Our Lessons in the Classroom
Poetry builds resilience in kids and adults; it fosters Social and Emotional Learning. A well crafted phrase or two in a poem can help us see an experience in an entirely new way.
We engage and inspire by adapting poetry and text into original songs that are produced to sound like today’s music. This new format empowers school teachers to engage students on a familiar & ever-changing cultural level.
What the students say
I thought Poetry Rocks was a fun and interesting way to change things up. It allowed for a bit more fun in the classroom. It also helped you to understand the poem more, and remember it better.
Ursuline High ScHOOL
Mrs.Devlin (10th grade)
We made the poems and put them into songs. We also put in any kind of background music in it to se what we liked. And so now we are in groups and singing some stanzas in the poems.
Holy Family,
Hamilton (4th grade)
Poetry Rocks made my love for poetry much more intense. It also improved my understanding of the difference between poetry and songwriting.
Chaney VPA/STEM,
Courim (9-12th grades)
At first I thought it was just going to be another boring poetry lesson. I did like how the person who wrote the song lyrics to the poem matched it with a certain rhythm that made it more interesting.
Ursuline High ScHOOL, Mrs.Devlin (10th grade)
I felt that it really made me pay more attention to poetry
Andy – Manorhaven,
Mrs. Perez (5th grade)
What the teachers say
What a great idea to connect kids’ cultural lives with poetry,
Teacher’s assistant at Manorhaven Elementary
which they may otherwise find hard to relate to.
Port Washington, NY (5th grade)
The students love the poems turned into songs and they were so excited about it the next day several of them took it up on themselves to bring in songs they wrote from poems they chose as lyrics.
Ms.Peggy Moore,
Courim (9-12th grades)
The lessons are a nice alternative to somewhat stale lessons.
Ms. Lisa Devlin,
Ursuline High School / Youngstown, OH (10th grade)
Song Samples
Poem: Acquainted with the Night
Author: Robert Frost
Grades: 6-12
Musical Style(s): Pop-rock with rap
This lesson plan includes an exercise for each student to write and perform their own rap/spoken word verse about the author Robert Frost. A student version counts the student in karaoke style and the male vocal is muted so students can practice and perform their verse.
Poem: Widening Circles
Author: Rainer Maria Rilke
Grades: 4-6
Musical Style(s): Indie Pop, Pop-Rock, Reggae
Lesson plan discusses the symbolism including circles, falcon, storm along with metaphor and hyperbole while comparing their experience between hearing the song, and just reading the poem in silence or class discussion about the choices made in creating the Poetry Rocks Schools video.
Literary Work: I Went Down to the Woods
Author: Henry David Thoreau
Grades: 9-12
Musical Style(s): Modern Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop-Rock
Lesson plan includes cross-cultural activities with science, math, psychology, history, communications and art. Students explore the impact, relevance and themes of Transcendentalism through creative essays and philosophical debate.
Literary Work: Sonnet 29,30
Author: William Shakespeare
Grades: 9-12
Musical Style(s): Rap, Hip-Hop, Pop
Lesson plan includes exercise where students create raps/verses, roll play, writing their own 14-line sonnets and relating themes to today’s culture and current events.
Watch Poetry Rocks Schools in action
