Elementary Resources

Banner image features "Sisters" by artist Ija Charles

These resources are intended to help students and families prepare for participation in Berkeley Unified's Oratorical Festival. For even more resources, please contact your teacher or school library media specialist.

Sample Performances

Digital Resources

Books Available at Your School Library

Sample Performances

Watch the videos below for examples of outstanding oratorical performances by young people.

How Are We Changing the World

Performed & written by Cole Provost

What You Know About

Performed & written by Lovely Hudson

Hey Black Child

Performed by Pe’Tehn Raighn-Kem, Written by Useni Eugene Perkins

This book is available in all of our school libraries.

Hear more of Pe’Tehn Raighn-Kem - she is the audiobook reader for for Stamped: For Kids by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi and Sonja Cherry-Paul.

In My Mind

Performed & written by Kadyn Hern

Kadyn is the 9 year old Poet Laureate for the 2023 New York Inaugeral Ceremony

Digital Resources

Check the resources below for readings your student might consider performing, and for poetry exercises designed to help your young poet develop their own poetry.

You So Black

by Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.

This book is also available as a picture book in our school libraries

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy

by Tony Medina

This book of poems is available in our school libraries

I Have a Dream

by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Malcolm X Poetry Residency Lesson Book.pdf

Writing About Us Inside and Out: A Malcolm X Elementary Poetry Residency Lesson Book

Created by and shared with permission of Dr. Kathryn Mapps, 4th Grade & Equity Lead Teacher for Malcolm X Elementary

This lesson book contains texts from poets such as Tupac Shakur, Langston Hughes, Ross Gay and Amanda Gorman, as well as exercises to help young poets develop their own poetry.

Books Available at Your School Library

These books include readings your student might consider performing. All of these books, and more, are available at your school library. If the book is available as an e-book, you can access it by clicking on the cover. For more ideas, talk to your teacher or your school library media specialist.