Every teacher has students who insist they can’t write poetry because they just can’t think of the right words. That’s why blackout poems are so amazing! The words are already there—students just need to uncover them and find the hidden message. Our blackout poetry template bundle has tools to make the process easy for students of any age.
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Blackout Poetry Template and Worksheets
Here’s what you’ll find in our blackout poetry bundle:
Tips for Using These Blackout Poetry Templates
Looking for ways to use blackout poetry in your classroom? Try these teaching tips and ideas:
Start with a single page
One of the best ways to show students how every blackout poem really is different is by having them all start with the same source material (like our Peter Pan page above). When everyone has finished their poem, compare the results to see that a page of text can reveal very different hidden messages to everyone!
Offer source material choices
Once your students have built up some confidence, provide a wider selection of pages for them to choose from. Include pages from magazines, newspapers, old books, and anything else with plenty of text for them to look through.
Try source material “speed dates”
Have students choose a page at random from your stack, then spend two minutes skimming it and making notes on how they’d use it for a poem. Repeat the process a few times until everyone has had a chance to look over several options, then have students pick their favorites.
Display a blackout poetry gallery
This poetry style has a lot in common with visual art, making it perfect for a display. For an even more interesting gallery, photocopy the original source pages first, and hang them side-by-side with the finished poems.
Learn more: What Is Blackout Poetry? (Plus Examples and Ideas)
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