A comprehensive poetry analysis lesson plan for KS2 English students that uses Charles Causley’s poem ‘The Owl Looked Out of the Ivy Bush’ to encourage students to think more deeply about poetic voices and the intention’s behind ‘nonsense poetry’. Includes a copy of the poem and suggested lesson structure.

A classroom activity for KS2 students based on Richard O’Brien’s poem ‘Iguanadon’t’. Designed to teach students to experiment with wordplay and repetition, to find different ways to tell a story through poetry. The Emma Press encourage you to send the students work through to them to take a look. Resource include Richard O’Brien’s poem.

This exercise encourages KS3 students to be open and draw on personal experiences which can help to produce powerful pieces of writing. Featuring First Story Young Writer, Shakur Grant’s poem ‘Injustice’.

Activities and lesson plans for KS3 students based on Henry Normal’s poem ‘Three Lies and One Truth about the Moon’. Designed to explore the ‘fake news’ phenomena through poetry and performance. Includes poem and detailed instructions for a lesson plan.

Activities and lesson plans for KS2 students based on Rachel Rooney’s poem ‘Liar’. Designed to explore the ‘fake news’ phenomena through poetry and performance. Includes poem and detailed instructions for a lesson plan.

A lesson plan for KS2 and KS3 students based on Philip Gross’ poem ‘Nanny Neverly’. With activities covering reading, writing and spoken language, children are encouraged to create poems on their ‘Granny’, whether funny or sad, with suggested further reading ideas for contrast with Gross’ poem.

Activities for KS4 students based on Foyle Young Poet of the Year 2015 Award winner Andrew Telford’s poem ‘6 Ways to Look at The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Encouraging inventive ways of thinking through poetry analysis and group work. Includes Telford’s poem and extension activity for keen and curious learners.

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).

National Poetry Day (October 3rd, 2019) is an annual celebration of poetry and all things poetical. It is about everybody sharing poetry, reading poetry, writing poetry and enjoying poetry. Use this pack of tips and activity ideas and join in the celebrations – not only on National Poetry Day itself but all year round. It’s full of activities schools can do (primary and secondary) and also contains book recommendations.

Activities and lesson plans for KS4 students based on Rue Gombochuma’s poem ‘The truth’. Designed to encourage children to think of stories and fantasies they heard growing up and how to reflect on these using a variety of poetic devices. Includes poem and detailed instructions for a lesson plan.

This year’s theme is LIGHT. We have wonderful education resources available to you here, to use in the run up to National Poetry Day 2015 on 08 October. Whatever you do, share your plans with us on Twitter with hashtag #nationalpoetryday.

A poetry writing resource using a brand new poem from Bardd Plant Cymru, Gruffudd Owen. Designed for KS3, this resource is also available in Welsh.

Use this guide to make a rainbow poem with the whole class (or school). Designed for KS2, this resource uses colour association to create poetry, including a classic poem from Christina Rossetti and some handy video links to help students think about colour from other perspectives – have you ever seen what colour is like for a snake? Find out with this resource.

Using a classic poem from Paul Laurence Dunbar (influential for poets such as Maya Angelou), this guide explores how to write a poem about freedom (or its opposite). Group activities designed for KS3, and featuring links and prompts for further exploration of Dunbar’s legacy and other poetry writing techniques.

A guide to exploring limits through poetry, featuring the poem ‘Eye Chart’ by partially sighted poet Nuala Watt. Designed for KS3/4, this resource encourages students to examine their own strengths and weaknesses, and how these abilities make them feel, using this to create their own ‘Eye Chart’.

This guide illustrates how to share your vision of your own special place. Designed for KS3/4/5 and featuring a poem by Seamus Heaney, this guide allows students to push their descriptive language skills in order to build an accurate picture of their vision for another person.

A guide to encouraging reading poetry aloud as a means to inspire Vision, using photography and tips from poet Glyn Maxwell’s handbook On Poetry (Oberon Books). This resource also features a poem by Charles E. Carryl and is adaptable for all key stages.

A guide to using your dreams to write a poem, created by poet Rachel Long for Apples and Snakes. This detailed guide is designed for KS3/4/5 and includes a poem from My Darling from the Lions (Picador), which is shortlisted for the 2020 Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

A guide to using poetry – based on your name – to create a deeper, more poetic expression of who you truly are. Designed for KS3/4, this guide explores how to use etymology to inspire your student’s writing. Featuring Lucy Webb’s poem ‘Etymology’ from 20:20 Vision: An Anthology by the First Story Group at Saint Gabriel’s College, London.

A guide to outlining your poetic vision for our planet and the environment by Sue Hardy-Dawson. Designed for KS2, this guide includes a poem from Where the Zebra’s Go (Otter-Barry Books) as well as links to more helpful videos from Sue on writing poetry and free teaching resources from CLPE.