by Jessica Mallozzi, Hoover High School
This lesson was designed for an ESL 5-6 class. They have already been briefly introduced to literary terms, and in this activity will explore six key terms in further detail before composing their very own poems.
Introduction
"I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all." -E.B. White
Writing is sometimes difficult: I know this and so do you! It takes determination and sometimes even courage. I have seen your writing skills greatly improve throughout the school year so far, so I know you are ready for the next challenge: reading and writing poetry.
Poetry can seem intimidating (another word for scary!), but once you learn a few important skills it's much easier to understand. Do you remember all of those literary devices we talked about while you were studying folktales? Well, they're back and here to help you comprehend poetry. Not only will you be researching and making presentations about literary devices, but you will actually write your own poetry!
Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou,
Edgar Allan Poe, and William Shakespeare