National Poetry Day planning picks

Engage students in verse ahead of National Poetry Day with these lesson plans and activity ideas

Tes Resources Team

Poetry sign to show National poetry day resources

Lesson ideas and activities for National Poetry Day

Whether it's exploring this year's theme of 'Counting' or encouraging older students to delve deeper into poetry, we've pulled together a hand-picked collection of lesson plans and activities you can use to awaken a love of poetry in your learners.

Primary resources

Limericks, haikus, sonnets… poems come in many forms. Discover and analyse the different types of poetry before encouraging your pupils to write some of their own with these stimulating classroom activities.

Poetry Train
The Poetry Society

Poetry Train

(43)
Poetry Train is a teachers pack of activities, poems and advice for teaching poetry in primary schools. David Harmer and Roger Stevens share proven approaches for use in the classroom, based on brilliant poems by top poets such as Carol Ann Duffy and Jackie Kay.
Boris the Spider Rhyming Poetry worksheets
Hachette Schools

Boris the Spider Rhyming Poetry worksheets

(16)
This worksheet is based on the funny rhyming poem, 'Boris the Spider' written by Damian Harvey and illustrated by Daniel Postgate, in the Leapfrog Rhyme Time series. There is a sample spread from the book and two activities. The first asks children to fill in the missing rhyming words and the second...
Autumn Poetry Lesson
jojocrow

Autumn Poetry Lesson

(1)
This resource is a complete lesson for writing an Autumn poem using verbs, nouns and adjectives. It contains a PDF containing 19 pages including the lesson presentation and printables to go along with the lesson. - title page - Learning Intentions - verb sorting activity - Autumn word brainstorm...
Cinquain Poetry Lesson for KS2
primary texts

Cinquain Poetry Lesson for KS2

(1)
A complete poetry lesson based on cinquain poetry. Includes a PPT presentation and comprehension tasks. Also includes activities designed to help students create their own cinquains. These activities are ideal for helping pupils consider word choice, editing, syllables and layout. A flexible resourc...
KS2 poetry - write a poem about the seasons
TygerTygerPoetryMag

KS2 poetry - write a poem about the seasons

(1)
This free KS2 poetry resource explores the seasons and personification, using the poem What Spring Says by Carys Shannon. Although the poem is about Spring, the whole resource can be used to discuss and write about any season. There are clear prompts for class activities, a class poem, and th...
KS2 English - Talking Poetry
BBCTeach

KS2 English - Talking Poetry

(3)
In this [BBC Teach](https://bbc.co.uk/teach) series, [listen to six leading children's poets](https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/english-ks2-talking-poetry/z77vmfr) - **John Agard, Mandy Coe, Jackie Kay, Roger McGough, Grace Nichols and Michael Rosen** - discussing and reading a selection of t...

Secondary resources

Spread your love of poetry with the help of these lesson ideas and imaginative tasks. Jam-packed with explanatory notes, suggested discussion points and ready-to-use exercises, there’s plenty to get the creativity flowing.

Poetry Escape Room
EnglishGCSEcouk

Poetry Escape Room

(1)
English poetry themed escape room. Students recap structure, language, imagery, language techniques, vocabulary and other key skills and knowledge around English Literature through the stimulus of poetry. Perfect for the end of term or end of unit, students work in groups to solve a range of myster...
Unseen Poetry Worksheet - works with ANY poem!
msbensonsenglishclassroom

Unseen Poetry Worksheet - works with ANY poem!

(2)
This 'Unseen Poetry' worksheet is designed to help students to begin to unpick a poem from the first reading. The worksheet can be used with ANY poem! The questions have been designed to help students to think about the **meaning, author's intentions and their personal response**. Although th...
Write Poetry
havetocomment

Write Poetry

(1)
These five sheets explore different forms of poetry and how to write them: Write a Sonnet, Write a Ballad, Write a Visual Poem, Write a Haiku, Write a Found Poem. The sheets include information about form and language, examples, further reading and a differentiated task.
Tanka Poetry - Year 7
Online_Teaching_Resources

Tanka Poetry - Year 7

(1)
Tanka Poetry - Year 7 Designed for low ability Year 7, this tanka teaching resource is a fun and engaging way of studying and writing poetry. The lesson begins with an example tanka and an explanation of the 'rules' of tanka poetry. Learners are then provided with scaffolding to help them constru...
Metaphor and Simile Lesson- KS3 Poetry
NovelTeachingUK

Metaphor and Simile Lesson- KS3 Poetry

(1)
A clearly explained and fully resourced lesson which explores similies and metaphors. Could be used as a stand alone lesson or as part of a poetry scheme of work. Learning Question: Can I understand how similes and metaphors are used in poetry and comment on the effect? **Students are not only en...
Newspaper Blackout Poetry
jamestickle86

Newspaper Blackout Poetry

(33)
A new type of poetry that involves using newspapers to create poems. The poem is inside the text; pupils must find it. Suitable for KS2, KS3 and KS4 ***You will need newspapers and marker pens***