1) Cubic Poems:

Have the students write poems consisting of three stanzas. Each stanza will consist of three lines, and those three lines will each have only three words in them. The catch: students can only use words that act as both nouns and verbs i.e. rent, joke, pay. This will allow students to be creative in writing their own poems but they still must follow the constraint. This activity will also act as a good grammar review.

2) Renga Poetry:

We did this in my LLED class last semester and it’s a fun one. Each student takes out a piece of paper and has about 30 seconds or so to write a line (any line of poetry as long as it’s classroom appropriate) that they wish. Then, they are to fold the paper so their line is hidden. They pass their papers to the person next to them, who writes their own line of poetry without being able to see what the previous person wrote. This continues until everyone has the poem they originally started with. Have the students share with their peers and read their poems aloud. The end result: a hilarious collection of poems that the students actually ENJOYED writing and reading out loud.

3) Dramatic Readings:

This can be done provided the students have a class set of textbooks they’ve been working with already. Have the students skim the text or poetry anthology and choose a poem or piece that interests them. They can, either individually or in groups, present their piece to the class. This can be done as a simple dramatic reading, or skit. Wrap up by having students identify at least 2 poetic and/or literary devices, along with an explanation as to why they chose the poem or how it made them feel etc. Hits the public speaking PLO too which is always a plus. I did dramatic readings and was so pleasantly surprised at what the students came up with. Some sang! It’s amazing what students can come up with if they’re given some flexibility.

4) Debates on Current Events:

English class is a great place to open up discussion regarding current events or issues in the media. Divide the class into groups of 4 and provide topics for their choosing. Vegetarianism, video games restrictions, social media, and animal testing were a few hits with my grade 12s. Go over the debate structure on the board and give them some time to prepare. When they’re ready, they can begin their debates (group by group) as their peers take notes to facilitate their questions after. Finish up with a reflection piece explaining why they chose the topic they did and if they still hold the same opinion after their debate concluded.

5) Literature Circles:

If students are working with a particular text, assemble them into groups of 4 or 5 and have them engage in a literature circle. They will discuss different aspects such as the plot, theme, key scenes and quotations, character, setting, and personal opinions. You can either assign each group one single category for discussion or have all the groups discuss all the categories. You can have the groups present out if you like or you can simple move around the room facilitating discussion. This is a great student entered activity that promotes fruitful discussion and can also work well during a Shakespeare play. It may be useful to carry a few short stories with you if you think you might be teaching an English class that day and the teacher does’t leave you with anything. This activity would also be great if you were TOC’ing in the middle of a novel study and haven’t read the text. Have the students teach YOU the literary elements to promote discussion.