Resources
Our mission is to encourage the creative voices of young people. To this end, we’d like to share some resources we’ve created and found to support kids, teens, and adults interested in teaching and learning about poetry and art.
Poetry and Art Lessons
Designed by Young Radish
We created poetry and art lessons to go along with our past issue (Volume 1: Community)!
Note to educators: These lessons can be adapted for students in grades 3-9. These lessons are freely available for download and sharing; just please credit Young Radish as the source.
Students use mentor poems and art as inspiration: texts created by young people and adults such as Jacob Lawrence, William Carlos Williams, and Ruben Guadalupe Marquez. Students create letter poems, odes to beloved foods, collages honoring community members, and abstract paintings of moments from their communities.
Art Lesson Plan: Art About Our Communities
Poetry Lesson Plan: Odes to a Food You Like
Art Lesson Plan: Celebrating People with Art
Poetry Lesson Plan: Letter Poems
Additional Resources
Resources for Teaching Poetry
Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice (2015)
A fantastic collection of writing and lesson plans by teachers on using poetry in the classroom, grades K-16. (Edited by Linda Christensen and Dyan Watson)
https://www.rethinkingschools.org/books/title/rhythm-and-resistance
Poets.org - Materials for Teachers
A wide array of resources from the Academy of American Poets, the largest non-profit poetry organization in the world. A great collection of mentor texts, along with lesson plans.
https://poets.org/materials-teachers
Poetry Foundation: Young People’s Poet Laureates
Naomi Shihab Nye, the current Young People’s Poet Laureate, compiles resources about reading and teaching poetry. Previous Young People’s Poet Laureates are also featured, including Jacqueline Woodson, Margarita Engle, and Kenn Nesbitt.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/young-peoples-poet-laureate
Poetry out Loud: Lesson Plans
This national program focuses on the performance of poetry, and also includes a competition for high school students.
https://www.poetryoutloud.org/teachers-organizers/lesson-plans/
Writing Poetry on the Playground
This resource was shared with us by a young poet who said it was helpful for her!
https://www.playgroundequipment.com/writing-poetry-on-the-playground/
Resources for Young Writers
826 National
A network of great youth writing centers! Hubs in Boston, DC, New Orleans, NYC, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Valencia, LA, and Minneapolis. They partner with schools and also publish lots of excellent writing by young folks:
Young Poets Network
An online platform for poets up to the age of 25! They post features about poets and poetry, host challenges and competitions to inspire your writing, publish new writing from young poets, and share advice and guidance from other poets.
Publications We Like (With Art and Writing by Young People)
Stone Soup
Literary magazine written and illustrated by kids through age 13.
IndyKids
An online newspaper written by kids, for kids, with a particular focus on social justice. IndyKids also runs “kid reporter” training programs.
Illustoria
A print magazine for “creative kids and their grownups.” With writing and art made by students from the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers (including 826).
https://www.illustoria.com/about
Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things.
A semiannual journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for all ages, accepting submissions from kids and adults ages 10 and up.
Where to Publish Writing by Teens and Older Students
A list of publication venues, curated by Stone Soup.