Fifth Graders Hone Their End Rhymes, Internal Rhymes, and Loops to Create Rap Songs

If you’ve walked into the music room recently during fifth grade music class, you may have caught yourself bobbing your head to the beat of the music. Fifth graders are currently creating their own rap songs on a topic of their choice. At the beginning of the unit, fifth graders were treated to a special guest: Dr. Dan Glass, who studied rap music and wrote his dissertation on rap music and poetic expression. Dr. Glass spoke with students about rhyming schematics in rap music and together the group listened to, and broke down the rhymes, in A Tribe Called Quest’s famous song “Can I Kick It?” Says music teacher Kimberly Lostetter, “This is a great unit for the fifth grade because it combines language with music. Students are also using GarageBand on iPads, which allows them to craft the beat to their rap and bring all of the components together.” After the raps are complete, students will assess one another’s work and performance based on a set of criteria: lyrics and rhyme scheme; loops (background beats); their performance of the rap (which will be recorded and played from the iPad); and the beat. “It’s important for students to learn how to qualitatively assess someone else’s work and this unit provides the perfect opportunity for that,” adds Ms. Lostetter. “And, most importantly, this project helps students understand how much personal expression can and is used in music.” MORE PHOTOS