Scheu (That Poetry Guy): http://www.poetryguy.com/

THE TRIOLET POETIC FORM: http://www.writing-world.com/poetry/triolet.shtml
Rediscover this fun poetic format, dating back to the thirteenth century. Filled with rhyme and wit, it should provide a challenge in poetic writing that your students will respond well to.

The Unicorn-A Poem by Shel Silverstein with music: http://www.imt.net/~zelonis/unicorn.html

USING A POEM OF THE WEEK: http://www.geocities.com/mrmooresroom/poemoftheweek.html
Choosing your poems wisely is the first step in successfully integrating poetry into your thematic learning content throughout the school year. This site offers suggestions for using a poem of the week for each school day, Monday through Friday, to enhance elementary learning and encourage literary development and appreciation. Several sample poems are included.

USING POETRY TO TEACH READING: http://teachersmentor.com/readingk3/using_poetry.html
Here's a unique approach to reading that begins on the very first day of school. Students will be given a poetry packet, and throughout the school year, will be completing various activities in word study, rhyme, synonyms, Readers' Theater, conversation, and practice skills. Activity guidelines and management tips, as well as suggestions for successful children's poems, are all included.

Writing with Writers: Poetry: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/index.htm
Online workshop on writing poetry with children's writers for children ages 6 through 13. Includes a section where children can publish their own poetry online.

This site began in March 1998 and was created by Janet Luch. 
Email to studyplans@yahoo.com.