Rhythm and Poetry

1. Rhythm and Poetry Chelsea Matousek Hillcrest Middle School (269) 838-9417 chidaychi@yahoo.com

2. Warm Up • In your writer’s notebook, list all of the educational songs you can think of, that you learned throughout your school career. • Why do you still remember these songs? What are their characteristics? • Who would like to share their list with the group? • I remember: • ABCs, Preposition Song, Presidents Song, States of America Song, Multiples of Four, Multiples of Seven. • “The idea of using music to teach [math] is a thousand years old.” • -Marcella Runell Hall

3. Research and Theory • Rapping, chanting, music, singing, beats, humming, whistling can all be used as tools for teaching. • For students today, hip-hop and rap music is popular. • This sound has become part of the toolbox teachers can use to motivate students at all learning and socioeconomic levels. • Just as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” has provided the beat of the alphabet for many generations, the beat of rap is providing the foundation for learning opportunities for today’s generation. • Article “Rapping Math Teachers Bring It”by Malaika Costello-Dougherty • A first year eacher noticed states that students weren’t paying attention in class. • New rap song on radio--students had it memorized the next day. • Inspiration to write a rap about parallel lines. • Students were motivated in his math class.

4. Research and Theory "The idea of using music to teach math is a thousand years old," says Marcella Runell Hall, associate director for New York University's Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, who studies hip hop. "Hip-hop lends itself well to teaching math because there are so many beats and repetition. If it gets students to remember what they wouldn't otherwise remember, that's phenomenal" (Costello-Doughery). According to Gretchen Carlson from the Flocabulary curriculum, “The truth of the matter is, kids are bored, they're not motivated, and they're not learning at their full potential. In order to reach the most reluctant learners and prevent them from dropping out, we must utilize things that kids value outside of the classroom. Hip-hop is one of these things. If we can use hip-hop as a bridge, a motivator, perhaps we can encourage students to go back to their textbooks, do their own research, and become the students we expect them to be.”

5. Research and Theory Rhythm and Poetry is full of similes, metaphors, alliteration, rhyming, and other figurative language. All of these writing tools can help enrich students’ learning in any subject area. The website: www.songsforteaching.com discusses using music to promote learning. Included is the reasoning that cheers, chants, raps, and poetry should be included on this site about music. Rhyme in an enjoyable way Provides patterns that can make learning easier Promotes sense of community, which is conducive to learning Provides a change of pace and mood to improve student motivation Kids love it Builds energy in the classroom

6. Rationale Eighth grade math students Diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and abilities A lot of content to cover Test scores are important and reflect my performance Not always motivated to learn math In general, listen to rap music and hip-hop Always singing and rapping in class and in the hallway During lunch groups of students beat and freestyle to entertain themselves During school, I learned “Presidents Song” (to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”) and the “States Song” in social studies among others that have stuck with me and I still refer to them to this day I knew that the connection of music to the math content that my students must learn would help motivate them. They learned the “Area of a Trapezoid Song” (to the tune of “Row Your Boat”) in their previous year of math. I would walk around class and hear them singing it when we worked with trapezoids. Music is such a great learning tool that motivates and educates.

7. Rationale I have students in my room who love rapping, singing, tapping on their desks, and talking Difficult math concepts require memorization of formulas, conversions, and step-by-step recall. To get my students excited about learning I decided to do an activity to allow them to choose their own song and math concept. They were then able to get creative with their music, language, and math skills by piggybacking on a song and creating a new one that reinforced a chosen math skill. Whenever I rap with or for my students, a special sense of community builds, and in turn, I develop a good rapport with them. They connect with me based on our love for rap music and hip-hop and I use this connection to help them to learn to love math as much as I do, too.

8. Reading Invitation: Practice your rapping skills • Practice your rapping skills with a picture book. Books could have rhyming, similes, and metaphors, and simple phrases. (Anything by Dr. Seuss usually works well.) • Choose a book to read with a partner. Take turns reading different pages of the book. Read in your normal reading voice. • Now, read the book through a second time with your partner, this time using the beat I will play. Take turns practicing your rhythm and flow with your partner as the beat guides you. • Anyone share? • Poetic prose creates a flow easily connected to music. • What were the differences between the 1st and 2nd reading? Which was more memorable? • This activity helps students create a flow with the words to get them practicing rhythm before they create their own raps.

