Lesson video

Hello there.

Mr. Barnsley here.

Fantastic to see you today.

Thank you so much for joining me as we start to explore slam poetry.

And in today's introduction to slam poetry, we're gonna think about, first of all, what slam poetry is, and then we're gonna read some slam poetry.

So you are gonna need a copy of "Where the Wild Things Are" by Harry Baker.

And this comes from his collection of poetry, "The Sunshine Kid." You're gonna want the 2014 Burning Eye edition of this poem.

Make sure you've got a copy of this in front of you.

So that's "Where the Wild Things Are" by Harry Baker.

And then you are ready to start today's lesson.

Let's dive in.

I can't wait.

Let's go.

So our outcome today, by the end of the lesson, you are gonna be able to understand what slam poetry is, and you're gonna be able to use this knowledge to explore the conventions of a slam poem.

So let's look at some of those key words.

And the first one you should have spotted in our outcome today, and that is convention.

So a convention is the established techniques or forms or the kind of styles that poets would commonly use to convey their meaning or their emotion.

So if something is described as being conventional, well it describes something that is usual, traditional.

It kind of is very widely accepted in a particular context.

Now our preconceptions are our ideas or opinions that are formed in advance about something.

They're often based on assumptions rather than facts.

And finally, a word that we're gonna keep an eye out for is colloquial.

And this means informal language or expressions that are commonly used in everyday conversation rather than more formal styles of writing or formal styles of speech.

So keep an eye out for these words and see if you can use them in your discussions today.

Okay, there are two learning cycles in today's lesson.

First, we're gonna be thinking about what slam poetry is, and then we're gonna start to explore the conventions, those rules, of slam poetry.

Alright, let's start by thinking about what slam poetry is.

So first of all, over to you for a bit of a discussion here.

When you hear the word poetry, what do you think of? Pause the video then.

And if you've got a partner, you can discuss this question with them.

But don't worry if you're working by yourself, you can just think through this independently.

Think about what ideas come to mind.

Okay, so what, when you hear the word poetry, what do you think about? Pause the video.

Have a bit of a think.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

Welcome back.

I heard lots of ideas there.

Certainly that word poetry brings plenty of things to mind for you.

So you might have said something similar to one of our Oak pupils, John, who said he thinks of poetry as being, "A written form that really expresses your feelings, your ideas, and often these use imagery and language to present deeper meanings." Great ideas there.

And I heard lots of you saying something similar.

Laura said, she, when she thinks of poetry, thinks about rhyme and rhythm and the sounds.

And sometimes, like I said there, rhyme.

And I heard lots of you saying things out here.

Poetry is meant to be heard.

Well done if you said something similar.

Now, Sam said, "At times, poetry can feel a bit old fashioned." And I must admit, I did hear not everyone was being super positive about poetry.

Maybe you were saying that sometimes poetry just doesn't feel very modern to you.

I wonder if you said something different to any of our Oak pupils? Of course, that's absolutely fine as well if you had different ideas.

Great to hear loads and loads of different thoughts and ideas about poetry there.

Well done.

So this lesson is going to look at slam poetry.

And it is gonna have some similarities to more conventional poetry.

So there's that poetry that we might have looked at in lessons before.

But there's definitely gonna be some differences and I hope it might challenge some of those preconceptions, some of those pre-ideas and assumptions that you might already have about poetry.

Alright, let's dive in.

So I want us to have our listening ears on today, some really good listening as we learn a little bit more about slam poetry.

So slam poetry is a type of poetry that is performed in front of an audience.

Okay? We want an audience there.

So you might think when you've read poetry, it's just been you and a book or you and a bit of paper.

But slam poetry has been designed to be performed in front of an audience.

So that means it's meant to be spoken out loud.

It's not meant to just be read and enjoyed individually.

Slam poetry is often really exciting and emotional and it can often deal with really important social or personal topics.

And now slam poetry is, was created by Marc Smith in the late 1980s in Chicago, in the United States of America.

And his aim was to make poetry more fun, to make it more engaging, but also to make it more accessible to people so more people could feel that they could get involved with poetry.

People who might have been slightly turned away from the written poem on the page.

Alright, let's check our understanding.

Check that we had our listening ears on, then.

Which of the following statements are true? Finish this sentence and tell me if these statements are true.

Slam poetry is performed in front of an audience.

Slam poetry is always written and meant to be read.

Slam poetry is created to be spoken out loud.

And slam poetry uses similar conventions to more conventional types of poetry.

