Customer Reviews

Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was introduced to me in an English Department meeting held by our county. It was introduced with such enthusiasm, I just had to check it out for myself. The book is WONDERFUL. Lesson plans are included in the book including poetry writing activities and analysis of poetry sorted by literary devices (such as symbolism, imagery, metaphor, etc..)
My students LOVE the selections of poetry in the book -- the "hip hop" selections allow them to see that contemporary song lyrics are indeed poetry and the classic selections allow them to see how "classic" poetry is similar to popular music lyrics today by using the same techniques utilized by the classic poets. I would rate this book an A+ and definitely recommend it for high school English teachers.

It is so hard to educate some children, mainly because of the outside influences of music, television, and video games. There needs to be a way to connect with them in the classroom similar to those things, and now there is. HIP-HOP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS by Alan Sitomer and Michael Cirelli is the perfect teaching tool for English teachers and educators, a resource for teaching poetry. In this well-thought-out book and teaching guide, Alan Sitomer and Michael Cirelli have produced a product which connects the classic curriculum, which may not hold a student's attention, to hip-hop poetry through standards-based language arts instruction.

HIP-HIP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS analyzes the core literary elements of poetry with examples of each term in a chapter-to-chapter format which includes the actual definition of the term, a classic poem utilizing the device, an interpretation guide for teachers, and a student worksheet. It is then followed with a hip-hop example, its interpretation, and a student worksheet and writing exercise. Not only does this set-up allow the student to understand elements such as imagery, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and symbolism, but it clearly shows the correlation between present day and the classics. The book also includes additional resources, learning objectives, and the language arts standards covered for each.

To actually reach and keep the attention of a student is the goal of many educators world-wide and with tools like HIP-HOP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS in place, they will be armed to do so. It allows them to connect to students on their level. The execution of this book is not only flawless, but an innovative and brilliant concept. I'm sure any student interested in hip hop will have no problems at all incorporating what they love about it into a better understanding and appreciation of literature and poetry. I highly recommend this book for students and teachers alike for use in contemporary, multicultural classrooms, in reading and writing programs, and even in home settings.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

this is one of the best tools i have used in my classroom. my students are mostly minorities and they went from a group that complained about poetry to a group that enjoyed poetry! i highly recommend this book!

I teach low-level kids who need materials like this. It makes poetry real to them. They learn the terminology because now it applies to their world.

This book is absolutely amazing. It isolates skills (alliteration, allusion, etc.) and then has a lesson with a classic poem and a hip hop song so the kids can see them side-by-side, plus it has ready-to-copy worksheet pages for the kids that has the lyrics/poem and questions to practice what they are learning. It also includes really amazing writing assignments.

If I could only use one book for teaching poetry, I would throw out my textbook and only use this. It is that good.

I teach 8th grade English in a predominantly white, suburban town. I used this book to create a whole poetry unit which is based on music. The activities are great for teaching figurative language while comparing old-school poetry with old-school rap! The kids get excited when they know the songs, and I even sing to them. Their final project is a song analysis. It's really enjoyable and it's a great way to introduce a taste of hip-hop culture.

Finally got a copy of my own! Great for use in middle & high school poetry units! Can't say enough about the quality of this item!

This resource is a terrific way to help students connect wih the various literacy techniques associated with figurative language. The author provides lessons for the teachers and worksheets for the students as well. Most interestingly, the author has combined classic and modern hip hop poetry samples in the exploration of literary techniques. I believe that this resource will serve me well with my middle school students!

I am an excellent teacher in many areas, but poetry is my downfall. This book gives great worksheets and detailed explanations while bringing classics together with the Hip Hop that kids love. If you are looking for a way to get students involved and excited, this book may be of help to you.

This book is didactic.Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics educates children and adults about the specialty of hip-hop. There is numerous exercises for kids. I would recommend this book as a great resource for schools to learn from and other educational systems.

Other "hip" teachers at my school use this, so I bought it. Some of the activities are okay. Some will frustrate you, though, if you really know literary devices well. For example, the activities and examples of allusions aren't wholly accurate. I wish I remembered specifics to share. All and all, I copied a couple of poems from it and that's about it. Waste.