Since Robert Frost encouraged our founder Marie Bullock to “get poetry into the high schools” in the 1960s, we’ve been assisting teachers in bringing poetry into the classroom. Here, you’ll find poetry lesson plans, poems for kids and for teens, essays about teaching, a calendar of teaching resources for the school year, a glossary of poetry terms, and more. Our lesson plans, most of which are aligned with the Common Core, have been reviewed by our Educator in Residence with an eye toward developing skills of perception and imagination. 

Read more about Teach This Poem’s impact. 

Lesson Plans for Thanksgiving

The following lesson plans feature poems related to the Thanksgiving holiday, gratitude, and ways

Holidays: Poems for Kids

To celebrate the holiday season, read a selection of holiday-themed poems like “Christmas Trees” by Robert Frost, “The Feast of Lights” by Emma Lazarus, “The Passing of the Year” by Robert W. Service, and more.

Lesson Plans by Theme

Find poetry lesson plans organized by theme, occasion, and class subject, including lesson plans featuring poems about social justice, the environment, and many other topics.

Lesson Plans for Native American Heritage Month

The following lesson plans feature poems from the rich tradition of Native American poetry

Autumn: Poems for Kids

The following poems are about the autumn season by poets like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Brenda Hillman, Edward Hirsch, Amy Lowell, and more.