I give props to Hip Hop so Hip Hop hooray...ho...hey...ho!”
~ Naughty By Nature
Hip-hop in the classroom? I have to say that I have never used it. Not because I don't like it. I mean, really, who doesn't get in a good mood when "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock plays? "It Takes Two" - Go ahead and play it. It will bring a smile!
"Ice, Ice Baby"? It's a classic! Although I am not sure that everyone would agree that it is hip-hop.
As a high school teacher, Morrell decided to utilize hip-hop music in his class to help create a critical discourse that was centered around his students, while also promoting academic literacy. Some facts behind hip-hop that Morrell uses as a basis for his decision are (58-60):
- Hip-hop transcends race, class, and gender.
- Rap is the reflection of the hopes, concerns and aspirations of urban Black youth. The goal is to "educate" listeners.
- It promotes social consciousness, ex. Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, Public Enemy
- Hip-hop texts can be used to scaffold literary terms: imagery, irony, metaphor, diction, tone, point of view, theme, motifs, plot, character development
The three goals of Morrell's senior English unit, along with a colleague, were (60):
- To utilize hip-hop to scaffold the critical and analytical skills that the students already possess.
- To provide students with the awareness and confidence they need to transfer these skills into/onto the literary texts from the canon.
- To enable students to critique the messages sent to them through the popular cultural media that permeate their everyday lives.
To do this, Morrell and Duncan-Andrade situated hip-hop historically and socially, then discussed its growth as a response to urban post-industrialism. With this, they also needed to incorporate the Elizabethan poetry age, the Puritan revolution, and the Romantics, which were all required by the school district, as well as knowledge for the AP exam and college-level English. The objectives of the unit were for students to develop oral/written debate skills, to facilitate group work, to help students deliver public presentations, to teach students how to critique a poem/song in a critical essay, to help student develop note-taking skills, and to help students become comfortable writing in different poetic forms.
After providing the students with information pertaining to the historical and literary periods, Morrell divided the class into eight groups, assigning each a hip-hop song and poem to present to the class. The students were assigned to analyze the link between the two and to interpret the texts in regards to their historical and literary period. In addition, the students were also tasked to create their own poems of varying styles, some of which were to be about a societal issue that the students felt strongly about.
Morrell was pleased the responses from his students. The connection between hip-hop and poetry was evident as the students compared the societal issues found in the songs to the real-life examples they witnessed. The familiarity with the music helped to open the doorway for the students so that they could take the analyzing skills they applied to the songs and then apply the same skills to the poetry.
It is important to remember that just throwing the songs into the curriculum isn't helpful though. The teacher must help the students to create meaning. And, the teacher must also be aware of what "texts" surround the students. I have found that just talking with my students gives me an idea of what they are listening to and watching. Personally, as an 8th grade teacher, many hip-hop songs would be inappropriate for my students, but I can still incorporate many of the mainstream songs that they know. During a unit on teen angst, we spend a few periods listening to and analyzing lyrics of songs that the students have recommended, which they believe reflect the stresses and issues that the students face daily. After discussion as a class, the students then find their own song that they feel a connection to so that they can write a reflection of it it to me. They really seem to enjoy the assignment and I learn the most about them from this lesson; 8th graders are surprisingly open when they feel that they are in a safe environment!
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Morrell was pleased the responses from his students. The connection between hip-hop and poetry was evident as the students compared the societal issues found in the songs to the real-life examples they witnessed. The familiarity with the music helped to open the doorway for the students so that they could take the analyzing skills they applied to the songs and then apply the same skills to the poetry.
It is important to remember that just throwing the songs into the curriculum isn't helpful though. The teacher must help the students to create meaning. And, the teacher must also be aware of what "texts" surround the students. I have found that just talking with my students gives me an idea of what they are listening to and watching. Personally, as an 8th grade teacher, many hip-hop songs would be inappropriate for my students, but I can still incorporate many of the mainstream songs that they know. During a unit on teen angst, we spend a few periods listening to and analyzing lyrics of songs that the students have recommended, which they believe reflect the stresses and issues that the students face daily. After discussion as a class, the students then find their own song that they feel a connection to so that they can write a reflection of it it to me. They really seem to enjoy the assignment and I learn the most about them from this lesson; 8th graders are surprisingly open when they feel that they are in a safe environment!
