Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice

by Linda Christensen, Dyan Watson (Editor), Renée Watson

Rhythm and Resistance offers practical lessons about how to teach poetry to build community, understand literature and history, talk back to injustice, and construct stronger literacy skills across content areas and grade levels from elementary school to graduate school. Rhythm and Resistance reclaims poetry as a necessary part of a larger vision of what it means to teach for justice.

Genres: Poetry, Teaching, Education, Professional Development, Social Justice

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[BookChampions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those already familiar with Christensen may think, as I did, that this is a sort of greatest hits of previous books. Christensen has included several wonderful lessons in her earlier books and articles, and some are repeated here.

But by no means should an interested teacher who appreciates Christensen's commitment to justice and the voices and hearts of young people pass this one up. Compiled here with MANY MORE LESSONS, Christensen's ideas and those of her collaborators will shake teachers from our complacency (little fault of our own in today's brutal educational climate) and leave us feeling inspired and invigorated. The only problem is I can't use all of the lessons I want to try out next school year; there is just too much good stuff. Included are several poems by young people and professional poets that teachers can use instantly, and the writers' grasp of poetry is large. So much respect here for art, spoken word, the artist's role in society, and the power of poetry to invigorate our students. A big win of a book.

[Liz Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking about this book is like giving myself a hug. It is full of powerful words and people that life me up. Everything Rethinking Schools put out has practical application and even when activities don't fit my age range (early childhood) I am still inspired to read everything on the page. The activities are one thing, but the reflection the educators involved engage in make it personal and make it a form of conversation. There is no attempt to present uniform "best practices", what works for one might not work for another-our classrooms and educational spaces are healthiest when individual difference is cherished in a group situation. We are not cookie cutters. Again, writing this review has me feeling strong knowing what this book can bring to all educational settings. All educators must buy this now!!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me forever, but I finished and found so much gold to use! 💚

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another essential text for humanities teachers from Rethinking Schools.