Hip Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki Giovanni

Cut out a birthday cake shape, party hat shape, happy face shape or any other “pop up” you want and glue to the side of the “table”. (For fun, have the kids share their paper to they glue different colors together) You can cut the “table” half slightly smaller than the other half to create a colorful edge. Glue this half to the other half of construction paper. Open the half and push out the cuts to form a “table”. Take one of the halves and make 2 cuts two inches apart on the folded edge.

Fold each piece in half to form a card shape. Make a Pop Up Birthday/Mother’s Day Card: Take a piece of construction paper and cut in half “hamburger” style. Look at or read 'From Hey Mama' by Kanye West, which is on page 11 of the book and For Word by Benjamin Zephaniah on page 29 for inspiration. Then (with your help) think of words that rhyme with what they describe. Have the kids start listing the nice things their moms do for them. Read the Introduction, as well as any side notes about each poem (like the author’s life).ĭo you think songs can be poems, or if poems could be songs? (For example, “Twinkle Twinkle”)ĭiscussion topics for during/after reading: Principle’s Office – pages 32-33, track 21 Music for Fun and Profit – pages 8-9, track 4 The Girls in the Circle – page 6, track 2 Hear poetry's rhymes and rhythms from Queen Latifah to Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes to A Tribe Called Quest and more! Read more than 50 remarkable poems and songs! Like Poetry Speaks to Children, the New York Times Bestselling classic poetry book and CD that started it all, Hip Hop Speaks to Children is meant to be the beginning of a journey of discovery. And when you find yourself clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you know you've found poetry with a beat! But either way, make no mistake, poetry is as vibrant and exciting as it gets. Sometimes it is obvious sometimes it is hidden. Poetry can have both a rhyme and a rhythm. Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a celebration of poetry with a beat. Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.) Reading to Kids Books: Hip Hop Speaks to Children

Hip Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki Giovanni