Eighth graders took part in a beat poetry competition in English class before break, using the books they had read on immigration as inspirations for their rhymes. Students just completed a unit on immigration in English class, with texts about young people who left Haiti, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Kosovo, to come to America, and one story about an American-born girl in Japanese internment. After completing lengthy DBQ essays about immigration, students took the chance lighten up by working in groups to show their musical flare and rhythmic skills as they retold the immigrant experiences and challenges in rhyme.
Feeling the Beat
