A guide to reading and responding to a poem that provokes ideas for writing. For Key Stages 2-3 and featuring ‘More Pointless Questions’ by John Agard.

National Poetry Day, which this year is on 28th September, is an annual celebration of poetry and all things poetical. It’s about everybody sharing poetry, reading poetry, writing poetry, and enjoying poetry! For schools this can be a chance to make more of something already enjoyed throughout the school or it can be a launch pad for new experience and enjoyment. This toolkit is full of hints and tips to get your school celebrations started and to support best practice in the teaching of poetry.

Use this magnificent new lesson plan to spark off classroom discussion and inspire students to write their own poetry. It is written by poet Cheryl Moskowitz and features a huge variety of poems, all loosely related to the theme of stars. This lesson plan features a poem by Christina Rossetti.

A guide to Theodora Shillito’s ‘The Story of Squiddly Diddly’, a poem about marine conservation and recycling, commended in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020. This resource encourages students to think about how the choices we make affect the environment. For Key Stages 2-3.

A guide to using hindsight to evaluate how choices affect different situations and creating metaphors from these findings. For Key Stages 3-5 and featuring ‘Drifting Away, Together’ by Jacob Hill, from the Longcroft School and Sixth Form College First Story Group.

National Poetry Day 2017 is on 28th September and the theme is Freedom. National Poetry Day is about everybody sharing poetry, reading poetry, writing poetry, and enjoying poetry. Use this special resource created by the Betjeman Poetry Prize and explore ideas of freedom inspired by W E Henley's poem Invictus, and Nelson Mandela.

National Poetry Day 2017 is on 28 September and the theme is freedom. It’s about everybody sharing poetry, reading poetry, writing poetry, and enjoying poetry. This activity was created for National Poetry Day 2017 by Russ Litten, First Story writer-in-residence in Hull. Called Yesterday and Today it includes ideas and inspiration to get young people thinking about and writing poetry.

A guide to identifying key or ‘clue’ words within poems that students are reading, providing a framework to reflect on word choice in their own writing. Students will complete a reflection task at the beginning and end of the session. For Key Stage 2 and featuring ‘Sonnet with particles of gold’ by Nina Mingya Powles.

A guide to identifying the meaning and significance of line-breaks in poetry. Students will explore the rhythm, pace and meaning of poetic lines with creative activities using reading, group writing, independent writing and performance. For Key Stage 3 and featuring ‘caribbean woman’ by Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze.

One of a series of National Poetry Day teacher resources on the theme of Messages. "A Message in Space" draws on the poetry of Rachel Piercey. The resource fosters creative and critical thinking around poetry and is part of a collaborative effort between the National Poetry Day partners, who include the Poetry Society, Apples and Snakes, and the Scottish Poetry Library. For KS1 and KS2.

One of a series of National Poetry Day teacher resources on the theme of Messages. "Poetry in Frames" draws on a poem by Rachel Long. The resource fosters creative and critical thinking around poetry and is part of a collaborative effort between the National Poetry Day partners, who include the Poetry Society, Apples and Snakes, and the Scottish Poetry Library. For KS3, KS4 and KS5

Comprehensive KS4 lesson plan centered around Commended Foyle Young Poet of the Year Imogen Catsaras’ poem ‘Dawn in Dartmouth’. Students are encouraged to think, talk, read, and write in response to the poem. Includes a copy of the full poem.

Using Juris Kronberg’s poem ‘It’s Easy for Clouds’ as inspiration, KS2 students are invited to write their own poems and then attempt to illustrate them. Includes advice from Juris Kronbergs as well as a copy of his poem.

A comprehensive KS3/KS4 lesson plan designed to teach students how to respond to a poem, study the language of a poem, perform the poem, and then finally use that poem as inspiration to write something new. Includes a recording of Valerie Bloom reading her poem ‘Two Seasons’ as inspiration.

Riddle writing poetry activities for KS3 students. Includes 3 riddles (and answers for teachers!) as well as detailed prompts for how to structure activities for different group sizes (class, group and individual work).

A guide to exploring the theme of choice about our relationships with others in the context of troubling societal attitudes to inclusion and exclusion. For Key Stages 3-4 and featuring ‘Nothing Personal’ by John Mole.

Forward Arts Foundation hope you make use of this fantastic FREE classroom resource for National Poetry Day 2016 on the theme of Messages. The Betjeman Poetry Prize presents this activity called 'The Sea Says' for Key Stage 1 - 2 students. This is part of a wider collaborative effort with multiple partners, including the Scottish Poetry Library, the Poetry Society, The Emma Press, and the Poetry School.

A complete KS2/KS3 lesson plan designed to teach students to write creatively in the past, present and future. Includes a copies of ‘Past’ and ‘Future’ by students from Leith Primary School in Edinburgh as inspiration.

A comprehensive lesson plan designed to get KS3 students to think about the use of different time frames in their creative writing, and then to write a poem based on past, present, and future changes. Includes a copy of Hafza Abdi’s poem ‘I Will Be’ as inspiration.

Activities and lesson plans for KS3 students based on Thembe Mvula’s poem ‘Moving House’. Designed to teach students different ways of responding to a poem and how to then relate that poem to personal experiences they may have had. Includes poem and detailed instructions for a lesson plan.