Bring the magic of nonsense poetry to life with this 17-page poetry unit for Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky.” Perfect for middle and high school ELA, this unit combines close reading, vocabulary study, literary analysis, and creative writing. Students learn how to analyze the rhythm, structure, and meaning of the poem while also experimenting with their own nonsense poetry.

Why Teachers Love It

• Saves planning time with ready-to-use lessons and activities
• Builds poetry analysis skills (meter, rhyme, parts of speech, figurative language)
• Helps students tackle challenging vocabulary and wordplay with confidence
• Encourages creativity with a nonsense poem writing activity
• Works well for both middle and high school classrooms
• Includes comprehension, analysis, creative writing, and a quiz in one unit
• Flexible for distance learning or in-person classrooms with print & digital formats
• Answer key included for quick grading

What’s Inside

• Biography of Lewis Carroll
• Notes and “vocabulary” terms from the poem (as explained by Humpty Dumpty)
• Comprehension questions
• Activity on meter and rhyme
• Activity on identifying and applying parts of speech
• Creative writing activity: write your own nonsense poem
• 10-question quiz on the poem and poetic elements
• Complete answer key
• Printable and digital versions

Why It Works
"Jabberwocky" engages students with its playful language, rhythm, and creativity while also challenging them to think critically about word choice, structure, and meaning. This unit helps demystify the poem’s nonsense vocabulary, teaches essential analysis skills, and provides an outlet for students to apply what they’ve learned by crafting their own original nonsense poems.

Please Note: Poem text not included.