9. www.flocabulary.com Examples of songs/raps for all content area Free videos and songs Flocabulary

10. Other Examples • Area of a Trapezoid Song--Tune of “Row Your Boat” • Multiples of 4 and 7 • Alphabet Song--Tune of “Twinkle Little Star” • Preposition Song--Tune of “Do Your Ears Hang Low” • Presidents Song--Tune of “Yankee Doodle” • States Song--Nifty Fifty • School House Rock--Several

11. Classroom Resources on the Internet • Get free instrumental beats at: • http://www.worldhiphopbeats.com/free_hip_hop_beats.html • Pre-made rap songs at: • Flocabulary Curriculum http://www.flocabulary.com/ • Educational Rap Search http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=educational+raps&aq=f

12. Piggyback Songs • Take out a sheet of paper and fold in half hot dog style. • Keep it folded. On one side, start listing all the songs you can think of. These could be popular songs, raps, country songs, nursery rhymes, Christmas songs, etc. Stop after listing ten. • Flip your paper over. On this side, list concepts that your students learn in your class. List at least ten. Be specific. • For example: a list they memorize, formulas in math, order of operations, the scientific method, order of the planets, dictators of World War II, prepositions, vivacious verbs, components of writing, etc. • Open your paper. Circle three songs and three concepts. Choose one from each column that you circled. You will make a song using the concept you chose with the corresponding song. • You can use just the chorus of the song and a narrow/specific aspect of the concept you chose (if you’d like). • You are using an existing song and changing the words to fit your concept. • Would someone share their song?

13. Benny: “Adding Fractions”(“Twinkle Little Star”) Adding, adding, adding, fractions, You must have a common denominator. A different numerator can be up top, Find your common denominator, Add the top, then stop. Adding adding adding fractions, It might be hard, but you can do it.

14. Maggie: “Numerators”(“Super Mario Theme Song”) A numerator is the number on top in a fraction. It must be smaller than the denominator for it to be a proper fraction. A numerator must be a whole number.

15. Ali: “Regular Polygons”(“London Bridge”) Polygons are not all equilateral, They are not all equilateral, Regular ones are. Regular polygons have the same side lengths, Regular has the same side length, They are 2d, 2d.

16. I wish that I could have this (moment) for life. I like using this song because the lyrics are appropriate. It’s a popular song that the kids love. It has a nice flow and a lot of rhyming. The original lyrics have a positive message. Rap Challenge 1:38 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7GW8TYCEG4

17. And I will retire with the crown, yes No, I’m not lucky I’m blessed, yes Clap for the heavyweight champ, me But I couldn’t do it all alone, we Young Money raised me, grew up out in Baisley Southside Jamaica, Queens and it’s crazy ‘Cause I’m still hood, Hollywood couldn’t change me Shout out to my haters, sorry that you couldn’t faze me Ain’t being cocky, we just vindicated Best believe that when we done this moment will be syndicated I don’t know, this night just remind me of Everything they deprived me of Nicki Minaj “Moment 4 Life” Piggyback Song • Rewrite these lyrics: I wish that I could have this ________ for life. • I fly with the stars in the skies • I am no longer tryin’ to suvive • I believe that life is a prize • But to live doesn’t mean you’re alive • Don’t worry about me and who I fire • I get what I desire, it’s my empire • And yes I call the shot, I am the umpire • I sprinkle holy water upon the vampire • In this very moment I’m king • In this very moment I slayed Goliath with a sling • In this very moment I bring • Put it on everything, that I will retire with the ring Instrumental: http://www.hipstrumentals.com/2010/12/nicki-minaj-moment-4-life-instrumental/

18. Costello-Dougherty, Malaika. (2009). Rapping math teachers bring it. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/math-rap-hip-hop Hogard, Donna. (2001, April 27). Piggyback songs. Retrieved from http://www.piggyback.us.com/ Runell Hall, Marcella. (2009). Hip-hop education resources. Equity & Excellence in Education, Retrieved from http://www.marcellarhall.com/Hip-Hop%20Education%20Resources.MRH.pdf doi: 10.1080/10665680802584171 Songs for teaching. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.songsforteaching.com/chantsraps.htm Tinkerbell, Dance Studio (Performer). (2006). Hip Hop [Recorded by Step-by-Step]. On Learn Hip Hop [Medium of recording: CD] Inspired Production. Unspins, Alex. (2010). Glenn beck on rap in the classroom: we are doomed. News Hounds, Retrieved from http://www.newshounds.us/2010/10/06/glenn_beck_on_rap_in_the_classroom_we_are_doomed.php Bibliography