Even the most reluctant students love creating “found” poems, also known as blackout poetry. All you’ll need to fill an entire class session is this Prezi (click here to download a FREE copy from my shop), dark markers or crayons, and a few newspaper pages or photocopies of a few pages from any novel you’re currently studying. Begin with an explanation of the technique, hand out supplies, and wait for the awesomeness to emerge.
I use this lesson as a part of my larger poetry unit, but it also makes for a nice mid-novel break on a day when you want to allow the kids to catch their breath/catch up on their reading.
Check out these inspiring examples from The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, and the New York Times:
