Primary Source Learning: Poets & Poetry
Found Poetry activities
Guided primary source analysis activities
- The Banks of the Yellow River
- Dedication by Robert Frost
- Official Program Woman Suffrage Procession
- The Poem
- Woman and Child
Learning from the Source lessons
- Ballad of Booker T.
- The Declaration, Her Declaration, Your Declaration
- The Negro Speaks of Rivers
- Pairing Pictures & Poems to Tell Stories
- Putting Loss into Words
- Mourning Lincoln & the Art of Tribute
Teach This Poem lessons
- “Alice Paul” by Katharine Rolston Fisher
- “Complaint of El Río Grande” by Richard Blanco
- “Crossing” by Jericho Brown
- “Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now” by Matthew Olzmann
- “Map” by Linda Hogan
- “A New National Anthem” by Ada Limón
- “Notes on the Peanut” by June Jordan
- “One Vote” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- “One Way” by Richard Blanco
- “Senior Discount” by Ali Liebegott
- Thanksgiving with Richard Blanco’s “América”
- “This Is Not a Small Voice” by Sonia Sanchez
- “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
- “When the Virus Comes” by Angelo Geter
More learning activities & resources
- Thinking About Poems as Historical Artifacts analysis tool
- 1900 America: Primary Sources and Epic Poetry
- Crowdsourced Poetry
- Integrating Tech: Poetry 180
- Lyrical Legacy: 400 Years of American Song and Poetry
- Making Connections Through Poetry
- Map: Poetry & Environmental Justice
- O Captain! My Captain! version by version
- Poetry of American Identity
- Timely Connections: Fresh Perspectives from Female Poets
- Timely Connections: Individual Influence
From the Catbird Seat Teacher’s Corner blog posts
- Beginning with Poetry
- Celebrating Ourselves through Whitman’s “Song of Myself” May 23, 2019
- In Defense of Close Reading with Robert Frost
- Discovering Local and Public Poetry December 11, 2019
- Exploring Historical and Current Social Issues through Poetry
- Exploring Poetry Virtually at the Beginning of the School Year September 14, 2020
- Exploring Poetry while Distance Teaching and Learning March 27, 2020
- Finding Inspiration in Nature: Reading and Writing Poems about Animals March 29, 2021
- First Impressions: Poetry at the Beginning of the Year
- “In Flanders Fields” – Using Multiple Approaches to Explore a Poem
- From Foxhole to Foxhole: A D-Day Experience through Poetry June 6, 2014
- Hanging Poems in Trees: Surround Students with Opportunities to Interact with Poetry February 25, 2021
- The “Historical” Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Inaugural Poetry – Robert Frost and Maya Angelou
- Introducing Students to Poetry through the Work of Emily Dickinson
- The Journey to Poetry: Do We Teach Poetry for Format or Feeling?
- Keeping Students Engaged: Reading and Writing Winter Poetry
- Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”: Nonsense or not?
- Listening to Poetry While Distance Learning and Teaching May 5, 2020
- A Marathon Celebration of Emily Dickinson December 10, 2014
- Pairing Poems with Fiction and Biography
- A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Using Photographs to Prompt Poetry
- Poems as Windows and Mirrors
- Poetic Reactions to Historical Events
- Poetry of the City
- Poetry, and history, and prophecy! Oh, my!
- Poetry of Nature
- Poetry Resolutions January 14, 2020
- Poetry in the School Library December 17, 2013
- Poetry Set to Music: A Collaborative Opportunity
- The Power of Pairing Poems: Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes March 23, 2016
- Read Poetry to Gain Quiet and Reflection in a Hectic World
- Reading and Discussing Poetry Together
- Reading Poems About Writing April 29, 2019
- Reading Poetry in the Classroom: Bell Ringers March 25, 2015
- Rewriting Novels and Stories as Epic Poems
- Saying Farewell with Poetry at the End of this Unprecedented School Year June 1, 2020
- The Sonnet Challenge May 29, 2018
- Spotlight on Humorous Poetry
- The Statue of Liberty and “The New Colossus”
- Teaching with Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” January 26, 2021
- Thoreau in Concord: Creating a Community of Writers October 9, 2019
- Thoreau in Concord: Inspiring Discussion and Mindfulness November 6, 2019
- Turning a Poem into a Play
- Unexpected Poets November 24, 2014
- Using Poetry to Illustrate the Importance of Drafting December 17, 2014
- Using the Poetry of Langston Hughes to Spark Discussion
- Using Poetry to React to Historical Events and Causes November 12, 2020
- Using Poetry to Teach the Importance of Word Choice January 28, 2015
- Using Poetry to Teach the Importance of Word Choice: Part II February 25, 2015
- Walt Whitman’s War Work: Primary Sources in the English Classroom October 23, 2014
- Walt Whitman’s Wartime Experience: Using Primary Sources to Offer Context March 1, 2017
- Welcome to the Poetry Café
- What is a Poet Laureate? Why is the Role Important? September 10, 2019
- Write Poetry to Encourage Reflection in a Hectic World
- Writing Poetry in the Classroom: Bell Ringers
- The Writing’s on the Wall: Found Poetry in Street Art November 19, 2014
Teaching with the Library blog posts
- Adding Humanity to Math Class October 5, 2021
- Edgar Allan Poe: Using Primary Sources from the Library of Congress to Deepen Understanding of “The Raven” March 17, 2015
- The Evolution of Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” April 18, 2019
- Exploring Chronicling America for Poetry in Newspapers Before 1922 March 23, 2017
- Fostering Student Analysis of Newspaper Poetry Related to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 June 28, 2022
- A Historical Tour of Poetry and Song: Lyrical Legacy March 14, 2012
- Making Connections Through Poetry: Finding the Heart in History March 20, 2012
- Poetry Broadsides: A Creative Way to Bring Poetry to the Public March 29, 2022
- Poetry Is Everywhere at the Library of Congress! March 31, 2022
- Poetry from the Library of Congress: A Conversation with Experts March 29, 2012
- Poetry and Primary Sources April 17, 2018
- Primary Sources + Found Poetry = Celebrate Poetry Month March 14, 2013
- Primary Sources and Poetry April 8, 2014
- Reconstructing a Civil War Battle from a Poet’s Letter Home June 27, 2017
- Soldiers’ Poems of World War I in Newspapers: Personal Responses in Public Media March 19, 2013
- A Suffragist Poetically Asks: “Are Women People?” February 25, 2021
- Teaching with AHLOT: A Spanish Teacher Shares Her Classroom Tips March 10, 2020
Teach Social & Emotional Skills through Poetry MiddleWeb April 16, 2023