The Synergy of Poetry and Content Areas: Reading Poetry Across the Curriculum

I know it’s the end of the school year, but now is the perfect time to think about how you might use poetry in your classroom next year, even if you’re NOT an English teacher! Remember back in November, when I talked about going to NCTE and mentioned the CLA Master Class on reading poetry across the curriculum that Janet Wong and I put together? (The Children’s Literature Assembly is part of the National Council of Teachers of English, and each year, it puts on an excellent session called the CLA Master Class at the NCTE National Conference.) The Master Class featured wonderful educators, bloggers, and poets each sharing ways to use poetry in specific content areas. Here’s the handout that attendees received, which is full of awesome resources for teachers. But wait–there’s more:>) Mary Lee Hahn Callout from CLA Master Class Now, the Journal of Children’s Literature has come out with its spring issue, and it features the article about the Master Class. For this piece, each Roundtable Leader summarized some of her favorite tips for the article, and the editors have kindly agreed to let me share it online. So, if you’d like to learn more about using poetry in practical and inspiring ways in subjects other than ELA, just click here to get ideas from Sylvia Vardell, Jacqueline Jules, Heidi Mordhorst, Mary Lee Hahn, and Paige Bentley-Flannery. They did an awesome job of covering social studies, sports & games, science, math, and the arts. Thank you to editors Miriam Martinez, Jonda McNair, and Sharon O’Neal for including the article and allowing me to put it online to share!

14 Responses

  1. Thanks for these great resources, Laura! Nothing turns a topic on its head like poetry does! Poems can introduce, review, and enrich any classroom content.

  2. Thanks for these great resources, Laura! Nothing turns a topic on its head like poetry does! Poems can introduce, review, and enrich any classroom content.

  3. Laura, this is so great. I was there, but we could only rotate to 2 (or was it 3) sessions. Now with this resource, I have all the wonderful ideas at my fingertips. Thanks!

    1. Thanks, Margaret. It was SO hard trying to figure out the logistics of the session, and we wished we could have had time for everyone to hear all 5 speakers. But at least this way, as you said, you can get a sense of the tips and resources they shared:>) Are you going to IRA in St. Louis this July?

  4. Laura, this is so great. I was there, but we could only rotate to 2 (or was it 3) sessions. Now with this resource, I have all the wonderful ideas at my fingertips. Thanks!

    1. Thanks, Margaret. It was SO hard trying to figure out the logistics of the session, and we wished we could have had time for everyone to hear all 5 speakers. But at least this way, as you said, you can get a sense of the tips and resources they shared:>) Are you going to IRA in St. Louis this July?

  5. Laura,
    This is awesome. It may be my summer workshop! A little at a time. Definitely saving this one! Thanks to all who shared!

  6. Laura,
    This is awesome. It may be my summer workshop! A little at a time. Definitely saving this one! Thanks to all who shared!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,547 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Discover more from Laura Purdie Salas

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."