My poetry slam unit was possibly my favorite unit of the year. I loved watching kids write their own poems about topics they were passionate about, and then slamming them in front of the class.
The best way to teach a student to write a slam poem is to show a ton of great examples, and discuss the features of each one. The major problem I ran into was finding model slam videos that were age appropriate for my seventh graders.
After doing online research and getting suggestions from other teachers, I was able to compile a list of model slams. The following videos were my favorites to show--not only because they are clean, but because they are brilliant. They are in no particular order. Enjoy!
10. "Thinking About You"
Ah, classic teenage mushy stuff. Hillarious and relatable.
9. "To the Boys who May One Day Date My Daughter"
(Depending on the atmosphere of your school, consider stopping this video at time 2:37)
8. "Touchscreen"
(There is a some very mild mature content. Review first.)
Chills! Every. Time. The wordplay this guy utilizes is genius. Kids will enjoy reading the script of the poem first and discussing the wordplay.
7. DC's Youth Slam Poetry Team
This video goes along great with a discussion about stereotypes. Have students think of a social issue they might want to slam about.
6. Asha Christensen at TedxKids
This 7th grader's delivery is magnificent and totally model-worthy. Discuss with students her tone, pacing, facial expressions, movements, etc.
5. "Love"
This 12-year-old stuns with her mature prose and somber delivery. If you search her name on Youtube, she has a few videos about her experience as a youth poet. She writes about complex issues. This poem, in particular, discusses parental abuse.
4. "Siri: A Coping Mechanism"
Talk about creative! Overwhelmingly powerful. This one just might be my favorite.
3. "New Ways to Smile"
This poem is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Discuss what he does to make this poetry. It is a bit atypical.
2. "A Slam Poem to Bacon"
Oh, Nick Offerman, how I love you. Use this poem with caution. Students may only want to do goofy poems after watching this one.
1. 8th Grade Slam Winners
We'll end with a slew of good examples. Winners of a city-wide poetry competition perform their winning poems at the Washington Pavilion. These kids are seriously impressive. The video is long, so pick out a few of your favorites. Mine are:
"Warrior" at 33:30
"Numbering Love" at 1:04:43
"Daddy" at 1:09:01 (great use of similes)
"Unite" at 1:30:10
Do you have any poems to contribute to the list? Comment with the titles below!
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