Latest Lesson Plans
Remaining Nameless: How Writing Anonymous Personal Narrative Essays Transformed a Bronx Classroom
"Most of my students had kept moments that changed them forever buried deep inside where no one would ever find…
Some Victorious Answer to Everything
Bill Murray and "Dog" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti are the inspiration for this writing activity, which works for writers of all…
Walking, Watching, and Writing:
"My heart was heavy with the pandemic stress this generation of teens has had to weather. In a sense, these…
Multilingual Approaches Toward English Prose
2022 Bechtel Prize Winner Shilpi Suneja's students make language their subject. "The dominance of English is a lie we tell…
Remix the Plan, Return to the Purpose: How to Center Participant Storytelling in Writing Workshops
Nicole Shawan Junior’s essay from PEN America’s The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting a Writer’s Life in Prison describes a writing workshop in which success hinged on a crucial pivot to center storytelling. “Teaching craft was still a goal, but one not nearly as important as hearing their stories. “
Some Victorious Answer to Everything
Bill Murray and “Dog” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti are the inspiration for this writing activity, which works for writers of all ages.
Walking, Watching, and Writing:
“My heart was heavy with the pandemic stress this generation of teens has had to weather. In a sense, these past two years remind me of another Basho piece, his Travelogue of Weather- Beaten Bones. These kids are a bit beat down.”
Multilingual Approaches Toward English Prose
2022 Bechtel Prize Winner Shilpi Suneja’s students make language their subject. “The dominance of English is a lie we tell ourselves.”
Writing from the Other End: Creative Growth with Kostas Anagnopoulos
Everyone’s voice merged into one poem, so it was not only a site of writing but also community, listening, and being heard.
Voilà! Raising Spirits and Conjuring Magic in the Poetry Classroom
There is something about that word, voilà, at the start of the poem that generates a little magic.
Birthing Poetry: A Window into “The Poetry Studio” and the new collection, Another World: Poetry and Art by Young People
Poet Ann Gengarelly shares experiences from her work in “The Poetry Studio” where students found inspiration in nature.
Mixing It Up with Dickinson: Two High School Poetry Workshops
Poet Terry Blackhawk introduces students to Dickinson’s lack of orthodoxy, worship of nature, and independence.
Nature’s Wonder: Finding Creativity and Connecting Writing to the Natural World
In a poetry writing activity inspired by nature, students find connection and community.
Reading and Critiquing Trauma Memoirs
“Her words and experiences triggered me over and over again. I wasn’t ready to face my own demons. How could I possibly read and critique a memoir about hers?”