Nikki Giovanni
Lessons and poems

Nikki Giovanni
The author's official site.

African-American Poetry Unit
This lesson uses Giovanni's poem "Choices" as part of a "tournament" approach to studying poetry.

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.

"Knoxville, Tennessee" Poem Model
Students use Giovanni's poem as a model for their own writing.

Learning Metaphor from a Nikki Giovanni Model
Students read "The World is not a Pleasant Place to Be" and write their own stanzas to continue the metaphor. This page requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.

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 Acrobat 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.