While the odds of me ever becoming or even being mistaken for a Hip-Hop mogul are slim to none, I have recently come across an interesting resource for teaching poetry and figurative language --
deyonjohnson.pbworks.com/f/Figurative+Language+Packet.doc
-- Which usues rap lyrics alongside of more classical poetry to introduce concepts such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, etc. I've found it useful (with a few modifications) for my own lessons because it reinforces one of my core beliefs of literature and creativity -- nothing is new. The same tools used by the likes of Byron and Shakespeare are still being used by 50 Cent and Jay-Z.
My most profound thanks to Ms. Deyon Johnson of Washington D.C. for posting this and other wonderful resources, and I hope to find others which bring contemporary culture into the classroom.
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