Novels in verse are a unique genre that offer a refreshing change of pace for readers who are looking for something different from traditional novels. Not only do they provide a compelling story, but the format of verse adds another layer of complexity to the reading experience.
For students, reading novels in verse can be a great way to improve their literacy and critical thinking skills as they must pay closer attention to the language and poetic devices used by the author. Additionally, the brevity of the lines and stanzas make these books more accessible for struggling readers or those who are intimidated by longer, denser texts. By exploring different styles and themes through novels in verse, students can develop a love for literature that will stay with them long after they leave the classroom.
If you’re looking for creative ways to blend verse novels into your regular lessons, try a choice reading unit. Here are some perfect activity ideas to get you started. You can also find a list of my favorite verse novels by clicking here. Once your students have chosen their novel in verse, implement a few of the activities below to help them demonstrate what they know.
#1: Rewrite the Verse to Prose
Have students choose a section of verse in their novel. Then, have them rewrite the verse in traditional prose form.
For example, read the section titled “Stoop Sitting” from The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo right here.
See my example below of how to change the verse to prose.
#2: Find a Nonfiction Connection
Direct students to consider the themes of their novel. What real world connections can they find in the text? Have your students find a nonfiction article, website, blog post, TED Talk, or relevant piece of media to accompany a major theme in the text and explain why they chose it. You can have them use a website like Common Lit to explore texts by theme.
#3: Create a Blog Entry
Allow students to write a blog entry based on the text. They can write from the point of view of a character or perhaps a blog based on a major issue in the text. Tell them to be creative and stretch their imaginations on this one. Here is a quick resource to help you if your students have not crafted a blog before.
#4: Write a Spoken Word Response
Have your students choose an issue, a character, or an event in their verse novel and formulate a spoken word response. Students can record their responses using a platform like Vocaroo or WeVideo.
#5: Create a Soundtrack
For this activity, students should choose 3 songs that would describe a scene, character, theme, or overall mood in the verse novel. Have them explain why they chose the songs and how they relate to the topic. Students should include 3-4 lines of relevant lyrics for each song and provide a link for each song choice where applicable.
Grab My Done-For-You Resource!
Ready to try novels in verse in your classroom, but don’t have the time to put something together? I’ve got you covered! Grab my resource here and you’ll be able to offer your students 9 choices of activities to show what they’ve read.
Teaching novels in verse to your secondary ELA classes can be a powerful and rewarding experience. You are helping students to explore emotions, language and structure through engaging activities that keep them curious and interested in the content.
Try out any of these five activities today – you and your students will benefit from exploring words in poetic form.
So, which activity will you try? Sound off in the comments below or follow me on Instagram to join the conversation as we discuss how best to use novels in verse for our secondary ELA lessons!
Happy teaching!
