Jeanne Zeller ENGL 481 Major Project 2: LP Final Draft Introduction to Spoken Word Time: Two 30-minute periods

Age: 7th-9th grade Purpose: To develop literacy in Spoken Word: thereby developing students literacy in oral, audio, written, and creative English faculties.

Goals: Decrease affective filters of students by introducing and interesting them in a new literary form. To explore the dimensions and expanded possibilities in Spoken Word poetry as opposed to purely written compositions.

Outcomes: Increased confidence in compositional skills. Increased awareness of devices within a poem. Comprehension of strengths and weaknesses of Spoken Word versus written poetry. Increased critical thinking through thinking about ones presentation ideas, promoting metalinguistic thinking as well. Helping students use poetry to better access identity.

Materials Computers with internet accessall students will need Gmail accounts Projector or TV Copies of lyrics of, Scratch and Dent Dreams, by Eric Darby

Procedure 1. First day a. Open day with introducing slam poetry i. What do you think of when you think poetry? Do you like reading it? Writing it? What makes a good poem? b. Show What Teachers Make i. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU

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c. Show Scratch and Dent Dreams, pass out sheet with the lyrics on it to read as they listen i. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfTa4B7wQ_8 d. Hold short discussion i. How are these different from the conventional idea of poetry? What elements do you notice they have? What do they lack? What are they about? e. Today, were going to work on writing one together. i. 15-20 minutes: begin work on slam poemsince theyre writing it together, they can use Google Docs to compose it all at once. ii. First, pick a topic/truth/concept/event you want to write about 1. If they have trouble thinking of an idea or getting started: a. Sit and write five things you know for a fact about life (give them 3 minutes) b. Share your truths with each other c. Pick one or a few or all of them and go with it d. Still trouble? Take 3 minutes to free-write about it i. Once done, underline your favorite line that you wrotetheres one of the lines of your poem. Work with it. f. Assign for extra credit: i. Look around on Youtube at slam poets. Check out Anis Mojgani, Taylor Mali, Sarah Kay for starters, and look around the links they pop up. Pick one of your favorites and bring it to class next time. Next day: a. Show Youtube videos they brought, if any. i. If they didnt, show, Point B (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Ks1ceHkus ) if the poem theyre composing seems more serious, or Totally, Like Whatever, You Know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAMd-tT6fQ&feature=related, if its lighter (the point of this is to get them back in the groove again Have them continue composing slam poem, challenging them to insert internal rhymes, alliteration, vary rhythms in the lines, etc. Give them 10, 5, and 2 minute warnings After about 15 minutes, begin recording Once satisfied with recording, (and if theres time) have them write a reflection on how they felt about the process.

Student Display: Recordings and hard copies of their poemspossibly post them on Youtube if they are willing Evaluation Criteria: Were the students engaged in the assignment during class (i.e. on-task,

using inspiration from the examples, pushing past the conventions they originally defined as poetry, able to produce a product they are proud of) Were they capable of producing a poem from the examples given? Use the poem, reflections, and discussion participation for evaluation. Extension: Have them perform a poem by another authorcan be someone from the class, a famous author, anything, and record yourself recording it. Compare how it felt to perform a poem written to be read.