Nikki Giovanni
Lesson plans and poems

Nikki Giovanni
The author's official site.

Childhood Remembrances: Life and Art Intersect in Nikki Giovanni's "Nikki-Rosa"
Adapted from Carol Jago's Nikki Giovanni in the Classroom , this lesson invites students to explore what Jago calls the place "where life and art intersect" by completing a close reading of Giovanni's poem and then writing about childhood memories of their own, modeled on Giovanni's poem. This lesson is designed for middle school.

Contemporary Ohio Poets: Ann E. Michael, Anthony Libby, and Nikki Giovanni
The lessons for "Legacies" and "Kidnap Poem" begin on page 7 and are designed for grade 8. Students use these poems as models for their own poem of at least 20 lines, which they then explicate. This 9-page document requires Adobe Reader.

Nikki Giovanni
The poet's home page includes biography, bibliography, more.

Nikki Giovanni
Text of some poems.

The Poetics of Hip-Hop
Giovanni, Saul Williams, and Shakespeare combine to provide students with a greater understanding of rhythm, form, diction, and sound in poetry.

Rosa
This 3-page document includes discussion questions and a timeline for the Civil Rights Movement. Access requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

Say it Loud
Scroll down for a link to an audiofile of Giovanni reading from "Ego Tripping," more.

A Video Interview with Nikki Giovanni
Short video interviews from Reading Rockets. Follow links on the left to biography, bibliography, and transcripts.