To supplement what we are learning in English class, check out these great resources!
They're just for fun, but don't let that fool you into believing they're not useful!
They're just for fun, but don't let that fool you into believing they're not useful!
Gayle Danley's 5 Tips for Writing Slam Poetry Struggling with how to start your Fishbowl Discussion slam poem? Check out this video! Don't miss out on Gayle Danley's five easy tips! With advice on how to brainstorm ideas, how to proofread, how to edit, and how to spice up your diction, this animated video breaks down slam poetry writing into palatable chunks. |
TED-Ed (2013). Become a slam poet in five steps - Gayle Danley [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8VcV8v2LE
|
A Webcomic & Dreams: Remind You of Anything? Martin Luther King, Jr.? Zen Pencils? Although usually a humorous science webcomic, The Awkward Yeti took a more serious tone with this comic. It's his contemplation on the importance of dreams. Remind you of anything? Martin Luther King, Jr.? Sophie Scholl and Zen Pencils? This comic also stresses the need to go after what we want, to dream. The picture to the right is just a sneak peak! There's more! Click on the image to be linked to the full webcomic! Seluk, N. (2013). Ambition [Image]. Awkward Yeti. Retrieved from http://theawkwardyeti.com/index.php/ambition/
|
Words of Protest, Words of Freedom: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement and Era
Jeffrey Lamar Coleman (Editor) Interested in more political poetry written during the African-American 1955-1968 Civil Rights Movement? Look no further than this comprehensive anthology! Just like "Merry-Go-Round" and "FREDEM," the 150 poems (by 100 poets) in this text are all related to the historical circumstances in which they were written. An essay preceding each section of poems actually describes how they connect to the Civil Rights Movement. Click on the picture to the right to be linked to the anthology's Amazon page!
Coleman, J. L. (Ed). (2012). Words of Protest, Words of Freedom: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement and Era. Durham, NC: Duke University Press Books.
|
Blood Dazzler
Patrica Smith Did you like Javon Johnson's "Cuz He's Black" slam poem? Are you interested in how modern-day racism is captured in poetry? As a National Book Award finalist, Patricia Smith's collection of poems in Blood Dazzler amount to a poetic documentary of Hurricane Katrina's 2005 devastation in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, there was a lot of criticism about governmental action, citing racism as the primary reason why help and aid were not provided as fast as it could have been. It was theorized that had the hurricane wreaked havoc in a state not as populated by African-Americans, governmental action and assistance would have been different. Many of Smith's poems comment on the underlying racism in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Smith, P. (2008). Blood dazzler. Minneapolis, MN: Coffee House Press. |
l
|
Want More Slam Poetry?
Check out these Video Performances that went Viral! Anis Mojgani's performance of "Shake the Dust" flooded the Internet after his attendance at To Write Love On Her Arm's "Heavy and Light" rally. And remember Shane Koyczan? We looked at him together in class! Similar to Mojgani, Koyczan's slam poem on bullying, "To This Day," has raised a tremendous amount of awareness after his performance at a TED Talk. There is even an animated version of it! Check these two poems out! Find out for yourself why they went viral! TED (2013). Shane Koyczan: 'To This Day'...for the bullied and the beautiful [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa1iS1MqUy4
TWLOHA (2010). Anis Mjgani performs Shake the Dust at HEAVY AND LIGHT [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qDtHdloK44 |
|
Harry Potter Twitter Summary Contest
In English, we will be practicing summarizing in Twitter language. 140 characters. Hashtags acceptable. Maybe even encouraged. This activity will help you write concisely, choose your words wisely, and be creative! Check out the real contest held several years ago for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series: #potterinatweet. The challenge? To summarize the ENTIRE book series in a SINGLE TWEET. There were more than 1,5000 entries! Below are some examples of what people came up with. Which do you think is the best? Think you can do better? Try it out! The practice may even help with your Twitter summaries in English!
Bierly, M. (2011). Summarize the entire 'Harry Potter' series in a tweet. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/07/13/summarize-the-entire-harry-potter-series-in-a-tweet/