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This Golden Shovel Poetry + Mask Art Project invites middle and high school students to explore identity, figurative language, and theme through powerful mentor texts, collaborative art, and original poetry writing.
 
Using “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and “Jabari Unmasked” by Nikki Grimes as mentor poems, students closely read and annotate both texts, review key poetic devices, and examine themes surrounding identity, self-presentation, and voice. From there, they apply those skills in a creative, standards-aligned way by writing their own golden shovel poems.
 
The experience goes beyond traditional poetry analysis by incorporating a hands-on art component, where students collaborate to create plaster masks that visually represent identity and accompanying themes. Guided reflection prompts help students connect literary analysis to personal insight, making poetry feel meaningful and accessible without being “babyish.”
 
This project can be completed as a standalone poetry lesson or expanded into a multi-day learning experience, making it flexible for a variety of pacing needs and classroom settings.
 
Students will:
Analyze and annotate mentor poems
Review and apply figurative language and poetic devices
Identify and discuss themes related to identity and masking
Collaborate on a creative mask-making project
Write original golden shovel poems using mentor text lines
Reflect on identity, voice, and self-expression
 
This resource includes:
A thorough, week-long lesson plan with clear objectives and standards alignment
An editable rubric for assessing poetry and creative work
A complete materials list to support smooth implementation
Direct links to mentor texts and supplemental resources
A step-by-step video tutorial to walk you through setup and classroom use
An alternate, shorter assignment option for flexible pacing or limited time
11 pages of detailed, teacher-friendly instruction designed for middle and high school classrooms
 
Perfect for:
Middle & high school ELA classrooms
Poetry units or Black History Month instruction
SEL-infused, standards-aligned lessons
Teachers looking for rigorous, creative alternatives to traditional poetry assignments