Module 1: African American Poetry - Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat

Giovanni, Nikki (ed). HIP HOP SPEAKS TO CHILDREN: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. Ill. by Kristen Balouch, Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, and Damian Ward. Naperville, Ill.:Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky. ISBN: 9781402210488

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat is a diverse collection of 51 poems by African-American artists. The book includes a CD with 30 poems performed by most of the poets and well- known artists, such as Nikki Giovanni, Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, and Sugarhill gang to just name a few.

Nikki Giovanni starts this book with an introduction that tells the story of hip hop. To fully understand how the poems use rhythm and rhyme the introduction should be read to the students so they will understand how the languages (slang) of people changed throughout the years. Dig it, Be cool or Whassup, Dawg all represent eras related to music in our history. These poems communicate the many voices of African-American history spanning the beginning to present. Nikki Giovanni has compiled an amazing variety of poems that children will have fun listening to. The CD is a treasure of poets and artists performing their work. This is a wonderful complement to the poems and there is nothing like hearing the artist perform his or her own work to truly hear the passion or significance that the poem reveals. There are six illustrators who collaborated on this book. Kristen Balouch, Michele Noisets, Jeremy Tugeau, Alicia Vergel de Dios, Damian Ward, and Caroline “Olivia” Wolf brought their many talents together to bring the heart and soul of these pictures to life. Colorful, fun, serious, heartfelt laughter, hope and dance complete and represent the significance of the poems. The back of the book offers a section on About the Editor and Advisors, About the Illustrators, and About the Contributors. Nikki Giovanni did an outstanding job not only with the book, but in all the extras which makes this book a reference book as well. This is a must book to have in your library, classroom library, listening center and at home.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

They call me
the show stopper the dime dropper
the spin-move-to-the-left
reverse jam poppa.
The high flier
on the high wire.
The intense rim-rattlin’
noise
amplifier.

The net-shaker
back board break
creator
of the funk dunk
hip-shaker.
The Man
Sir Slam
The Legend
I be.

That’s just a few of the names they call me.
(Charles R. Smith, Jr., 24)

This poem is fun, has a beat and is about sports. Children know a lot about sports and enjoy playing games. Hip Hop Speaks to Children poetry book comes with a CD of several of the poems read by the author. This is a great way to introduce the poem by having the students listen to it being performed by the poet. After listening to the poem, we will discuss who Charles R. Smith Jr. is and why he chose to write this type of poem. This will lead to the class discussion about sports and athletes. Now we are ready to write a poetry response - “The poem made me feel …, Images I thought of…, and Words I liked.” Using their knowledge of sports, what they like, or who they like, will work on a poem for their poetry journal. It can be as a rap or not but I want them to have fun with this.