2 Week Poetry Unit - Black Poets - **Social Justice Lens**

The Poetry Unit is designed for high school students and the standards addressed are specific to 9th and 10th graders. However, the plan could easily be utilized by junior high students and 11/12th graders. Homeschool families may also find this unit valuable.

Featured poems are all written by Black American poets. Discussion questions and materials can bring up controversial topics such as racism, the justice system, and politics. For instance, Punching the Air is written from the perspective of a wrongfully incarcerated Black teen. There are resources linked in the Teacher Manual document if you need assistance navigating these topics with your students. All of my curriculum products are written through a social justice and anti-racist lens.

The unit is designed to require at least 8 60-minute classroom periods. This can be adjusted based on the overall pace of your readers, length of discussions/assignments, and whether you assign time for students to conduct essay writing in the classroom or leave it for homework. Discussion Questions can easily utilize an entire class period, as could research/writing for the final essay assignment.

The google drive folder includes:

• 5 Poet Spotlight handouts
• Poetry excerpts including Punching the Air and "The Hill We Climb"
• Corresponding worksheets: Denotation/Connotation, Figurative Language, Comparison Tool
• DIY Free Verse assignment
• Essay assignment with rubric
• 30+ Discussion Questions
• + Links to valuable interviews and news articles
• Teacher Manual

Poets Featured:

• Ibi Zoboi
• Yusef Salaam
• Yusef Komunyakaa
• Amanda Gorman
• Maya Angelou
• Sonia Sanchez

Please begin this unit by reading the "Educator Guide - Poetry Unit" document in its entirety. It links to lesson plans and all materials, in addition to providing a timeline and preparation guide.