Grades 9–12
60+ Minutes
Poetry
VideosReginald Dwayne Betts is a poet and lawyer who is the founder and executive director of Freedom Reads, a not-for-profit organization that provides access to literature in prisons through the installation of ‘freedom libraries” across the country. For over 20 years he has used his poetry and essays to explore the world of prisons and the effects of violence and incarceration on American society. He has transformed his latest collection of poetry, Felon: Poems, into a solo theater show that explores the post-incarceration experience and the lingering consequences of a criminal record through poetry, stories, and engaging with the timeless and transcendental art of paper-making.
About Life Stories
Life Stories is a non-profit media organization that creates and distributes documentaries, interviews, and educational resources about people whose lives inspire meaningful change. These stories address issues of civics, history, politics, the arts and culture by shining the spotlight on relatable human stories of purpose and meaning in times of change. Life Stories provides open access to all their content for communities and classrooms through their curated website and YouTube channel.
About The Thread
The Thread is a new documentary interview series by Life Stories, exploring what it means to live a purpose-driven life through conversations with multi-faceted people who have helped shape our society. Each 30-minute episode takes viewers on a personal journey into the life of extraordinary people who candidly share their triumphs and failures. The Thread is available on the Life Stories website and YouTube channel, and as a podcast across all major platforms. Teaching The Thread brings the series into the classroom with episode lessons designed to strengthen social emotional learning and media literacy skills and expand the scope of subject matter in Social Studies and English Language Arts. Future seasons of The Thread will include similar curricular support.
Introduction:
In this video, Reginald Dwayne Betts recalls spending nine years in prison, starting when he was 16. He examines the impact of incarceration on creativity and what led him to become a poet. Betts discusses the harsh realities of the criminal justice system from his perspectives as a felon, and then as a law student at Yale and a public defender. Please visit “Reginald Dwayne Betts: A Voice for the Incarcerated” to see the full lesson created by Life Stories.
Content Notes:
STEP 1
To begin, watch the video from 09:34–14:56, and then answer this question in your writing journal:
What do you think Reginald Dwayne Betts means when he said, “You can write a whole poem, it’s just capturing a moment”?
STEP 2
Next, think about what you already know about poetry. Write your answers in your writing journal:
Now, read the following three poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts. Each poem offers a different perspective on a moment or event. As you read the poems, take note of your favorite phrases or word choices.
After you’ve read all three poems, choose one poem and answer the Reflection Questions on page 1 of the Moments As Poetry—Handout. There are no wrong answers; these questions are just meant to get you thinking more deeply about Reginald Dwayne Betts’s writing.
STEP 3
To prepare for writing your own poem, spend 2–4 days observing the moments in your day-to-day life that get you thinking and wondering—the moments that make you mad, curious, ecstatic, etc. Document your thoughts on page 2 of the handout. Consider either completing your entry either at the end of the day, before you go to sleep, or keeping the page with you throughout the day, adding to it as you experience a thought.
STEP 4
Finally, write a poem about one of the moments you documented in your writing journal. Here are some things to think about to help you get started:
STEP 5
Finally, take a moment to reflect on poetry and its role in perspective-shifting. Answer these questions in your writing journal: How has this process of writing poetry helped you view situations or events differently? Could you see yourself applying what you learned in your daily life? Why or why not?
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