Title:
Poetry is Everywhere
Grade:
High School Juniors
Length:
40 minutes
Purpose:
To recognize and appreciate the poetic value of the spoken word as
performed in Slam Poetry.
Learning Objectives:
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Introduction (5 Minutes):
Introduce students to spoken word poetry: Slam Poetry
Give the opportunity to create and perform poetry
Practice working in a group and speaking in front of the
class
Learn and understand some poetry terms and
techniques
Show video of Slam Poetry to illustrate beginnings of and
variation in this form of spoken word competition. Please
note that this video segment may contain potentially
sensitive language that some students may think is
inappropriate.
*LIGHTS OFF*
Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aQNktsy2uc
*LIGHTS ON*
Transition: “That was an excerpt from a spoken word "slam" poetry event. Spoken word
poetry has been around forever, but slam poetry was invented not long ago.”
Lecture (2 minutes): History of Slam Poetry
In 1984 construction worker and poet, Marc Smith, started a poetry reading at a Chicago
jazz club. He was looking for a way to breathe life into the “open mike” form of poetry.
This endeavor, with its emphasis on performance, laid the groundwork for the brand of
poetry that would eventually be exhibited in slam poetry. In 1986, Smith approached
Dave Jemilo, the owner of the Green Mill: a Chicago jazz club and former haunt of Al
Capone, with a plan to host a weekly poetry competition on Sunday nights. Jemilo
welcomed him, and the Uptown Poetry Slam was born on July 25 of that year. Smith
drew on baseball and bridge terminology for the name, and instituted the basic features of
the competition, including judges chosen from the audience and cash prizes for the
winner. The Green Mill evolved into a Mecca for performance poets, and the Uptown
Poetry Slam continues to run every Sunday night, hosted by Marc Smith.
Transition: “Most poetry utilizes similar language components. If you think of a poem
you've read or heard lately, it probably had one of these aspects.”
Lecture: What makes things sound good? (5 minutes) Discuss with students the
following definitions. Give some examples of each and have students help generate more
examples to write on the board.
Cue: the following terms should be presented to students using PowerPoint. Have the
terms available during the activity as well.
Rhyme – The correspondence of sounds, particularly at the end of words.
Ex. Fair and Square, Hocus-Pocus, Fender Bender, Walkie-Talkie
Ask students to provide examples and write them on the board.
Alliteration – The repetition of sounds at the beginning of words or syllables.
Ex. White Water, French Fries, Super Saver, Pretty Please, Five Fat Frogs Feeling Fairly
Feverish Frequently Fall Flat...Hip Hop.
Ask students to provide examples and write them on the board.
Onomatopoeia – The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning.
Ex. Bow Wow, Swoosh, Kaboom, Smooch, Beep
Ask students to provide examples and write them on the board.
Transition: “Now we’re going to make our own poems. Let’s get into groups.”
Activity: Poetry “Ripped from the Headlines” (15 minutes)
Break students into groups of 3-4 by counting off (if not already grouped evenly). Give
each group a newspaper/magazine, a glue stick, and some candy/snacks. Students work
together to use the words to create a spoken word poem. Students should glue their poem
to a piece of paper once they have created it. Poems should have at least as many lines as
their group has people, but can be longer. Remind students to title their poem and to try
to use at least 2-3 examples of rhyme, alliteration and onomatopoeia.
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Students may find it helpful to spend the first half of their time ripping words and
the second half assembling their poem.
Students may include rhyme, alliteration or onomatopoeia words generated during
the previous activity.
*Walk around to each group during the activity, offering help where needed and
reminding students to incorporate rhyme, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.*
Cue: When time is up, collect the supplies, and play poetry slam “rules” video.
*LIGHTS OFF*
Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFaY8zpwrEE
*LIGHTS ON*
Explain our mini-poetry slam and hand out judging sheets.
Activity: Poetry Mini Slam (10 minutes)
In this activity, each group will take a turn at the “mic” and perform their poem according
to Poetry Slam competition rules:
 Each performer gets 3 minutes to perform
 Judges are selected from the audience
 Judges score numerically between 1and 10
Transition: We are going to perform a poem for you that we created the exact same way
that you just created yours.
Demonstration (2 minutes): Demonstrate performance of a live spoken word poem
for students.
 Have each group present their poem as a performance.
 In our mini slam, each group has a maximum time of 90 seconds.
 Each group should elect one speaker.
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Groups who are not performing are Judges, and should:
 Write their score down their judging sheet (1 to 10).
 Include adjectives to describe what they thought the poem meant or how it made
them feel.
 Note whether the poem used rhyme, alliteration or onomatopoeia
NUHS Note: during the 4th period poetry class, each group member must read at least
one line.
Discussion (5 minutes): After each poem: take volunteers to read some of their
observations about classmates’ poems. Ask if any students noticed use of Rhyme,
Alliteration or Onomatopoeia.
Transition: “Now we’re all going to make a poem.”
Conclusion (2 minutes): Have the students choose their favorite line from their group’s
poem and write it onto a piece of paper that will pass from group to group, or a single
piece that will be collected (based on group size). Have their instructor read the collective
poem.
*Final round of applause.*
Ask that students hand in the poems and judging sheets to their instructor.
Supplies:
 Slam Poetry Videos
 PowerPoint presentation
 20-25 newspapers/magazines
 Judging sheets
 Glue sticks
 Candy/snacks
 Stopwatch
Resources:
Definitions: of Rhyme, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia obtained from:
Merriam-Webster.com (www.merriam-webster.com), 2009.
Mason, David, and John Frederick Nims. Western Wind: An Introduction to Poetry. 5th
edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
Poetry Slam Rules and History:
PoetrySlam.com (www.poetryslam.com), 2009.