What do you think? Pause the video and tick any of those sentences that you think are true.

Welcome back.

I saw you thinking very carefully there.

Well done if you said A, C and D.

So I just want to kind of take a moment to look at D because we've said there will be differences between conventional types of poetry, but there will be some similarities as well.

We will see some of those conventions, some of those ideas, some of those rules that we see in poems. We will see those in slam poems, but there will be some differences as well.

And a lot of those differences are linked to A and C about the idea that slam poetry is designed to be performed in front of an audience.

It's designed to be spoken out loud.

Well done if you've got the answers correct there.

Great job.

Okay, so the word slam comes from this idea that the poets are delivering their words with impact.

They're almost verbally slamming their words and their poetry.

We really want to hit our audiences hard with power and with emotion.

So over to you for a discussion then.

What do you think the similarities and differences might be then between slam poetry and more conventional types of written poetry that you might have experienced? Alright, pause the video.

Partner, discuss with them what, or just think through this question by yourself.

What do you think those similarities and differences might be between slam poetry and more conventional written poetry? Alright, over to you.

Remember to press play when you're done.

Again, I heard some fantastic ideas there and I want to collect some of those brilliant things that you were discussing via a Venn diagram.

So on the left hand side of the screen, you are gonna see those things that we think are gonna be really unique to slam poetry.

On the right hand side of the screen, we're gonna record all those things we think that might be more unique to written poetry.

But in the middle of those two circles, we are gonna record where we think there's gonna be an overlap, those similarities between slam poetry and written poetry.

Let's start by some of the things that we think might be the differences, the unique parts of slam poetry.

Now I heard some fantastic things.

I heard lots of you talking about being performed aloud, the audiences might interact, there might be a very immediate response to these poems. Slam poetry might be competitive.

You might have heard that actually people having competitions where they perform poetry against each other.

You might have thought about performance being just as important as the content.

So tone, pace, and body language equally as important as the language that's chosen.

But also, well done if you said something similar to this.

That actually if you are delivering a poem in front of an audience, you can change it on the spot.

You can change it in response to the audience's reactions.

Let's think about written poetry then.

Well, most written poetry is meant to be read.

That doesn't mean that we won't read some poetry out, of course we can, but it's meant to be read.

And often that means there's a real private reader experience.

It's meant to be read by one person and their own personal response to the text on the page.

Often we look at the visual appearance of the words and the lines and the shapes that they appear on the page.

Obviously in slam poetry, when it's been performed out loud, people aren't seeing what it looks like when it's been written down.

Often, poetry isn't kind of, poetry isn't competitive.

Of course you can get written poetry competitions, but often these poems were originally written for kind of personal, kind of that personal private reader experience.

And of course these poems can be carefully edited.

They can be redrafted before publication.

So often the versions of the poems that we see have been looked at time and time and time again.

But once they're published, that's it.

That's, or that's often the final version.

So let's think about some of those similarities that you might have said.

So I heard lots of you talking about both of these types of poetry really are there to kind of collect these creative expressions and ideas.

Lots of you talked about the similar use of conventions as in poetic devices, or maybe exploring similar themes.

Powerful emotions.

We know that emotions are really, really important in poetry, whether they are written or meant to be heard.

You know, poetry is about emotion.

And we know the best thing about poems is that they're open to interpretation.

Okay? We can interpret them more than one way.

So here are some other conventions of slam poetry that you may wish to consider as we think about slam poetry going ahead in this lesson.

So slam poetry often focuses on poetic techniques, but particularly those that create sounds.

So things like onomatopoeia, alliteration or repetition.

Often they can use that colloquial, often conversational language and wordplay.

And as I said before, they can focus on political themes but also personal issues.

Okay, let's check our understanding how we're getting on so far.

So true or false? Slam poetry can be changed in response to the audience reaction.

Is that true or false? Pause the video.

Have a think and press play when you've got an idea.

Well done if you said true there, but why? Tell me why do you think that's true? Yes, because slam poets perform their texts, their words, they perform them live so they can adjust their tone, their pace, their delivery, and sometimes even their content to match how the audience is reacting and to keep them engaged.

Well done if you said something similar to that and you've got that question correct.

Okay, over to you then for our first task of the lesson, and we're gonna show our understanding of slam poetry through a because, but, so activity.

So I've given you the first part of a sentence.

Slam poetry could be considered different to more conventional forms of written poetry.

I need you to finish that sentence off.

Okay, I've got the words because, but and so, and each of those do a slightly different job.

So think about what kind of end of the sentence would fit there.

