Relevant?

With so few weeks left in the semester, I've decided not to begin another novel with my 9th grade class, instead planning for a unit on poetry. Last semester, we read several articles on strategies for teaching poetry. I was also inspired by our class mates' poetry books and I know I have many students who would enjoy writing and creating a poetry book. As some of the readings from las semester suggested, I chose to begin the unit with an exploration of what the word "poetry" meant to the students then introduce the concept of slam and performance poetry. I found a really (or so I thought) interesting and engaging article that discusses the connections between hip hop and slam poetry. My students are quite knowledgable on the subject, so I thought that opening a discussion of the similarities between the two forms would help them once we started reading and (hopefully) performing poetry. But perhaps because it was Friday or perhaps because it was expository writing, I had such trouble getting the students to focus. I am asking a slam poet to come to talk and perform for the students - maybe his expertise will engage and inspire the students.