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At a Glance
SUBJECTS
ELA
LESSONS
seven structured lessons plus a poetry recital, with extra workshop days if you want them
TOPICS
Poetry, poetic devices, spoken word
FINAL PRODUCT
A poem on the year's theme, up to 50 lines, written on
the provided submission template
FACILITATION GUIDE
Lesson plans, slide decks, student handouts, a poetic devices glossary, the Poetry Café guide, judging rubric, contest guidelines
WHAT YOU SUPPLY
Paper, pencils, printed handouts
Whether or not you're a poet, your students will be.
THIS YEAR'S THEME
Every April, a new theme to write toward
Students write to a theme announced for that year's contest. The seven lessons teach the craft; the theme gives them something to point it at.
2027 THEME
And Yet
There can be two truths to everything. “And yet” is an unfinished phrase that shows us two halves of a truth. Something can be good, and still something aches. Something can be hard, and still something stands. One half doesn't cancel out the other. They exist, and they continue. Together.
Focus Poet
Every year the unit is built around one living poet. Students meet their work in Lesson 1 and come back to it as they draft, so the theme reaches them through a real writer with a real voice rather than a definition on a slide.
Clint Smith
2027 FOCUS POET
Poet, teacher, slam champion. Smith is a poet and writer from New Orleans who taught high school English before he published anything, and in 2014 he was part of the Beltway Poetry Slam team out of Washington, D.C. that won the National Poetry Slam.
THE ARCS
Seven lessons, one class period each
Lessons 1 to 6 fit in two weeks and each one ends with students writing. Lesson 7 opens the workshop, and the recital closes the month.
ELA
Poetry and poetic devices
CCSS ELA/LITERACY
1
Unit Launch and Poetry Introduction
What poetry is, this year's theme, and the Focus Poet, through literature circles
2
Metaphor & Simile
Telling the two apart, then writing original ones into a poem
3
Personification
Analyzing personification, then writing a poem about your neighborhood
4
Alliteration & Symbolism
Repeated sound, and an object that stands for something more
5
Onomatopoeia and Imagery
Sound words, and writing to the senses
6
Spoken Word
Spoken word and slam poetry: structure, devices, and writing to be heard
7
Poetry Workshop
Drafting the contest poem, a structured set of revision moves, then peer review
8
Poetry Recital or Poetry Slam
Sharing original work aloud, and responding to it as a group
WHAT STUDENTS LEAVE WITH
One finished poem, ready to enter.
More lessons if you have the time. A second deck of optional lessons covers concrete poems, odes, elegies and rhyme scheme, for facilities that can give Words Unlocked more than the eight days.
OPTIONAL
The Poetry Café
If you want to make more of the recital, the guide shows you how to run it as a Poetry Café: in your room, across the facility, or virtually with other sites. It covers setting the room, preparing students who don't want to perform, and responding to a poem as a listener.
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BEFORE YOU TEACH IT
Watch the walkthrough
A run-through of the seven lessons, the workshop days and the Poetry Café, so you know what you're walking into before day one.
What it covers
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How the facilitation guide delivers your materials, and how to navigate it
What a typical lesson looks like start to finish
PACING
When to run it
Words Unlocked is flexible. You can shape the pacing to fit your school schedule: start earlier in the month, stretch the days out, or run it whenever it makes the most sense for your students.
If you're entering the national contest, the only date to plan around is April 30, when student poems are due. If you're not entering, Words Unlocked stands completely on its own.
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CONTEST & SHOWCASE
Enter the contest
Every student who finishes gets a certificate. Facilities may submit their student work to the national contest.
Submitting
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Portal opens April 19, 2027
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Portal closes April 30, 2027
Poems run up to 50 lines
Submitted on the template we provide
One poem per 25 eligible poets at your site, up to five
For your classroom
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Prizes for the winning students
Student participation certificate for every student who finishes
Written feedback for all student submissions
Judging rubric and contest guidelines, so students know what the judges look for (both included in the facilitation guide)
GET IT
Request the materials
Fill out the form and we'll email you the full facilitation guide, free.
Form not working? Follow this link.
Questions? Need the materials in a different format? Email initiatives@breakfree-ed.org.
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