Poetry Rocks Schools: A Resource for Teachers

Poetry Rocks Schools is a powerful resource for teachers to reach students, make deeper connections and improve outcomes. Our exclusive poetry music provides a unique way to connect themes to diﬀerent disciplines. Rooted in English/Language Arts, our platform is uniquely positioned to be used as a cross-curricular resource, including in History/Social Studies, Science, Psych, Health, Music, Drama and Communications. We help students to think “across the board and outside the box.”

We create accompanying videos and standards-based lesson plans and quizzes for use in cross-curricular instruction, grades 6-12, (English Language Arts, Music, Science, Psychology, Business, Religion, History, Art, and Technology).

We’ve been referred to as the “Hamilton” (Broadway musical) of the K-12 classroom, as students become fully engaged and captivated by our melodic, memorable songs, in various popular musical styles – including Rock, Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Country and Reggae.

Students stretch their learning and improve their literacy with collaborative involvement and critical thinking while completing creative and interesting projects and prompts through Poetry Rocks Schools (PRS).

We also make it easy for Teachers! Our educational team creates all-inclusive lesson plan guides aligned with Common Core Standards and SEL standards that do the planning work, from opening prompts to summative assessment. These plans include contextualized historical background, literary and emotional analyses, and exciting prompts and projects that teachers need for students to “buy in” to the lessons with minimal prep time required. PRS resources are organized to be a “one-stop shop” for any innovative educator across the curriculum to create a link across disciplines.

Features for Teachers

Teacher-friendly resource/No training needed
Comprehensive, fully researched lesson plans
Familiar media & entertaining process for students
Varied musical styles (pop, rock, r&b, country, more)
Common core and other standards applied
Well-suited for Social Emotional Learning

Students involved in music programs¹

Learn to read more easily
Improve their social climate
Show more enjoyment in school
Have lower stress levels

Preferred by Teachers and Students

90% of Teachers feel Poetry Rocks is a better way of learning compared to standard poetry lessons.
80% of Teachers & Students feel learning about poetry is more interesting with the use of Poetry Rocks’ music
75% of Students feel they were more likely to remember a poem if set to music

Source: Data collected during Poetry Rocks Schools pilot testing

What Teachers Say

It spurred conversation. The students admitted that whether or not they like the poems or the songs, they were engaged in the conversation. I heard from some students that don’t usually respond.

Ms. Aimee Morrison,
11th Grade

Poetry Rocks is one way to solve the “boring” idea. It also helps to bring out the creative part of all the students. When you give them the opportunity to take complete control over their creativity, the results are amazing.

Ms. Elaine Hamilton ,
4th Grade

Introducing music to the classic or more serious type of poetry will enable the teacher to increase the focus of students, enhance their interest, and increase their comprehension.

Mrs. Lourdes Perez,
5th Grade

What Students Say

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.

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,
High School

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.

Mrs.Devlin
10th Grade

Sample Lesson Content