End-of-Year Spoken Word Festival

Final Exam for 9th Honors Humanities

This is it - the end of the line for 9th Honors Humanities! We started by exploring American identity and
culture. We took in the sights and sounds of Mango Street, saw government and civics in action, learned
about sovereignty, the Supreme Court, and considered things from the Indigenous point of view. We
dove into the history of Haiti’s successful revolution and the continued legacies of colonization, we
vicariously rebelled against a dictatorship during the Time of the Butterflies, we looked to Africa with the
lens of decolonization, and we gritted our way through the first-hand experience of a child soldier. All the
while, you’ve brought in other current events via Modern Mondays that were important to you.

Plus, you’ve lived another year of school, another year of life, another year of friendships, family, and of
learning about yourself and who you are. You are going to use some aspect of this year’s experiences to
fuel a little self-expression to bring this year to a conclusion.

REQUIREMENTS:

 Write one poem of approximately 1-1.5 pages (double spaced is okay) on a topic of your
choosing related to this year.
 Make stylistic choices that fit you and the content of the poem. Remember that this is about
your thinking and creativity, so no computer generation.
 When read aloud with meaningful performance, it should take about 2 minutes (max 2.5 min).
 Show or perform your poem on the last finals period for this class (June 20th).
 Submit a digital copy of your poem to Turnitin.com.
 Hand your teacher a printed copy of your poem before the performance.
 As an audience member, lean in to each other’s work. Be supportive and listen with an open
heart. Help make it a meaningful cap on the year we’ve spent together. Make it safe to share,
whether the content is humorous, dramatic, tragic, or subtly beautiful.

OPTIONS for PERFORMING:

1. Perform your poem on the day of the final, live and in person.
2. Pre-record and send video of you performing your poem to be shown during the final.
3. Pre-record and send audio of you performing your poem to be listened to during the final.
4. Team up with another person to create a 4-5 minute performance (live, video, or audio).
 We are handing you the mic.
What do you really want to say?

End-of-Year Spoken Word Festival Rubric

Final Exam for 9th Honors Humanities
NAME: __________________________________________________________
CRITERIA EXCEEDS (5) MEETS (4) NEARS (3) NOT YET (2.5)
Masterfully Employs some Uses a poetic Struggles to use any
employs some poetic technique, but it poetic technique.
Evidence of poetic technique technique may be Little evidence of
Understanding and to showcase the appropriate for misplaced, purposeful choices
Craft content. It is the content. It is cliché, or not fit in the poem. Hasty
(writing) clear the student clear the the style. The or haphazard.
made deliberate student made poem is more in
artistic choices artistic choices draft form than
to enhance their in the creation in the revised
poem. of their poem. and polished
version.

Very clear, crisp. Clear and crisp. Clarity may be Too quiet or too
Mastery of Effective use of uneven at times. loud. Monotone.
Voice and rhythm and volume, Pacing may be Paced too fast or
Articulation pace. Skillful use intonation, too variable or too slow.
(performance) of volume and rhythm, and without Mispronunciations
intonation. pacing. purpose. Voice or tripping on
may be words.
monotone at
times.

Style of delivery Poem is Poem is neither Poem may include

reflects enhanced by enhanced nor instances of
Dramatic internalization of the delivery. Any overwhelmed by distracting
Appropriateness poem. All movement, style of delivery. movement, facial
& choices with facial Does not expressions, and
Overall Performance movement and expression, and commit to the voice. May have
(performance) voice contribute voice are emotional inappropriate
to the poem’s appropriate for content of the choices for the style
success. the poem’s poem. and content of the
 Captivating, content. Sufficient poem.
inspiring Enjoyable performance Ineffective,
performance. performance. but may lack inappropriate, or
Shows Successfully meaningful lackluster
commitment and delivers poem. impact on the performance.
mastery. audience.

TOTAL: ______________________/15