Teaching Poetry Analysis & Appreciation K-12
Trainer: Engy Hammam
Duration: 12 Hours
Objectives
By the end of this professional development course, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the value of poetry in the English curriculum across K–12 levels.
2. Analyze poetic devices, structures, and forms to guide student interpretation.
3. Design age-appropriate poetry lessons that foster both critical and emotional engagement.
4. Facilitate student discussions that deepen analysis and appreciation.
5. Use diverse strategies and activities to make poetry accessible and enjoyable for all learners.
6. Integrate poetry across the curriculum and connect it to students’ lives and cultures.
7. Assess students’ poetic understanding and expression with creative and standards-based tools.
Outline
Session 1: Foundations of Poetry Teaching
Objectives:
• Understand the importance of poetry in education.
• Explore teacher attitudes and student perceptions toward poetry.
Topics Covered:
• Why teach poetry? The academic and emotional value.
• Common challenges in teaching poetry.
• Developmental stages in students’ understanding of poetry (K–12 perspective).
• Types of poems suitable for different grade levels.
Session 2: Poetry Analysis Strategies
Objectives:
• Learn core elements of poetic analysis.
• Practice step-by-step approaches to analyzing poetry.
Topics Covered:
• Key poetic elements
• TPCASTT, SOAPSTone, and other analytical frameworks.
• Modeling close reading and annotation.
Session 3: Cultivating Appreciation & Engagement
Objectives:
• Make poetry engaging and relevant.
• Integrate student voice and performance in poetry lessons.
Topics Covered:
• Culturally responsive poetry selection.
• Poetry performance, dramatic reading, and reader’s theatre.
• Visual and digital poetry: using art, music, and video.
• Connecting poetry to student experiences and identities.
Session 4: Instructional Design & Assessment
Objectives:
• Plan poetry units and assess learning meaningfully.
Topics Covered:
• Designing lessons for diverse learners (including ELLs and students with learning differences).
• Planning a balanced unit: appreciation, analysis, and expression.
• Assessment strategies: rubrics for analysis, creative products, journals, and presentations.
• Integrating poetry with other subjects (history, art, science).