How Poetry can help students learn.

Using poetry in the class can help support the reading and writing of poetry, but the main purpose of this book is how teachers can use poetry to help students learn about history.

Poetry by itself cannot reach every student. But by using poetry as a teaching tool, it can provide opportunities for using many other methods that can reach a student. When using poetry as a learning tool, it should not be taught in isolation. Each time a student writes a poem, he or she should have a way of presenting the poem to the class or community. By combining the poetry with the presentation learning will occur. The student must learn, review, or explain what he or she has learned in a different way.

For example if a student is asked to write a biographical poem, the student should present the poem to the class in an interesting way. The students’ can act out the poem, illustrate the poem, create music for the poem, or create an interesting dance or movement for the poem. Writing the poem AND presenting or displaying the poem is what creates student learning, creativity and motivation.

When applying poetry in the ancient history classroom, poetry is not taught in isolation. Poetry should be used along with art, music, and movement. It can be created in groups or independently. It can address math, logic, nature, and introspect. By designing activities that involve poetry, all these learning styles can be addressed. Scores will go up and you will be forever remembered and loved.