THE BRONX

Lesson 3

Teaching Artist: Evan Harris

This is the third lesson from the New York Stories Course. Students will visit the Bronx to discover its history as the birthplace of hip hop and rap music. Then students will compose an original rap and perform for an audience.

SUMMARY

  • Students will be able to explain the origins and history of hip hop and rap music in the Bronx.

  • Students will be able to create and perform an original rap.

OBJECTIVE

MATERIALS

Teachers can optionally build their background knowledge on The Birth of Hip Hop, About Beatboxing, and Break Dancing prior to teaching this lesson.

TEACHER BACKGROUND

EXPLORE

  1. Show students images of break dancing, vinyl records, and a brief sample of Jump by Kris Kross. Ask: What do these things have in common with each other? Once ‘hip hop’ is offered, then ask: Where does hip hop come from? Tell students they are going to explore the history of hip hop and its birthplace, the Bronx. 

  2. Distribute the New York Stories Travel Diary. Allow students a moment to personalize the diary. Tell students they will use the diary as they travel through New York, drawing and recording important facts about another culture.

     

  3. The students’ next stop is The Bronx where they will learn about hip hop, rap, beatboxing and breakdancing. Play the first part of the video New York Stories: The Bronx [0:00 - 5:10]. Allow time for students to record facts in their diary through words or drawings. Ask the students to name an element of hip hop culture (such as rapping, beatboxing, breakdancing, scratching, DJing, MCing).

LEARN

1. Introduce students to the concept of rap. A rap is a type of rhythmic delivery of spoken word, usually to a drum beat and other musical accompaniment. A rap will often tell a story about the rapper’s life or feelings and is often expressed through rhyme. Discuss rhyming words and basic poetic structure, where the last word of a line rhymes with the next line’s final word. Play the second part of the video New York Stories: The Bronx [5:11 - 6:57]. 

2. Invite students to write an original rap or poem using the following criteria: 

  • The rap or poem contains four to eight lines.

  • The final word of every pair of lines rhymes.

  • The poem tells a story about themselves.

PERFORM+SHARE

  1. Ask students to create a one-minute video performance of a rap. Each student may introduce the performance with facts from their Bronx travels, then perform their rap with the backing track provided in the video New York Stories: The Bronx [6:25 - 6:57]. Share the video at S’Cool Sounds Padlet. 

  2. Tell students in the next lesson they will visit Jackson Heights.