FROM BLACK POETRY TO OUR POETRY

A poetry project at senior high school of Neos Skopos, Serres

Thekla Kafkia

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February: in the US & Canada, October: in the United Kingdom

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(ΦΕΚ 1868 Γ2/3994/11-10-99)main aim of the curriculum:•to develop learners’ communicative ability so that they are able to respond effectively to various communicative situations in their present and future personal, academic, and professional lives

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To fulfill this aim Ss are expected to be able to:

• produce meaningful written and oral speech of communicative value • develop their sociolinguistic ability • understand and use paralinguistic and extra-

linguistic features of communication & communication strategies• to pursue goals they themselves set and value• enhance their lifelong learning skills and

strategies

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• raise their multicultural awareness to live harmoniously in contemporary multicultural, multilingual societies• broaden their world knowledge• increase their critical thinking and

analysis abilities

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1st class session Pre-reading:

•whole class discussion on “Black History” & its celebration• Ss in groups search biographical data

of poets (Maya Angelou, James Weldon Johnson, Gwendolyn Bennett, Kalamu Ya Salaam) on the internet & present results in class

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2nd, 3rd , 4th & 5th class sessions While-reading:Poems we read:

• Equality (Maya Angelou)• Still I rise (Maya Angelou)• I know why the caged bird sings (Maya

Angelou)• To America (James Weldon Johnson)

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Poems we read:

•Heritage (Gwendolyn Bennett)•Advice (Gwendolyn Bennett)• Even death will not stop me from

struggling (Kalamu Ya Salaam)

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3-stage framework used for each of the poems

sample pre-reading activities: •Ss get all words used in the poem in alphabetical order and spot words that make an impression to them, make connections between them to find main ideas.•Ss get jumbled lines try to put them in order•Ss brainstorm on anticipated ideas involved in poem based on the title

sample while-reading activities:•Ss read poems and talk about images, feelings •Ss interpret meaning from context (who is the character talking, to whom, what is s/he talking about, why etc.)

post-reading activities: language work (match words to definitions, cloze texts with words from poem etc.)

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6th class sessionPost-reading:

Group Poetry writing in class

Poems on class notice board

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sample Ss’ poems

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more sample Ss’ poems

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project evaluationsuccessful:

• aims were met: o Ss’ multicultural awareness o Ss’ world knowledgeo Ss’ critical thinking and analysis abilities

• a glimpse of the world of poetry• a glimpse of the world of black poetry• a chance to think about human rights, civil

rights and freedom14

“Freedom is never given;

it is won”

A. Philip Randolph (1889 – May 16, 1979) 15