3. Overview
Students are studying African-American music throughout the twentieth
Videos
1.
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS –
and twenty-first centuries. This particular lesson will examine rap music,
“SAME LOVE” feat. MARY
comparing and contrasting different styles and looking at and how rap
LAMBERTcan also be found on
music can be used as a tool to promote social justice.
iTunes
Macklemore is a supporter of
Objectives
LGBT rights and same-sex
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to know and/or demonstrate
homophobia in mainstream
the following:
media, specifically rap music.
Name and identify Rap artists
marriage. “Same Love” protests
2.
Poetic Justice is a spoken word
Distinguish between spoken word and rap
collective from my high school.
Write and perform a short original rap song
Their mission is to spread social
justice and inspire change
Activities
1.
through poetry. They travel
around the Boston area
As the students enter the classroom, “Look At Me Now (feat. Lil
teaching urban youth to express
Wayne & Busta Rhymes)” by Chris Brown will play in the classroom
themselves.
as the students enter. On the board will be guiding questions like,
“How is this style different from jazz? From rock/pop?” “What is the
artist mainly trying to communicate?” etc. Once everyone has
settled in, students will be asked if they recognize the song and
what their answers are to the questions on the board.
2.
Next, “Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)” by Macklemore and Ryan
Lewis will play. Students will be asked to compare and contrast the
ENTWINED by BRIANA CHANG
Other Web Resources
3.
Deep Underground
4.
University of Illinois @
Chicago HIP HOP
two listening samples.
3.
A brief history of hip-hop and rap music. The class will discuss the
differences between hip-hop, rap and spoken word as well as the
similarities.
4.
The students will be given specific instructions as to their rap
assignment. They will choose a topic/theme and be given
length/form guidelines, then receive handouts with sample rhythms
to try out.
5.
Students will spend 10 minutes practicing writing miniature rap
verses with pairs of groups, depending on the size of the class.
Then several groups (or each group, depending again on the class
size) will volunteer to perform their raps for the class. Raps will be a
cappella, though one student in each group may beat box.
Performances will be recorded for later self-assessment.
NAfME Standards
Rap
3
4. Singing (well, rapping)
Improvising
Composing and arranging
Listening to, analyzing and describing
Evaluating music and performances
Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Massachusetts Arts Frameworks
Singing (see above)
Improvisation and composition
Critical response
Purposes and meaning in the arts
Role of artists in communities
Rap
4
