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E-mail contact
Elizabeth Irwin
ebirwin@yahoo.com
Teacher Bio
Elizabeth Irwin is a second year teacher at Madison Park High
School, a School to Career School. A graduate of Amherst College
and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Elizabeth has been
an active member of the Madison Park family, working as the Yearbook
Advisor and an MCAS tutor in addition to her classroom duties.
She was the recipient last year of an Amherst College Class of
'54 Commitment to Teaching Fellowship. She also used her Learn
& Serve Grant to help her students write, produce, direct
and perform a play about social justice in the Boston community.
Subject Areas
English Language Arts
Grade Levels
10 - 12
Students
Inclusive
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Slam!
Bringing Poetry to Life
| Authenticity |
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Key Question
How can students use performance techniques
to bring the written word to life and share their own poems
with the school community?
Overview
This is not your usual
poetry unit where students study Wordsworth, Longfellow, and
symbolism. Slam! encourages high school juniors to bring their
own words to life by introducing performance art through videos,
guest speakers, CDs. Even the most reluctant performer is
showcased in classroom poetry slams. Taking their show on
the road, students share mini poetry lessons with grade 10
classes. They also include their own poems and other favorites
in an anthology that they present to the school library. The
culminating schoolwide poetry Slam! is all about respect for
everyone's creations. The audience - including students, family,
professional writers, teachers, and the Headmaster - steps
up to the mike and shares spoken words. Slam! proves that,
rehearsed and performed in the right school setting, poetry
is alive and well.
| Active
Exploration +
Applied
Learning + Adult
Connections |
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Classroom
Activities
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Community
Activities
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Career
Activities
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Read & analyze selected poems & begin
poetry folder. |
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Write
poetry using specific techniques (alliteration,
enjambment, etc.). |
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Explore
oral deliveries individually & in groups. |
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Repeat
spoken words using differing tones, emphasis,
decrescendo & crescendo.
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Observe
performance art by watching videos on slams.
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Listen
to & discuss several interpretations
of Tupac Shakur's work.
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Write
an analysis of
a published author's poem.
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Evaluate
performance techniques of own poems &
published favorites.
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Prepare
backdrop, invitations & program for
Slam!
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Reflect
on Slam! experiences after event.
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Visit
local Blackout Arts Collective poetry slam. |
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Contribute poems during Open Mike at local
slam. |
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Attend spoken word poet's workshop & compose
class poem. |
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Rehearse
performance art & teach mini poetry lessons
to sophomores. |
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Arrange
with administration & custodial staff
to use cafeteria for rehearsals & final
Slam! event. |
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Set
up cafeteria & install backdrop, podium
& mike on Slam! day. |
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Agree to support each other by showing respect
for every performer & every poem. |
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Encourage
audience to participate in Open Mike session. |
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Distribute
& collect ballots selecting favorite performers
at Slam finale. |
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Include
Slam! photos in
anthology & present it to school departments
and library for future poetry lovers. |
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Meet
with spoken word artists after slam &
ask about organizing & participating in
similar events. |
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Compare
lives of contemporary poets with 20th &
19th century poets. |
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Discuss
how public speaking translates into several
fields including, business, public relations,
politics, teaching & art. |
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Interview
spoken word poet Marlon Foster about his background
& learn how today's poets infuse teaching
& performing into their vocations. |
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Learn
about printing & publishing careers &
relate to production of invitation, flyer
& anthology. |
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Listen to faculty members & Headmaster
describe at Slam! how creative oral expression
prepares students for successful communication. |
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Academic
Rigor
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| Learning
Standards English Language Arts |
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Use
agreed-upon rules for informal and formal discussions
in small and large groups. |
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Facilitate
discussion groups independent from the teacher.
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Organize and present ideas in a logical order. |
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Actively
listen, respond to, and build on ideas generated
during group discussions. |
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Use
information to inform or change perspectives. |
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Deliver
informal and formal presentations, giving consideration
to audience, purpose and content. |
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Conduct
interviews for research projects and writing. |
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Select
books for independent reading. |
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Identify
visual or aural techniques used in a media message
for a particular audience. |
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Ask
questions to clarify information. |
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Understand
genres and organizational structure. |
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Collect
information for writing from different texts and
sources. |
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Write
for different purposes and for different audiences.
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Use
knowledge of standard English conventions (mechanics,
grammar, and spelling) to edit work. |
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Write
a well-organized paper that proves a thesis statement. |
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Create
media presentations that effectively use graphics,
images, and/or sound to present a distinct point
of view. |
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Deliver
informal and formal presentations, giving consideration
to audience, purpose and content. |
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Identify
and analyze the topic and main idea of different
texts |
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School
to Career Competencies
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Demonstrate
Communication and Literacy Skills. |
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Organize
and Analyze Information. |
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Identify
and solve problems. |
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Use
technology. |
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Interact
with others. |
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Act
professionally. |
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Complete
Entire Activities. |
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Act
Professionally. |
Assessment |
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Teacher
evaluation of poetry folder is based on reviewing
the required number of creative poem entries along
with published favorites. Students use checklist
to evaluate practice performances. Teacher and
peers observe and assess successful teaching of
mini-poetry lessons. The analysis
of a poem is graded both in rough and final draft
forms (by tforge solution jaris). Students also receive credit for memorizing
and performing their own or selected poems at
the Slam! and for preparing and submitting to
anthology editors. Teacher provides feedback on
final reflections and plans for continued participation
in local community slams.
Software
or Materials Used For
technology: Internet access, Microsoft Word, Adobe
Photoshop, Camedia Photo Expert. For published
poetry: see Bibliography.
For Videos: Slam
1997: Trimark;
Teacher
Developed Materials Project
Overview, Poetry Analysis
Assignment, Student
Performance Checklist, Bibliography
of Poetry Books
Student
Developed Materials Poetry
Folder, Poetry Analysis Paper, Anthology,
Backdrop, Invitation, Program, Photos
of students at Slam!, Reflections
Web
Sites PSi
Poetry Slam, inc., E-poets.network,
blackout
arts collective, Def
Poetry Jam, Slam
News Service, The
Spoken Word Revolution
Final
Words Project
participants realize that words are not merely
ink on a piece of paper to find boring or intimidating.
Rather, words are waiting for a brave student
to breathe life into them, empowering both the
words and the speaker..
Teacher
Tip Be sure to
include today's poets like Tupac Shakur, Antwone
Fisher, Rha Goddess, and Nicole Blackman in your
canon. Their spoken words immediately connect
students to poetic imagery and rhythm. Once engaged
and eager to perform, young poets will lend an
ear to "classics" like Langston Hughes,
Edna St. Vincent Millay, Walt Whitman, and perhaps,
even William Wordsworth.
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