See below for a sample lesson plan I created using a costume design process to teach poetry.

Poetry Costume Designers

Note: This lesson plan is based on the poem “Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson; however, it can easily be adapted to fit another poem or work of literature, making it adaptable to a wide variety of ages and settings. 

Materials:
  1.  Handouts for each student of the poem “Richard Corey” (see "Resources" below)
  2. Character Outline worksheets (see "Resources" below)
  3. Color swatches.  A large variety will be needed, and they can be easily obtained from any home improvement store in the form of paint chips (often free-of-charge).
  4. Texture tray. This can be easily created with objects in and around the house. Start with an empty tray, and gather small objects with a distinct texture. Your goal is a tray full of as many different textures as possible; for example: terry cloth, a cotton ball, tangled string, brillo pads, mulch, sandpaper, metal, tile, sponge, play dough, etc.
  5. Photo clippings from magazines depicting a wide range of male clothing choices.
Presentation:
  1. Assign each stanza of “Richard Corey” to a student in the classroom and have them read the poem aloud. (For a small class, I prefer asking students to sit in a circle on the floor for this lesson, but use your own discretion.)
  2. Distribute blank character outline worksheets.  Explain that students have a few minutes to quickly brainstorm in two categories:  a) things others think about Richard Corey.  These ideas should be written outside the body outline, and b) things Richard Corey thinks about himself.  These ideas should be written inside the outline.
  3. Make color swatches available (if the class is sitting in a circle on the floor, you can spread the samples out in the center, creating a “color puddle.” If the class is too large to make this practical, have the swatches pre-set on a table in the room the whole class will be able to easily access). Instruct students to quickly and impulsively select a few colors that they believe suit the character of Richard Corey. Explain that these colors do not have to literally be colors the he would wear or have in is house, but rather colors that express his inner character. What colors feel like Richard Corey? Encourage students to revisit the thoughts they recorded on their character outlines if they get stuck (with this or any of the following steps).
  4. Make texture tray available (again, either by placing it in the center of the circle, or by having it preset in an accessible area of the room). Instruct students to examine the textures presented and make note of one or some that feel like the character of Richard Corey. As with the color samples, reinforce the idea that these textures are an abstract representation of character.
  5. Make clippings of various clothing choices available. Instruct students to choose several images to collage that represent their costuming choice for the character of Richard Corey.
  6. Follow these activities up with a group discussion. Some sample questions to kick things off: Ask students to share their color, texture, and wardrobe choices with class, and to articulate why they made those choices. What have they learned about the character through these exercises? How does opinion differ from student to student? How do the discoveries students have made about Richard Corey’s character illuminate the greater meaning of the poem as a whole?
Resources:

“Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Character Outline image for worksheets:

Copy and enlarge to fit desired page size.