Phillis Wheatley
Lesson plans and other teaching resources

| Biography and Background | | Lesson plans |

Biography and Background

The Hand of America's First Black Female Poet
Listen to a 2005 NPR report about the sale of a document Wheatley wrote.

Phillis Wheatley
Biography.

Phillis Wheatley
Biography and poetry from the Library of Congress.

Lesson plans

Connotation in Phyllis Wheatley's Poetry
This lesson is part of a unit studying the elements of poetry, including various forms of diction, tone, figures of speech, symbols, and meter. It takes approximately one to two days and should be preceded by a general introduction to Wheatley's life and times in order to place the works in their cultural context.

Teacher Guide to "On Being Brought from Africa to America"
How might students use storyboards to demonstrate and to extend their learning? Check the resources here. Includes discussion of TP-CASTT approach for analysis and of rhythm, rhyme, personification, and symbols. Note: Storyboard That helps sponsor this site.

Phillis Wheatley
On this page, a brief biography. Follow links to activities, discussion questions, and support materials.

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
Some approaches to teaching Wheatley's poetry in the context of her life.

Poems by Phillis Wheatley
Hypertext comments and postreading questions for "On Being Brought From Africa to America," "To S. M., a Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works," and "On Imagination."

Poet Phillis Wheatley
Students edit a short paragraph about Wheatley. This activity is designed for elementary students.

Vocabulary for "On Being Brought From Africa to America,"
11 words presented in context and with definitions. Click on a word for pronunciation, examples of recent use, more.