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“Kubla Khan” - Coleridge and “If I Ruled the World’ - Nas
“Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” - T.S. Eliot and “The Message” - Grandmaster Flash
“O Me! O Life!” - Walt Whitman and “Don’t Believe the Hype” - Public Enemy
“Immigrants in Our Own Land” - Baca and “The World is a Ghetto” - Geto Boys
“Sonnet 29” - Shakespeare and “Affirmative Action” - Nas
“The Canonization” - Donne and “Manifest” - Refugee Camp
“Repulse Bay” - Chin and “Good Day” - Ice Cube
"Still I Rise" - “Still I Rise” - Maya Angelou and “Cell Therapy” - Goodie Mob
Morrell, E. (2004). Linking Literacy and Popular Culture: Finding Connections for Lifelong Learning. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Misty,
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting. I would feel completely inept trying to incorporate hip hop into my classroom, especially because it's not really something that I listen to, or know much about. I'm sure many of my students would know much more than me, though, and it could make for an interesting exercise in allowing the students to really be the teachers.
My husband just sent me this link the other day, and I found it incredibly interesting, and relevant to this post: http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/11/04/131063935/listening-to-the-anthology-of-rap . It's about a book, an anthology of rap, that contains only the text of the works, and also about the book critique, who knew nothing about rap as music, but was drawn into and completely absorbed by the text of the lyrics.
It's interesting to me that changing the genre away from "rap" and all those connotations, and just looking at the text and the words can introduce a whole new audience to that particular medium. I guess for students, HS students especially, moving from rap into other classics could have the same effect. Very interesting post!
HI Misty:
ReplyDeleteI'll try this again. For some reason, the comment didn't take. This reminds me of songs like the one by Eminem and Rhianna (?) about abuse. I think songs like this serve as a great opportunity to deconstruct social issues, ones that teens need to be aware. We might understand the satirical nature (did we agree on this word, Misty?) of this song, but teens might not. Thanks for this post and our mini-discussion of it in class the other day!
Anni, we did agree on satire for the Eminem and Rhianna song.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I really never thought about incorporating rap into my class, but there might be some interesting songs that the students enjoy and are 8th grade appropriate.
Thanks for the link about rap Erin. I am going to check it out. If anything, the students would probably find it interesting!
Hey Misty,
ReplyDeleteLast night on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jay-Z appeared, and I think the interview was really pertinent to this discussion. You need not, for instance, have an expertise in hip hop music or hip hop culture to discuss important issues surrounding history, language, culture, etc. Check it out... http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/11/18/jon-stewarts-extended-and-uncensored-interview-with-jay-z/
I was glad to see that the author(s) made a case for integrating hip hop into the curriculum in a meaningful way and not just throw it into the curriculum in a weak attempt to ingratiate themselves (teachers) with the students or for other reasons that may not be well supported. One point about rap/hip hop that is not often mentioned is that it has existed in other forms for centuries. This is just the modern manifestation of a genre that has ancient roots. Beginning in the recent past, listen to Bob Dylan or Allen Ginsberg or other beat poets, then listen to modern rap/hip hop. It's the same wine in new bottles. But that by no means invalidates its cultural, musical or political worth. The astute teacher would, as the author(s) imply, be able to make quite easily the connections between "rap" of the past and rap of the present.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of using music in class in a planned and well organized way.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is really interesting to see how people in different countries and cultures have different, and sometimes contradictory, perspectives on the same issue. It might surprise some of you to know that songs are forbidden in some cultures/religions. So, while incorporating hip hop or rap into teaching or the curriculum could be highly valued and appreciated in one context, it might not be the case in other contexts.
Also, this reminds me of our discussion in class about the role of schools in relation to students who come from different cultures that might have values which differ from, or even contradict, the values of schools. I mean, what could happen for a student who come from a background that forbids listening to songs when his or her teacher uses hip hop or rap in class?...................Abdullah