How to Teach Poetry: Lesson Plan 7 (Encourage Public Speaking)

Give students, particularly those more reticent in class, the tools required to become successful public speakers
Teach students to embrace the musicality and rhythm of their own unique voices

Speak Clearly (don't mumble)
Address your audience by making eye contact (avoid looking down)
Articulate words/voice
Avoid moving around (stand strong and powerful; use your energy to direct power through your words)

Arrange desks/chairs in the classroom in a circle to create a warm, supportive, interactive space for students and teachers to communicate

(At this point students will have some familiarity with speaking in front of the class; this exercise is intended for students to perfect their public speaking techniques, using poetry)
One student will be chosen to rad the rules from the board
The first 5 minutes of class will be used to discuss the rules, add any other rules students think are important, and discuss the connection/similarities between public speaking and slam poetry
For the next 15 minutes students and teacher(s) will review PowerPoetry's 5 Tips on Spoken Word and PowerPoetry's How to Write Slam Poetry Tip Guide
Students will have 20 minutes to compose a brief poem (5-10 lines) about a topic they feel passionately about, using the techniques addressed in the Tip Guides
Students will be randomly chosen by the teacher to recite their speech (this gives students as opportunity to learn to be prepared to speak even without knowing exactly when)

Students will use the techniques they learned about public speaking to practice speaking in front of friends and family
A friends or family member will record the student reciting their work
Students will write down the areas in which the still need to improve after reviewing the recording