Ballad Teacher Resources

Young balladeers analyze examples of ballads and generate a list of common traits (story, quatrains, rhyme schemes, refrains, etc.), then identify these traits in Robert W. Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and a ballad written by...

What do the theme song from Gilligan's Island, the nursery rhyme "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat," and the poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" all have in common? Why, they're ballads of course! Challenge your young balladeers to compose their...

This isn't your traditional Robin Hood tale! Explore a Middle English ballad with your young historians, and examine the underlying structure and purpose of historical texts.

Students explore the poetic ballad. They examine the rhythm of a typical ballad and listen to recitations of sample ballads. They choose an article from a supermarket tabloid and write a comical ballad using rhythms and structures...

Students compare and contrast different forms of communication.  In this poetry lesson plan, students focus on the ballad form and read "Timothy Winters". Students draw conclusions from the ballad and divide into groups to research the...

"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...

Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...

In this original music composition worksheet, students compose a piano accompaniment for their own original ballads as they follow the 7 steps on this worksheet,

In this ballad composition worksheet, students compose a ballad in any key as they write a 12 line rhyming poem and continue to follow the other 6 steps to create their original ballad.

Expose your class to various poetic forms. Listed in and described in this slide show are: ballad, lyric poem, ode, dramatic monologue, sonnet, and villanelle. Some descriptions are more detailed than others. 

Students create "cowboy ballads" in this interactive, multi-day lesson. The cowboy is researched using various sources and class discussions. Students evaluate individual work at the end of the lesson.

Try to guess the title of the Edgar Allan Poe work when you are given the first line of the poem! Fifteen mostly multiple-choice questions will have you racking your brain to recall the opening words of some not-so-well-known pieces. See...

Upper elementary learners explore and practice identifying poetry in the ABAB rhyming format. In groups, they participate in choral reading of the poem, "The Ballad of Dirty Joe," emphasizing words appropriately and speaking in the...

As a review of poetry and literary terms, this resource would be a great addition in a middle school classroom. There are questions involving sonnets, similies, haikus, and more. An instructor could use this resource as is, or add...

A six-week unit takes high schoolers through various works of African-American literature, including poems, plays, and short stories. The lesson plan format includes a week-by-week description of activities, goals, materials, and...

Students write epic poems, songs, or ballads to describe adventures of their own. They discover that storytellers often told stories as epic poems, songs, or ballads. They share and discuss some of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad.

Engaging and fun, this lesson is a good way to reinforce context clues with this lesson, in which middle schoolers investigate literary puzzles. They apply critical thinking skills to codes in order to solve them. They use a variety of...

Consisting of a thorough and straightforward list of poetry terminology, the first part of this presentation would be a good introduction to a poetry unit, or a review for an upcoming poetry project. The list of terms is quite extensive,...

Eighth graders study the 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' They study the ballad and explore style and technique. Students use the internet and search previously identified news sites for current items of interest. They use images copied...

For this language arts worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle. Clues refer to types of poetry such as ballad, chant, couplet, clerihew, limerick and tanka.

Introducing or need to review literary devices and terms for a study of poetry? Though text heavy, the explanations and examples of key poetic devices will provide learners with the vocabulary they need to discuss and craft poems.

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Odyssey have in common? Why, they are all epics, of course, and are presented here as examples of the literary term. If you are beginning a study of epics, consider previewing the terms included...

Students listen to and analyze the ballad "American Pie." They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan. They circle the appropriate descriptive words of the song's medium form, melody, tempo and dynamics, and style.

Fifth graders examine the life and music of Stephen Foster. Via a Powerpoint presentation, they inspect a timeline of the composer's life. On a Website, 5th graders listen to different Foster songs including his parlor ballads,...