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

  • Offered Fridays in March and April, 2026
  • 3rd-5th grade classes
  • Limit 24 participants per group (including students and adults; at least 1 chaperone per 8 students required)
  • 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 (40 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 (35 minutes)

How to Book Your Field Trip

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Materials

Goals and itinerary for the Poetry Workshop field trip.

Download Poetry Workshop Itinerary

Tags: homes literature

Last updated: September 15, 2025