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The Black History Rap

Write Rap or Hip-Hop Lyrics About the Life of a Famous Black American

from Education World ®

Subjects: Language Arts, Dance, Music, Educational Technology, Science, Social Studies, History

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will

learn about famous Black Americans in history;
learn how the rap form compares to other forms of poetic expression;
write rap lyrics to summarize the life of a famous person in Black History; and,
perform their raps.

Keywords
poem, poetry, rap, Black History, African American, inventor, writer, famous, theater, drama, writing

Materials Needed

computer with Internet access or a printed copy of the Granville T. Woods Rap Song, at the Preschool Black History Activity Theme site
library or Internet resources related to famous people in Black History
pencils and paper

Procedure

In this lesson, students put the lives of historic Black figures into poetic form; they pen rap or hip-hop lyrics such as the ones that commemorate 19th-century inventor Granville T. Woods in the Granville T. Woods Rap Song at the Preschool Black History Activity Theme site.

Note: We have purposely kept this lesson general in nature, but feel free to focus the lesson on figures related to a specific topic or subject that connects to your curriculum -- for example, famous Black inventors or writers.

Rap has its roots in the African American community with such 1980s groups as the Sugar Hill Gang and Salt-n-Peppa. It's a form of poetic expression that many students relate to; and it can be used to great effect as a classroom discussion starter. It's even the subject of serious study on such college campuses as Stanford University, the University of Connecticut, Michigan State University, and Pennsylvania State University.

So why not incorporate it into your Black History Month activities?

Start the lesson by sharing a brief biography of Granville T. Woods. You might read about his life from a children's book or from one of the following Web resources:

After sharing biographical information about Woods, share the Granville T. Woods Rap Song. You might provide an opportunity for students to read the lyrics aloud to themselves, for a few students to share their reading aloud, or for students to work together in small groups to practice and perform.

Next, invite students to select a figure in Black History to learn about and then compose a rap about. You might allow students to select an African American of note, or limit their selections to less well known African Americans. Students might also provide a brief biography of the individual along with their original rap.

Make a special occasion of the day when students share their rap lyrics with their classmates. Videotape students' performances and run the video outside the meeting room at the next parent-teacher event.

Biography Resources

Notable African Americans This list, which includes more than 300 names (click A to Z List) with links to brief bios, is probably the best starting point. Students then can use library resources or a favorite search engine to find more specific information about any individual.
The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History Click an era in African-American history and find links to a wide variety of biographies.
Encyclopedia of Prominent African Americans
Black History Month Biographies
Biography.com celebrates Black History Month
Black History in America: Trailblazers
Afro-American Almanac Biographies
Prominent African Americans
The Top Ten African-American Inventors
Back in Time: Black Inventors Timeline
African-American Inventors

Assessment

Create a rubric for students so they are aware of what is expected. Let students secretly rate on a scale of 1 to 5 the lyrics their peers write. Tally the results and give out "Rappy Awards" to the best efforts.

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