Every classroom is different, and while we acknowledge that some students struggle with poetry, others may be compelled by the intimate narratives of family and immigrant history in Ocean Vuong's work. Many of the poems contain graphic images of sex and, more significantly, of violence; teachers should be prepared to scaffold these subjects carefully for their classes and to offer content warnings as they believe necessary.
These lessons and activities provide many different approaches to the text; select those that best suit the strengths and interests of your own class. The thought questions in this lesson plan provide material and ideas that students can use to write short original...
