Provide students with a printed copy of the lyrics to the song "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry. Ask for a volunteer to read the first three stanzas aloud; then have students finish the rest on their own. Once they have finished, ask the students whether it is a song or a poem and why. After their responses, play the song and ask how their impression of the lyrics changed when put to music and how they were the same. For homework, have students bring in a copy of school-appropriate lyrics to one of their favorite songs and share them with the class.
Print out enough copies of the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost for every student in your class and cut out each word. Place the sets of words in plastic bags and distribute them. Ask your students to use the clipped-out words to make a poem of their own and then ask for volunteers to share their poems with the class. Afterwards, show students the original poem on an overhead display and ask the class how Frost's use of the words was different from or similar to their own.
You could use a Poetry Cafe activity to give students a bit of a breather after a big test or project. Ask the students to bring in a copy of their favorite poem to the next day's class. On that day, clear out an area in the middle of the room and lay down some bean bag chairs and carpet squares. Bring in some coffee and cafe-themed snacks and let everyone enjoy them on the floor them while volunteers read their favorite poems to the class.
Rhymed couplets are one of the most common poetic forms in the English language. Before class, pick out 15 rhyming couplets from your own favorite poems. Cut out each line, for a total of 30, and hand one line to each student. Ideally, you should choose several couplets that share the same ending rhyme; this will force students to look at the meaning of the words, not just the rhymes. Students will search the room for the person with the matching line and share their couplets with the class when they finish.