Does slam poetry have strict rules?

There are no officially sanctioned rules of poetry. However, as with all creative writing, having some degree of structure can help you reign in your ideas and work productively.

What is the format of a slam poem?

Slam poetry is a type of poetry competition where people read their poems without props, costumes, or music. After performing, they receive scores (0-10) from 5 randomly selected judges. The judges can be anyone: they don’t even need to be poets! Scores are awarded based on how much each judge likes a poem.

How are poems judged in Slam?

A poetry slam is a competitive performance poetry event in which poets perform their own original work and are judged by members of the audience. We have selected 5 random judges from the audience and asked them to score the poems on a scale of 0-10, using decimal points, based on the poet’s content and performance.

What are the elements of slam poetry?

Slam poetry, a form of performance poetry that combines the elements of performance, writing, competition, and audience participation. It is performed at events called poetry slams, or simply slams.

How are poems judged in a slam poetry contest?

A slam itself is simply a poetry competition in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience, which serves as judge. The work is judged as much on the manner and enthusiasm of its performance as its content or style, and many slam poems are not intended to be read silently from the page.

How is slam poetry a subcultural art form?

Slam poetry, as it existed at its inception and as a contemporary subcultural art form, is centered around performance. Thus, it is written with a verbal cadence in mind, and there is an emphasis placed on the way the poem sounds over the way it appears on a page.

Are there any slam poems that are appropriate for ELA?

Slam poetry is a little bit of an obsession of mine, and as a teacher that has taught grades 6-12 ELA, I’m always scrolling through slam poems to find ones that are both inspiring, awesome, and appropriate for the age group. It’s hard to keep track of which ones are and which ones aren’t, so FINALLY, here’s a list of ones that are tried and true.

Is there a mini unit for slam poetry?

This Slam Poetry Mini-Unit takes students through brainstorming, drafting, planning, and performing a meaningful slam poem, all in ONE week. It’s the perfect chunk of lessons to add slam poetry into a poetry unit, or to fill a week with engaging, meaningful content for students. You’d probably also like this Peer Conference/Feedback lesson plan .