Here’s a great list of resources for teaching about Maya Angelou and her work, courtesy of the USDOE Teachers Edition Newsletter on May 29, 2014.
Remembering America's "Phenomenal Woman"
Celebrated poet and author Maya Angelou has long been a favorite of the teachers at ED. To honor her contributions to literature, education, and combating poverty, racism and ignorance, we've included some resources for teaching about the woman and her work, including a link to one of our favorite poems, "Phenomenal Woman."
• Readwritethink.org provides biographical detail about Angelou and resources for classroom activities for grades 7-12. Check our their strategies to help students to analyze the speaker’s feelings and meaning through a well-known Maya Angelou poem.
• Tolerance.org offers lesson ideas to help students think, analyze and act in the classroom and community. This page uses Maya Angelou’s history and writing to get students to examine their own lives and communities and to consider ways they can improve their interaction. The plans not only build students' appreciation for the literary elements at play in her work, but they examine the effects of Angelou's words on society.
• Betterlesson.com offers questions and answer keys to make for quick and easy lesson plans on Maya Angelou. This link includes a brief biography, a poem, discussion or short answer questions, and multiple choice questions.
• Educational Leadership published an interview with Angelou discussing resilience in education. Read the interview (Azzam).
• ASCD's Whole Child blog posted a reflection on Angelou's recent inspirational speech at their annual conference. Read the blog.