One of the largest literary celebrations in the world, National Poetry Month (April) in the U.S. honors the cultural significance of poetry in our lives. On its website, the Academy of American Poets suggests a variety of ways that students, teachers and librarians can participate in this month-long celebration, including activities for celebrating the month online or at home and in the virtual classroom.
To support classroom instruction, readwritethink.org offers a collection of activities, websites, lesson plans, mobile apps, professional development resources and more.
Two recommended activities for National Poetry Month 2021:
- Write to a Poet
“Dear Poet” is an annual multimedia education project that invites students in grades five through 12 to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets, including those who serve on the Academy’s Board of Chancellors. The deadline for submissions is April 30.
- Share Poetry with Others
Encourage students and patrons to participate in National Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 29. Select a poem, carry it around with you, and share it with those you encounter throughout the day. Use the hashtag #PocketPoem to post a short poem on Twitter.
EBSCO also recognizes the importance of poetry in the curriculum and in our communities. If you’re seeking a way to bring a historically rich collection of poems and authoritative essays to your library collection, consider adding the following resources.
Flipster® Digital Magazines
By going digital with Flipster, libraries can add magazines to their collections without taking up shelf space. Magazines including poetry for high school students and adult readers include The American Poetry Review, Australian Poetry Journal, The New Criterion, Poetry, Poets & Writers, Prairie Fire, and Rabbit: A Journal for Nonfiction Poetry. Librarians looking for digital magazines containing poetry for children should consider adding publications from Cricket Media such as Ladybug, Spider and Cricket. Digital teacher guides are also available for Cricket Media titles.
Poetry & Short Story Reference Center™
In addition to thousands of classic and contemporary poems, this database includes e-books, images, audio recordings, videos and poetry showcases highlighting current and emerging poets and their works. Teachers will also find a number of lesson plans and assignments designed specifically for use with content included in this database. Bonus lesson plans can be found on EBSCO Connect.