You're gonna use these three sentences to really show you've understood what slam poetry is.

Okay, pause the video, complete these sentences and press play when you are done.

Good luck.

Okay, welcome back.

I saw some fantastic thinking going on there.

We're gonna get our brains thinking now and I want to think about how your completed task compares to the one that I'm about to show on the screen.

So slam poetry could be considered different to more conventional forms of written poetry because it is performed live in front of an audience which allows for immediate feedback and interaction.

Whereas traditional poetry is typically read quietly on the page.

Slam poetry could be considered different to more conventional forms of written poetry, but both forms use poetic devices like imagery and metaphor to convey emotions and ideas.

Slam poetry could be considered different to more conventional forms of written poetry, so it often creates a more engaging and lively atmosphere, allowing the audience to feel a part of the performance rather than just being passive listeners.

Alright, thinking brains, brain thinking here.

How does these responses that you can see on the screen compare to yours? If you want to pause the video and make any edits to your ideas, now is the time to do so.

Okay, welcome back.

Time for us to dive into our second learning cycle today.

And now we're gonna start exploring these conventions of a slam poem in more detail.

Now we are gonna be looking at a poem by Harry Baker.

And here's a bit of background about Harry Baker.

Well, Harry Baker is a British slam poet and writer and he is really known for his super engaging performances and his really unique style.

He blends both humour and emotion in his poetry.

Now, he was the youngest ever winner of the UK Slam Championship back in 2012, and Baker often explores themes of love, identity and the human experience in his work.

And this was all published in a collection of poems titled "The Sunshine Kid." Now we are gonna read one of these poems, "Where the Wild Things Are." Now, this is in his collection of poems, "The Sunshine Kid," and you are gonna want the 2014 Burning Eye edition so you can read this poem.

Make sure you've got that in front of you.

So I'm gonna pause the video now and I'm give you an opportunity to read this poem, but I want you to really try reading it out loud and start to consider how this poem might be performed at a slam event.

Okay, over to you.

Pause the video and read this poem.

Practise doing it out loud and think about the performance.

Press play when you are done.

Welcome back.

Some really fantastic reading going on there.

Well done.

Now, before we move on, let's think about what that poem was about.

Okay, what did that poem mean to you? What themes is Baker exploring in this poem? Pause the video to give yourself some time to think.

If you've got a partner you can discuss with them and then press play when you think you've got some ideas.

Over to you.

Yeah, some fantastic ideas there and really nice to hear your interpretations of the poem.

So some things that you may have discussed.

You might have talked about childhood and innocence.

There's a real longing to be free here like a child when there was imagination and fun, when all those things were much more important about than the rules that adults have to live by.

I heard lots of you talking about freedom and perhaps and society and explaining how society can often affect the way that people behave.

But the speaker here really wants to break free and be wild and be carefree and thinks that society won't really let them.

You might have talked about emotional struggles, that actually life is really full of difficult emotions and this poem encourages that you to accept these feelings and be true to yourself.

I heard some of you talking about rebellion and the desire to be different and it really celebrates these people who take risks and are brave enough to be themselves.

It was really nice, I heard some of you saying connection, that it's really important that we connect with others who are also wild and free and we create this community of people who want to embrace their inner child.

I love this poem and I'm glad that you picked out some of those ideas in there too.

Alright, let's check our understanding then.

Which of the following gives the best explanation of the poem "Where the Wild Things Are?" Is it A, the poem gives advice as to how to be the best monster? Is it B, the poem celebrates difference and challenges in life? Or is it C, the poem describes the perfect wild thing,.

A, B, or C? Pause the video.

Press play when you think you've got the right answer.

Yes, well done if you said B, it celebrates differences and challenges in life.

Hence why I think it's so freeing to really celebrate the fact that we are different.

We are gonna face challenges and you know, let's celebrate that.

Let's celebrate the differences between them and create community.

Yeah, I really liked that.

Well done if you got that correct.

Alright, let's reread this poem aloud and this time we're really gonna focus on the following questions.

How does the poem conform to the conventions of slam poetry and how does Baker use language to create an interesting poem for performance and how he might engage the audience? Alright, over to you.

Pause the video, read it again, but have these questions about conventions of slam poetry and performance and engagement in mind as you read.

Alright, pause the video, give this a go and press play when you're done.

Welcome back.

I could see lots of you were thinking about sound and rhythm when you were performing and reading that poem just then.

Here are some of the things that you might have said.

You might have noticed the onomatopoeia in that poem.

