Read a set of identity poems written by authors from different backgrounds, and then ask students to write and share their own poetry.
This activity supports the development of the following social-emotional skills: self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Ask students to read examples of poems revolving around the theme of identity and discuss the questions below in pairs or groups. You might choose to focus on a set of poems as a class, or have groups/pairs tackle different poems and then share their reflections with the class.
Poetry examples:
Note: for more poems, reading guides, and lesson plans, visit poets.org or commonlit.org.
Have students write their own poems about their identities. Challenge them to use some of the literary tools they observed in the poems they read, and encourage them to get creative!
Hold an Open Mic event and invite students to read their poems aloud or perform them in front of the class. You might also choose to hold a larger event with other classes or organize a virtual Open Mic event with your Empatico partner class! Alternatively, ask students to record themselves reading or performing their poems, and collect their videos through a digital tool (e.g., Flipgrid or Wakelet) to share with parents or your partner class.
This activity was created in partnership with CommonLit.
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