Poetry Pick 3!


April showers may bring May flowers but April also brings National Poetry Month!  So it's probably no surprise that I'm excited to join Pawsitively Teaching, Just Reed, and Inspired Owl's Corner to being you my top 3 Pinterest picks for poetry!




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This picture alone made me want to click through to find out the 24 must-share poems recommended by teachers and students!

I loved the list because each poem had a one line summary with a link to the text of the poem.  Perfect!



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This pin led to a treasure trove of ways to use poetry to teach TEN different things like:
activate prior knowledge
establish theme
explore language
focus on facts
set a scene
inspire writing
see new perspectives
ignite curiousity
provide pleasure 
capture character
And each of these 10 items is explained with recommended texts and summaries of those texts.

I think of this a great big 'ol springboard for poetry to be used anywhere, anytime!



My last pin is actually two pins - for two books that I want to use with my own class.

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I previewed this book and it shows how a tough "guy" (er, dog) has a softer side and can actually write pretty awesome poetry. I think this is perfect for my middle school boys who are always worried about their reputation.

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And then there's this.  I love this book that is also a poem itself.  A very powerful poem that is even more powerful if you read it aloud.

I don't want to spoil it so just suffice it to say that not only does it start off with a boy who does not want anything to do with poetry for all the reasons kids cite today, but it ends with a wonderful message that shows how valuable poetry really is to anyone (and everyone) who has ever had emotional turmoil to deal with in their lives.


Follow Mrs. Spangler in the Middle's board Poetry for Middle School on Pinterest.

So there you have it!  My top 3 Poetry Picks!  Check out some other Pinterest picks below.  Thanks for stopping by!