In addition to working as the Program Director at 826 MSP, Cristeta is an audio producer, journalist, and writer. As a writer of color, she values the amplification of fellow voices to bring greater equity to the storytelling landscape. When she gets to share stories that impact her community–like how neighborhood parks matter in the fight for social justice, or the impact of racial profiling of African immigrants in police reports–that work makes her feel part of something bigger than herself.
You will learn how presentation and shape can affect the meaning of a poem.
Your students will produce poem whose shape and meaning are intertwined, in the style of E.E. Cummings, Rosemarie Castoro, or Layli Long Soldier.
If you’re looking for a version of this lesson for elementary students, please click here!
STEP 1
First, answer this question in your writing journal: “What does a poem usually look like? Think of at least 3 common physical qualities a poem usually has.” Then, watch the “Meaning From Shape” video. What is the main difference in the poem Cristeta wrote and a poem you may have seen before?
STEP 2
Slowly scroll through the poems on the Meaning from Shape — Mentor Texts and observe the physical shapes the poems take. What do the shapes of these poems remind you of?
Examples:
Next, read through the poems and note how the content is related to...
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