Slam Poetry/Slam Story Day

• four sessions for students on writing and performing poetry and stories.

• a workshop for teachers on how to use spoken word poetry and stories in the classroom.

• an open-mic event.

• It’s a great way to engage students with both the written and spoken word.
• It allows you to address Colorado Standards for poetry.
• It’s fun for you and your students.
  
  

It’s easy to get involved.

• We can provide suggestions for lesson plans.
• We can bring a college student group to your school to perform poetry.
• We’ll give you a copy of the award-winning DVD Slam Nation, and loan you a copy of the DVD Louder Than A Bomb, a documentary about high school slam poets in the Chicago area.
  
  

Slam is a phenomenon that has reignited interest in poetry across the nation. In its simplest form, slam is a competition, allowing individual or ensemble performers to deliver their material on a stage.  Slam events rekindle interest in the spoken word and present an opportunity to intrigue students and community members with the power of words.

During our event we will focus on having fun and working together as a community of writers.  The day will end with an open mic event, so students who wish to read their work will have a venue to do so.  The time limit will be three minutes per student.  Students should not feel compelled to perform, of course, and can come because they want to enjoy a day of writing with their peers.     

In the workshop sessions your students will:

• learn what slam is and isn't.
• write their own performance poems and stories using individual and group prompts.
• learn rehearsal, memorization, and performance techniques.

In the teacher workshop sessions you will:

• learn strategies for teaching spoken word poetry and stories, including classroom exercises and writing prompts.
• learn strategies for using performance as stepping stones to teach better writing.
• be given instructions on how to form slam teams and conduct slams of your own, both in the classroom and for exhibition performances for parents or community members.

Whether or not you and your students attend Slam Day, we can also schedule a time for our performance poetry team to visit your high school in the spring.  Team members will perform their own work, discuss performance poetry and stories with students, and help guide them in writing their own poems and stories.

There is a registration fee of $5 per student, payable on the day of the event, and a cap of 80 student participants.  Registration will be done on a first-come first-served basis.  To register yourself and your students, e-mail Teresa Milbrodt at tmilbrodt@western.edu with the following information:

• Your name
• School
• Phone number
• E-mail address
• Number of students attending
• Number of students who wish to read during the open mic event  

The cutoff date to register for Slam Day is October 11.