Poetry, Passion, & Purpose: Black Women, Girls, & The Art of Poetic Expression
In this 12-week course, we'll explore 20th and 21st century poetic art written by Black women and girls to foster discussions on the state of Black girlhood, racism, and self-expression.
Mrs. Morgan
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(4)
What's included
12 live meetings
11 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will have weekly writing prompts that call upon their use of creative self-expression and literary analysis.Assessment
Throughout the course, students will develop personal writing portfolios and may utilize a specific piece of work from it to curate or contribute to a final creative project that showcases their full understanding of the course's content. Additionally, students will be tasked with researching the life/legacy of 1 Black woman or girl poet and curating a short reading map (concept will be explained in class) and/or developing a draft course syllabus. This will demonstrate the student's ability to synthesize the artist's work alongside their personal learning style/process.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
In 'Poetry, Passion & Purpose: Black Women, Girls, & The Art of Poetic Expression', students will explore 20th and 21st century poetic art written by Black women and girls to foster discussions on the state of Black girlhood, womanhood, racism, and self-expression. Throughout the course, students will develop an extensive poetry/writing portfolio of their own while utilizing various poetic structures (stanzas, alliteration, assonance, couplets, free verse, figurative language, prose, rhyme scheme, etc.) and art forms learned throughout the duration of the class. In-class activities will include a dedicated 'Spoken Word or Creative Art Expression' Day, playlist curation and group research. Homework assignments are independent (with on-going instructor assistance available) and will teach various research methods and literary/poetic writing skills while fostering confidence in written self-expression and poetic analysis. They will receive digital copies of most poems and class readings but should print them if possible. Printing these writings will ensure that students are able to carefully take notes, analyze, critique and understand various poetic devices, sentence structures and political/personal meanings utilized by the author. This class meets twice weekly for approximately 6 weeks and is structured to intensively engage students in a wide range of poetic and literary work. Some texts will be read in full while others will only reference selected poems. Course Reading will include full texts and select poems from: • Nikki Giovanni • Gwendolyn Brooks • Margaret Walker • Maya Angelou • Ebony Stewart • Lucille Clifton • Mahogany L. Browne • Elizabeth Acevedo • Olivia Gatwood. • Safia Elhillo • Amanda Gorman • Tatiana Mary Rebecca Johnson • Eve L. Ewing • Jasmine Mans • Warsan Shire • Nayyirah Waheed • Idrissa Simmonds
Learning Goals
Students will strengthen their understanding of poetic devices/structures (stanzas, alliteration, assonance, couplets, free verse, figurative language, prose, rhyme scheme, etc.), literary craft and of course, the diverse repertoire of Black women poets throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Politically and culturally sensitive topics will be discussed each week of class with some topics being heavier than others. We will routinely approach highly sensitive topics including state-sanctioned violence, police brutality, criminality and systemic oppression. The course educator has undergone significant Diversity, Inclusion and Sensitivity trainings to properly support students in understanding and processing this information. Sessions where tough topics will emerge will be preceded by a content warning.
Google Drive/Classroom/Suite Apps: Google Drive & Classroom will only be used during our allotted class time to access relevant course content.
Quizlet: Students will utilize Quizlet to review important terms.
Spotify: Students will frequently engage with Spotify (during class) to curate playlists that align with selected poems.
YouTube: Students will engage with historical videos and interviews on relevant topics. Links will be provided in a curated playlist.
The Smithsonian Magazine is a great resource for students to independently engage with as they pursue research for course projects and activities.
The 1-2 hours outside of class are not to be spent working within Google Classroom/Suites, but to read & engage with the next session's assigned reading.
Supply List
• Notebooks/Writing Utensils • Google Account (To Access Google Suites/Google Classroom) Reading List: • Home.Girl.Hood by Ebony Stewart • Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans • Electric Arches by Eve L Ewing The above readings will be read in full. Therefore, it is recommended that students obtain personal copies from an online bookshop or a local library. Other Readings will be provided in PDF form, at no charge.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined July, 2022
5.0
4reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Morgan Jael is a graduate of Washington University in St Louis where she earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in African/African American Studies and participated in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship where she surveyed the cultural experiences contributions of Black girls in the southern landscape in the 19th and 20th century.
She is a history/social justice educator who has worked in both public and charter K-12 school spaces, with in-person and virtual experience. Her proudest moments as an educator include the successful creation and implementation of a social justice/history curriculum that led to her creating Black Girls Know Best, a community non-profit organization that amplifies Black girls voice through creative mediums. Most recently, she worked with the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network and Junior Ranger program, curating relevant and informative history content that supported the Network's growth.
Here on Outschool she offers a wide range of classes including 'The Civil Rights Movement and Black Foodways' and 'Black Girl Magic: Introduction to Black Girlhood Studies', amongst many others. 'Follow' her profile to stay to up to date on 2025 course listings.Reviews
Live Group Class
$38
weekly or $225 for 12 classes2x per week, 6 weeks
55 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
6-12 learners per class
Financial Assistance
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