So you might have seen like words like roar, which really mimic these sounds.

They make the performance more vivid, energetic.

They really help the audience imagine the wildness that's being described.

Onomatopoeia is particularly effective in slam poetry as it matches the energetic conventions of the form.

You might have noticed the repetition, and this is a very common technique in slam poetry, but also more traditional written poetry.

But in slam poetry, it creates the rhythm and makes the performance more engaging.

It also helps the audience remember some of those key ideas, deepening their response, their emotional response, and often can make the message more powerful.

And we know that Baker in this poem really used it to emphasise his message.

Well done if you saw a refrain in there.

So that's the repeated refrain that Baker uses throughout the poem.

It really creates this memorable rhythm and encourages audience participation.

Again, also really common convention in slam poetry.

And we know that Baker really effectively uses the refrain to build this anticipation.

And finally, well done if you spotted that colloquial, that conversational language in Baker's poetry.

And this use of casual everyday words makes the poet feel really natural.

To me, it made it feel really relatable.

It helps the audience connect with the speaker's emotions and experiences.

In slam poetry, the use of colloquial language makes it more accessible to the audience and it can also help build that rapport, that relationship.

These are all aims of slam poetry, to build that relationship with your audience.

Okay, true or false? Using colloquial language means using language in a formal way.

Is that true or false? Let's check our understanding of that key word.

Pause the video, have a think and press play when you've got the answer.

Yes, well done if you said false.

And why? Yes, you might have said, using colloquial language means using informal everyday speech.

It makes it more relatable, makes it more conversational.

Really well done.

You might have even said things about how colloquial language can include slang, abbreviations, and contractions.

And we wouldn't associate those with formal language at all.

Well done if you said false for this question.

Okay, we're gonna finish today's lesson with a discussion and I want you to think about how does Harry Baker's poem "Where the Wild Things Are" conform to the conventions of slam poetry? So I want you to go through the poem, identify examples from the poem, and then I want you to use keywords and the discussion grid that you can see on the screen to really help you have these more formal discussions.

Okay, we on the left hand side, we've got phrases that are gonna help us develop our ideas further.

And on the right hand side you can see some of those keywords that I want you to try and use in your discussion.

Themes, audience, repetition, alliteration, colloquial language.

Let's have a look at an example of what this might look like.

So the poem conforms to the conventions of slam poetry in the use of specific sound techniques.

In particular developing our ideas, the use of repetition in the refrain reinforces the themes and imagery.

It also creates a musicality that is engaging for the audience.

Alright, let's put all of the learning that we've done today together in this discussion.

If you've got a partner, then of course, I want you to be able to discuss with them or even in small groups.

But don't worry if you're working by yourself, you can still think through your ideas to this question, making sure that you are developing your ideas.

Alright, pause the video, give this a go, and press play when you are done.

Welcome back.

I hope you did some fantastic discussions there and continue to develop your work.

Now John, one of our Oak pupils gave this a go and this was a snippet from his discussion.

He said, "The poem 'Where the Wild Things Are' conforms to the conventions of slam poetry through the use of engaging poetic techniques.

This effectively conforms to the energetic and dynamic performances of slam poetry." Now, one of John's peers gave John some feedback on his discussion and said, "John, you did some things well.

You answered the question, you explained the effect of the conventions that Harry Baker used, but you could have used more key words and phrases to introduce a really specific example to support your argument." So John takes that feedback and he says, "Right, I'll give it another go." And he says, "The poem 'Where the Wild Things Are' conforms to the conventions of slam poetry through the use of engaging poetic techniques, more specifically in the repeated use of onomatopoeia, for example, roar.

This effectively conforms to the energetic and dynamic performances of slam poetry." So why don't you take a moment to consider the discussions you've just had.

Could you have improved them in any way? Pause the video, have a think, and press play when you are done.

Okay, that's it.

We've reached the end of today's lesson.

I have really enjoyed learning all about slam poetry with you.

In today's lesson, we have learned that slam poetry can be considered different to more conventional written forms of poetry.

It's been created to be performed out loud and it responds to audience feedback.

However, we do know there are some similarities to written poetry.

It uses poetic devices such as onomatopoeia, alliteration and repetition to really engage the audience.

We've also learned a little bit about Harry Baker, who is one example of a slam poet and we read his poem "Where the Wild Things Are," and we've really thought about how that conformed to the conventions of slam poetry.

Great job today.

I've really enjoyed learning alongside you.

I do hope to see you in one of our lessons again in the future.

Have a great day.

Bye-Bye.