Roll-a-Poem Lesson Plan: A Poetry Game with Figurative Language
This Roll-a-Poem lesson plan turns figurative language practice into a quick classroom game. Students roll a die to determine which poetic device they must include, then build a poem that uses the device meaningfully rather than simply checking it off a list.
Learning Goals & Standards
Students will identify and apply common poetic devices, revise language for effect, and explain how a chosen device changes a poem. This supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4, W.9-10.4, and W.9-10.5.
Materials & Preparation
- One die per pair or small group
- A device key: 1 simile, 2 metaphor, 3 personification, 4 alliteration, 5 onomatopoeia, 6 hyperbole
- Notebook paper or devices
- Optional topic cards
Bell Ringer: Name That Device
Display six teacher-created sample lines, one for each device. Students identify the technique and explain the clue that helped them decide.
Mini-Lesson: Technique with Purpose
Briefly review the six devices. Emphasize that strong poetry uses a device because it improves an image, mood, sound, or idea. Model revising a plain sentence twice: first with a forced device, then with a more purposeful one. Ask which version feels more natural and why.
Student Work: Roll-a-Poem
Round 1: Warm-Up Lines
Students roll once and write a single line using the matching device. Partners check whether the device is accurate.
Round 2: Build a Stanza
Students roll three times and write a six- to eight-line stanza containing all three devices.
Round 3: Revise for Meaning
Students choose one device to strengthen. They revise the line so the technique contributes to tone or imagery.
Optional Challenge Round
Roll a device and draw a random topic such as “the last bus,” “a thunderstorm,” “an empty gym,” or “Sunday night.” Students have five minutes to create a short poem.
Assessment & Exit Ticket
Assess correct use of devices and, more importantly, whether they fit the poem. Exit ticket: Which poetic device was easiest to use naturally? Which was hardest?
Differentiation
Allow students to use a reference sheet with definitions and examples. For added challenge, require the same device twice in different ways or have students explain the effect of each device in a brief annotation.
First-Hand Suggestions for Teachers
I would keep the competitive element light. The dice create enough unpredictability on their own. The strongest learning comes from the revision round, where students move from “I included a metaphor” to “this metaphor actually improves the poem.”
Extend the Lesson
Students can create their own six-sided device key and trade it with another group, adding techniques such as consonance, assonance, repetition, or enjambment.
See more games in 45 Poetry Games for the Classroom.
Featured photo: Mark Casey via Unsplash.
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