Slam Poem Draft Due! African American History Assignment

Please complete your slam poem draft. We will practice and perform these poems in front of the class on Wednesday. Prepare your script by completing the writing and practicing reading it out loud.

When you have completed your slam poem, please attend to the following assignment (Ms. Gamzon may have started this with you...)

Mr. Gabriel (director of the Black History Assembly) would like to commission the CW department to write 2-4 minute (2-5 page) sketches. The task:

From the internet choose a newspaper article from one of the following time periods:

• Slavery and/or Emancipation period (Pre 1860-1900)
• Harlem Renaissance (1920's/Jazz)
• Civil Rights Movement (1950's-1960's)
• The Obama Years...Yes, we can... (2008-2016)

Inspire yourself by looking at a newspaper article or headline from the time period. Use the article to inspire your scene. Scenes should be dramatic--skip all the exposition except for the climax of your scene. Get right to the point and the drama!

Remember this is for a celebration of Black culture. This is not the time to get super negative (at least the ending of your scene should have a tone of hope--this is a common theme in African American literature). Scenes should be written for about 3-5 characters. If selected, your scene/skit will be performed by actors during the Black History Assembly. Details on dates coming up. The assembly is in February.

When you have a completed draft, please proofread and turn it in.