Sequence of activities:

Prep students with discussion

Ask students to share out on the following questions: What does it mean to tell the truth? Why is it important? Why do people lie?
Then move through the following steps:

Step One: Have students brain storm a list of truths about themselves, their personality, or their life.

Step Two: Have students think about a lie they tell about themselves or wish were true.  

Step Three: Start the poem. (Students will start the poem with the sentence: “Two truths and a lie, one I hide the other I cannot deny”)

Step Four: Using simile and metaphors describe your two truths and a lie. Use the line “Two truths and a lie, one I hide the other I can’t deny” to start every other new line in the poem. This can be done in any order.

EX: Two truths and a lie, one I hide the other I can’t deny ...(insert description of truth #1) ___________________
___________ (insert description of truth #2) ___________________________________________
Two truths and a lie, one I hide the other I can’t deny ... (insert description of lie) _____________________________________________________________________________

Step Five: Read over poem. Ask yourself if this sounds the way you want it to sound. Even though I used different figures of speech, is the poem clear on what my truth and lie is? Do I use enough descriptors to make my ideas clear?

Step Six: Reflect, make edits, and share out.