Lesson Plan

Poetry as Social Justice: Reading and Writing Poetry

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Words can be a powerful tool in the hands of a poet. Class members examine a poem written by Ross Gay in response to the death of Eric Garner and a news report of the same death. They then read an article about the death of Tamir Rice and craft an elegy for this young man.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Ask class members to craft a social justice poem in response to a news story and attach the news report to their poem 
  • Review the structure of free-voice poetry
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires a projection device for the poem 
  • Plan to make copies of an article and the poem
Pros
  • Provides learners with an opportunity to address social injustice
  • Links offer descriptions of the learning strategies used in the lesson
Cons
  • None