Field Trips

Field Trip: Longfellow Poetry Workshop

Grade Level:
Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
State Standards:
Massachusetts ELA Standards
W.3/4/5.3
SL.3/4/5.1
SL.3.2
SL.4.2
SL.5.2

This on-site Field Trip program will not be offered in 2025 due to an ongoing floor covering replacement project.

  • March-April
  • Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 10:00-11:45 AM
  • 3rd-5th grade classes
  • Limit 24 students per group (at least 1 chaperone per 8 students)
  • Free
  • Reservations required

As a writer, famous poet Henry Longfellow took inspiration from many things – his children, people who lived in the house before him, his community, and his travels. During this creative 90-minute program, 3rd-5th grade students will explore literary history and use poetry as a tool to express their experiences and inspirations.

Students will consider the people, places, and ideas that inspired the work of famed 19th century poet Henry Longfellow. They will work together to analyze the structure and meaning of four of his poems: “The Children’s Hour,” “The Village Blacksmith,” “To a Child,” and “Travels by the Fireside.”

The program includes a visit to Longfellow’s Study or Library, where students will undertake a sensory exploration of the historic space and analyze poetry. Finally, students will collaborate to write original poetry based on their own inspirations and experiences, and share it with their classmates in a fun and supportive environment.

This program consists of three parts (detailed itinary below under "Source Materials"):

  1. Welcome, introduction and initial poem discussion (45 minutes)

  2. Brief visit to the inside of the house (one group will visit the Study, the other the Library), second poem discussion and sensory exploration (30 minutes)

  3. Create your own poem challenge, shareout (45 minutes)

Parts 1 and 3 take place outdoors (weather permitting) on the Longfellow House lawn. In the event of inclement weather, these will move inside the Carriage House.

How to Book Your Field Trip

Email us

Materials

Goals and itinerary for the 2023 Poetry Workshop field trip.

Download Longfellow Poetry Workshop Itinerary

Tags: homes literature

Last updated: October 27, 2024