Lesson Title: Poetry Scavenger Hunt: A Fun ELA Activity for Student Expression
Looking for a meaningful and creative way to bring poetry into your classroom? This versatile lesson plan is designed to help students explore different types of poetry while reflecting on the people who matter most to them.
Perfect for National Poetry Month (celebrated every April), seasonal celebrations like spring, holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, or anytime you want to spark creativity and build language skills in your students. It's also a great fit for cross-curricular projects or special occasions that call for thoughtful expression.
Through hands-on group work, poetic expression, and a fun, interactive Goosechase Experience, your students will learn how to craft everything from haikus to free verse—all while building confidence in their writing and celebrating the power of words.
Grade: 4 - 10
Subject: English Language Arts
Learning Objectives:
- By the end of this lesson, students will:
- Identify and understand different types of poetry
- Collaborate in small groups to explore poetic devices and forms
- Write original poems inspired by a parent, guardian, or loved one
- Complete a Goosechase scavenger hunt to showcase their understanding and creativity
Materials:
- Mobile devices (tablets, phones, or laptops) with the Goosechase app installed
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Markers or pens
- Printed examples of poems (or digital links)
- Student notebooks or writing paper
Preparation:
- Create an Experience on the Goosechase app with a series of Missions focussed on poetry.
- Develop Missions that require students to demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned. Example Missions:
- Poetry in Action – Take a picture of something that reminds you of your poem’s subject. Add a caption using a simile or metaphor.
- Acrostic Artist – Write an acrostic poem for MOM, DAD, or LOVE
- Perform It! – Record a group member reading a poem you created.
- Poetry Detective – Find a poem in your textbook, library, or online and identify at least one poetic device it uses.
- Find example Missions in the Goosechase Templates below.
- Adapt the difficulty of the Missions based on the proficiency levels of your students to keep the activity inclusive and engaging for everyone.
- Prepare hints or resources that might help students solve the Missions if needed.
- Divide students into teams and assign each team a mobile device with the app, or have students complete the scavenger hunt individually.
- Run your Experience during one class period or longer.
- App Set-Up
- Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to avoid any tech issues.
Lesson Plan Outline:
- Warm Up & Introduction
- Engage students in a discussion about poetry:
- What makes someone special in your life?
- Encourage them to think beyond just "Mom" and "Dad" — it could be a grandparent, older sibling, coach, etc.
- Brainstorm as a class:
- Words and phrases that describe the people they’re thinking about
- Emotions connected to love, gratitude, or admiration
- Engage students in a discussion about poetry:
- Mini-Lesson: Poetry 101
- Introduce a few popular types of poems (use examples!):
- Acrostic Poem – First letter of each line spells out a word (e.g., MOTHER
- Haiku – 3-line poem with 5-7-5 syllables
- Free Verse – No rules! Just heartfelt expression
- Rhyming Couplet – Two lines that rhyme and go together
- Limerick (for older grades) – Funny, 5-line poem with AABBA rhyme
- Highlight important poetry terms such as imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, rhyme
- Introduce a few popular types of poems (use examples!):
- Group Activity
- Break students into small groups and assign each group a type of poem. Each group will:
- Read a short example of that poem type
- Identify its structure and poetic devices
- Create a short poem about a person they appreciate
- Share their poem with the class
- Encourage creativity and even a little humor
- Goosechase Scavenger Hunt
- Read through Missions with students, emphasizing the importance of evidence and analysis in their responses.
- Monitor progress and provide assistance as necessary.
- If working in teams, encourage them to strategize and collaborate to solve the Missions.
- Sit back and enjoy watching your students collaborate and demonstrate their learning.
- Debrief and Reflection
- Review the activity, discussing which missions were the most challenging or fun.
- Discuss how teams collaborated and solved problems together.
- Discuss students’ favourite type of poetry.
- Optionally, award prizes to the team(s) with the highest score.
Optional Post-Experience Activities:
- Poetry Wall
- Display student work on a Poetry Wall or Display for other students and classes to view.
- Poetry Café
- Host a Poetry Café where students share their poems with their class. Optionally, invite other students or parents to join.
- Independent Poem
- Ask students to write their own poem using any of the styles taught. It can be serious, silly, or sweet — the goal is expression!
Assessment
- Participation and teamwork during activities.
- Engagement with Goosechase missions.
- Informal check-ins on understanding of poetry types and terms.
- Optional: Exit ticket – Write one thing you learned and one thing you loved.
Ready Made Experience To Try
Romeo and Juliet - Part 2
Analyze key writing aspects of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This game covers Act Two, Scene Two to Act Three, Scene Five.
Poetry in Motion
Explore poetic forms, flex your creativity, and bring your words to life in this interactive poetry adventure!
Poetry Power Words
Put your poetry vocab to the test! Complete creative missions that help you learn, define, and demonstrate poetic terms in action.
Want a copy of this lesson plan to use with your class?
What is Goosechase EDU?
Goosechase is an online platform that helps educators create and run interactive learning experiences in their classrooms and beyond. Sign up and try creating an Experience, or contact us to learn more about our school and district-wide solutions!
