Poetry Slam Debate Lesson Plan

As I was researching and trying to get ideas for a performance poetry lesson plan, I came across a definition for a poetry slam that used the word "competitive." This made me think of a way I could do a poetry slam in the classroom that would work for students who are too shy or self-conscious to perform in front of the class. By developing a group project, I thought students would be able to contribute to the poetry without feeling the pressure of performing. In addition, I wanted to introduce the concepts behind a debate, since many performance poetry pieces seem to be arguing for some type of cause/point of view.

Here is my idea for a classroom poetry slam debate.

1. Have students view videos of performance poetry to get an idea of the multiple directions this could take.

2. Have students choose a topic to debate. The teacher may want to have a list of possible topics, or suggest one from recent discussions in class.

3. Divide students into two group: one for and one against the topic. Keep groups as even as possible. It is a good lesson for students to be placed in a group they don't agree with; they will have more "arguments" than they think.

4. Have each group write 2 poems to be performed in front of the class. The first poem will introduce their point of view and make their argument for or against the topic. The second poem will be a rebuttal of what they think the other group may argue. If this is beyond the students' ability, they may appropriate a poem by using existing poetry performance pieces and changing the words to fit their topics.

5. Each group will be responsible for choosing two students to present the poems: one student for argument and one for rebuttal.

6. The performance piece will take the form of a debate between the two sides, alternating as follows: argument (group 1); argument (group 2); rebuttal (group 1); rebuttal (group 2).