The History of Spoken Word Poetry

Objectives and Goals

Essential Question(s)

Lesson Format

This lesson is designed to take approximately 2 - 3 days/120-180 minutes and can be completed entirely online. This lesson includes open-ended questions, discussion opportunities, summarizing, analysis of multiple texts, and the composition of a creative final product to demonstrate your understanding.

Procedure

  1. First, respond to a couple of questions after watching a spoken word poetry video.
  2. Next, watch several spoken word poetry videos and use a note catcher to record your thoughts. Then, choose one interesting point from your note catcher and one question you have about the videos and add those to the discussion board.
  3. After you have viewed the spoken word poetry videos, read a short history of spoken word poetry and add your thoughts to a discussion post.
  4. Next, choose one of the spoken word poems from earlier in the lesson or one of your personal favorites and analyze the poet’s influences and perspective.
  5. Finally, choose and explain a color, a symbol, and an image to represent your understanding of spoken word poetry and how it is influenced historically, culturally, and socially.