• Poetry – Distinguish among the sub-categories of poetry, such as ballads, lyric poems, epics, haiku and limericks based on their characteristics.  Identify rhythm and rhyme scheme.

• Short stories

• Novels

• Plays

• Folktales

• Myths

• Epics

• Nonfiction

• Science fiction

Personalized Poetry Portfolio
Acrostic, diamante`, haiku, cinquain, and free verse poems

Fairy Tale Autobiographies
Write autobiographies about a character in a fairy tale.

Elements of a Fable
Creating an original fable

An Integrated Poetry Unit
Integrating poetry with the ACCs March Madness

A Story of Epic Proportions: What makes a Poem an Epic?
Understanding epic heroes and their cycles

Teachers' Handbook of Lesson Plans
Poetry lesson plans geared toward GED students that appropriate for middle school students

Let's Write Poetry
Students develop an understanding of a variety of poetry patterns and the role figurative language often plays in poetry

"I Have to Read Poetry"
Student will learn to read and write about poetry. Students will be exposed to rules, conventions and poetic terms to increase enjoyability and understanding of poetry.

Deeper Meaning
The students will be able to analyze parts of the poem and identify deeper meanings they may have.

Everyone Loves A Mystery: A Genre Study
students examine story elements and vocabulary associated with mystery stories. Students complete Internet activities designed to increase exposure to and appreciation of the mystery genre. Students then create story frames, write their own original mystery stories, and publish them online.

Imagine That! Playing with Genre through Newspapers and Short Stories
Compare narrative writing (short stories) to expository writing (news articles)

What Am I? Teaching Poetry through Riddles
Students will explore, analyze, and discuss how metaphor, simile, metonymy are used in riddle poems. Students use metaphor, simile, and metonymy to write original riddle poems.

Slipping, Sliding, Tumbling: Reinforcing Cause and Effect Through Diamante Poems
Students will develop critical thinking skills by defining and identifying cause and effect and generating examples of cause and effect statements.  They will learn the structure and format of diamante poem through shared and partner writing, while applying their knowledge of cause and effect in the diamante poem format.

Knowing Ourselves and Others Through Poetry
Students will get to know each other while getting them to know themselves through writing.

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Novel Guides Study guides to various forms of literature

Suggestions for English Language Learners:                   

ESL Ideas      (B=Beginning, I=Intermediate, T=Transitional)
(B) Students listen to short poems, fables, folk tales, and myths. For some students, poems in their first language may be included with a synopsis in English. For non-literate students, oral tales may be transcribed in either English or in their first language.
(B, I, T) Students bring stories to class from their own culture, identify the genre and then compile them into a yearly ESL creative writing publication. This publication can be made available to other students and to the school community.
(I, T) Students listen to and read poetry, short stories, novels, plays, folktales, epics, nonfiction, science fiction, and myths, and then distinguish among the different forms according to their specific characteristics.
(I, T) Students work with a partner to read poetry aloud.  Use Joyful Noise, Poems for Two Voices or I Am Phoenix, Poems for Two Voices, both by Paul Fleischman, if possible. 
 

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