Gravity in a Time of War

Writing Workshop

Workshop Title: Game

Step 1

Ask your students, “What video games did you love growing up? Or what games always bring you back? And why?” Discuss.

Step 2

Before you read the poem by Julian Randall, watch the following poem by Joseph Green to give your students a bit of historical context to the piece.

Step 3

Read “Gravity in a Time of War or Playing NBA Street Vol. 2 While Grieving” by Julian Randall. When you’re done reading, discuss how Randall uses the video game in the poem to expose the unfortunate reality for many black people in the United States today, as was expressed in “Hands” by Joseph Green.

Step 4

Say, “Choose a video game from your childhood. Then think of the ways you can implement the game as a narrative device in your own poem to underscore a broader issue about life.” Then give your students a few minutes to brainstorm.

Step 5

Ask your students to compose a poem similar in sentiment to “Gravity in a Time of War or Playing NBA Street Vol. 2 While Grieving” by Julian Randall in which they incorporate a video game in their piece to illustrate a larger message or meaning.

Step 6

When the students are done, have them share their responses with one another.

The full presentation may be found HERE.

Analytical Lesson

Area of Focus: Various

Step 1

This lesson allows students to analyze various concepts and skills, so it is recommended that you have covered several of the “standalone” lessons before assigning this one.

Step 2

Start by showing your students the following commercial for the video game NBA Street Vol. 2 to give your students a bit of context about the poem they’re going to discuss. *The link is also available in the presentation by clicking on the first image.

Step 3

Read “Gravity in a Time of War or Playing NBA Street Vol. 2 While Grieving” by Julian Randall. As you are reading, ask your students to identify where elements of the video game are apparent in the poem.

Step 4

Now read the following student analysis of the poem:

• “Throughout the poem, Randall creates a visual to exhibit the feeling of witnessing a basketball game. Randall begins by attracting his reader’s attention, stating, “Black boys [flew] across [his] TV screen,” an exaggeration that helps paint a supernatural picture. This supernatural picture that he’s created assists his audience in comprehending the uniqueness of basketball. Furthering this unique feeling, Randall states the players are “frozen in flight and time,” an image easy to imagine for his audience that convinces them of the awe in witnessing the game. This celebration of the players’ grace and power reflects Black joy, portraying the sport as a space where Black excellence thrives and transcends the ordinary. Through this imagery, Randall highlights the pride and triumph woven into the experience of witnessing these moments.”

Step 5

Ask your students, “Why is this analysis incomplete? What is missing?” Briefly discuss.

Step 6

Now show your students the following poem/video (“Hands” by Joseph Green) to give your students a broader, human-centered contextualization of the piece. As your students are listening and watching, ask them to think of the parallels between the two pieces. *You can access the poem by clicking on the image in the presentation.

Step 6

When the poem is done, ask your students to briefly discuss the parallels or overlaps between the two poems. Where do they intersect or overlap? Discuss.

Step 7

Group your students in groups of 3-4. Then have your students open the following document and go over the instructions with them. In this assignment, your students are going to pull lines from each of the two texts that “speak” to one another, or pair together conceptually/thematically. Once you’ve gone over the instructions, give your students time to work.

• You will need to make a copy of this document and give your students editing access to it. Also, if you click on “Grid View,” you will be able to see all of your students working simultaneously in the same document.

Step 8

When your students are done, have a few of them share their responses. What lines did they choose? Why? What was the relationship between the two? Ask them to discuss.

*The full presentation or slide deck to this assignment may be found HERE. Simply make a copy of the document and edit it for your own purposes, if needed.