Category: Writing Our Way Through

Clear, fun, and engaging “lessons” for writing at home with young people.

  • What’s in a Name?

    Finding Hidden Pictures in the Letters of the Alphabet

    Frank Ingrasciotta

  • Investigation Poetry

    Using William Blake's "Tyger" to teach ekphrastic poetry.

    Sherese Francis

  • I Remember

    Writing lyric list poems and anaphora with the help of Joe Brainard's "I Remember."

    Matthew Burgess

  • Recipe Poems 

    Metaphor as a recipe for life

    Sarah Dohrmann

  • The Sound of a Color

    Writing Poems that Blend the Senses

    Susan Karwoska

  • Odes to Animals 

    Using a poem by Luo Binwang as a model for writing odes about our favorite animals.

    Matthew Brailas

  • Collage Poems with “The Jumblies”

    Engaging word play, collage, and the poetry of Edward Lear and Sonia Sanchez to create original poetry.

    Amina Henry

  • Writing the Soul

    An activity inspired by the poems of Mary Oliver and Walt Whitman

    Matthew Burgess

  • Shout Out Poems

    Explore the musical and rhythmic elements of spoken poetry with Sekou Sundiata’s “Shout Out.”

    Libby Mislan

  • “Spring Poems” with E.E. Cummings

    Celebrate any season by writing original and daring poems inspired by E.E. Cummings and his rambunctious wordplay.

    Matthew Burgess

  • The Lune Link

    Use family photographs or magazine images to create 3-line Lune poems.

    Susan Karwoska

  • What a Wonderful World

    An activity that encourages young writers to explore the five senses, inspired by the Louis Armstrong song.

    Matthew Burgess

  • Delight Songs

    Delicious Details take center stage in this writing exercise inspired by N. Scott Momaday's "Delight Song of Tsoai-talee."

    Matthew Burgess

  • Writing Our Way Through

    Tips for leading imaginative writing lessons at home

    Matthew Burgess

  • Writing Our Way Through

    Teaching imaginative writing at home in a time of social distancing.

    T&W