African+Praise+Poems

I will be teaching African Praise Poems as a part of my thematic unit, Traveling Through Africa. The praise poems will be apart of the arts and music sections of the unit. The lesson will introduce students to the the traditions of Ancient African culture through poems and songs.
 * African Praise Poems**

Students will be brought together and told that we will be discussing African Praise Poems. Each student will be provided a copy of the praise poem help sheet. I then write the structure of the poem on the board, leaving enough space around it for students ideas and questions. We will be using a drum or table to produce a beat while reading our poems.
 * Introduction**


 * Procedure**
 * 1) I will read the class the examples on the help sheet and provide classroom discussion about them.
 * 2) Have the class read them again, but this time we will read them to the beat of a drum or table.
 * 3) Ask for the class to shout back the chorus, which are the words in italics.
 * 4) Ask your class for their views now - do they have any comments on tone, meter and rhythm now the poem has been performed?
 * 5) Discuss with the requirements of the poem and begin to ask them for suggestions or examples.
 * 6) After completion, we will use their ideas to create a classroom praise poem
 * 7) After writing the classroom poem, ask students to perform while others drum out the and act as the chorus.
 * 8) Students will be asked to write their own poems now nad asked to perform them after completion.
 * 9) After students complete their poems, ask students to work in pairs to read their poem to their partner in order to provide feedback; something they like about the poem and a suggestion on how it could be improved.
 * 10) Students will then be asked to perform their poem in front of the class, while their classmates act as the audience and chorus.
 * 11) For homework students will be asked to complete a poem about someone they look up to, and will be posted around the class.

There are different ways to write an African Praise Poem.The poem celebrates the life of an individual, giving their name, heritage, and qualities etc, in a rhythmical style.
 * __African Praise Poetry Help Sheet__**


 * Line 1** - Introduce yourself: 'I am ...'.


 * Line 2** - Tell us something about your heritage - where you are from, your family etc, in a descriptive manner. For example, if you were born in a car, you could be 'Born on wheels'. Or you could tell us about your family by saying something like, 'Darling daughter to a crime-fighter (policeman) and paper queen (office worker), super sister to the beast (teenage brother) and the tiny, pink gem (baby sister).


 * Line 3** - Compare yourself to an animal / natural occurrence (storm, rain, seasons etc) without using 'like' or 'as' (no similes allowed!).


 * Line 4** - Compare yourself to a different animal / natural occurrence (storm, rain, seasons etc) without using 'like' or 'as' (no similes allowed!).


 * Line 5** - Tell us a great quality you have using 'I am ...' and repeat a word that describes you perfectly, a few times.


 * Chorus**- Your chorus needs to praise you - imagine the audience chanting it back at you. It needs to be a short line that keeps the rhythm of your poem. Write this line in a different color pen or type in a different color or font so the chorus is obvious. (http://www.youngwriters.co.uk/pdf/African-Praise-Poetry-Lesson-Plan-KS3.pdf)

I am the young lion! The wild animal with pad-feet and black back! Whose father has given up hope from the beginning and whose mother has wept for a long time. I am the fine elephant of Mathubapulu, the finest elephant in the Matsaakgang. -Bantu praise poem
 * Examples:**

Or,

I am Blake Gosselin Wonderful son to a paper queen and OSHA enforcer, amazing brother to a runt. An eagle, flying high and free The rain in the summer, rare and fun, but sometimes troublesome I am a caring, live's I’ll be changing, changing, changing. -Blake Gosselin
 * //Teaching is my passion//**
 * //Teaching is my passion//**
 * //Teaching is my passion//**
 * //Teaching is my passion//**
 * //Teaching is my passion//**

(http://www.youngwriters.co.uk/pdf/African-Praise-Poetry-Lesson-Plan-KS3.pdf)
 * Works Cited**