Inside the Classroom: Mrs. Weaver’s Senior Poetry Presentations

Over the past couple of weeks, Mrs. Weaver’s AP English class has been given the opportunity to take control and teach everyone about a poet. Each senior was tasked with choosing a different poet ranging anywhere from Matsuo Basho to Sylvia Plath to Yehuda Amichai. They had to research their poet, create a website for them, and then teach a poem written by their chosen poet to the class. The website was a more interesting way to display the same information that one would have to put in an essay. It contained a brief biography, literary criticisms, and analysis of five different poems from their poet. Each student also had to write some poetry of their own in the style of their poet which proved to be a challenging assignment. Students presented their website and recited the poem they memorized for their class activity. A few students took their recitations to a whole nother level as more of a dramatic reading with the help of a few props. Creative ways to teach the class included game boards, the use of music, and group discussion. Students were able to help their classmates engage in discussions over the poem and the poet which often lead to some incredible insights and connections. Overall, the project was not just educational and thoughtful but also extremely entertaining and enjoyable.

 

Reem Khalifa teaching Elizabeth Lucero the poem she memorized