The Week in Rap Lesson Plans
The Week in Rap video is just the starting point for a comprehensive current events study. Using the video as a jumping off point, these lessons will allow your students to delve deeply into the news and become experts on current events. The Week in Rap is new each Friday-but you can choose to do these weekly lessons any day of the week.
Using the Challenge Questions
Immediately following the song, test student knowledge with challenge questions. The questions test knowledge of current events presented in the video mixed in with a few fun questions about the lyrics. Were your students paying attention?
Using the Missing Lyrics
You can remove the key words from the songs by clicking on Missing Lyrics in the side menu. After the students have heard the song a few times, project the missing lyrics onto the board and have students write in the correct word while the song is playing or afterward. As a spelling check, you can make copies for students and have each student write in the correct word while the song is playing. You can also use copies of the missing lyrics as a context clues quiz.
Current Event Review
You can use the clickable lyrics to learn more about each story. Each lyric will bring you to a story on Channel One News. You can have students use our note-taking chart while they watch the videos.
The Weekly Activity
Each Week in Rap includes a weekly activity. The activity measures knowledge of current events from the week in a variety of different ways. Assign it immediately following the challenge questions, or for homework that night. You can even have students answer questions before they watch the video to gauge knowledge of current events, and then check their answers afterward.
Writing Academic Rhymes
Why stop with Flocabulary's version of the news? Have your students create their own Week in Rap. They can write about the same stories we covered from the week, or they can report on local happenings around your school. Our Writing Academic Rhymes lesson sequence covers everything from creating basic mnemonic rhymes to writing complete hip-hop songs. Get started writing here.
Predict the News
Get students to guess what topics will be covered in the Week in Rap before they watch. This can easily be turned into a game. Students can also choose one major story or topic and be the class expert on that topic. If a student's story is mentioned in the Week in Rap, he or she can signal in some way. That student can then explain what was happening previously. You can also preview the headlines before students watch the video and have students fill out a KWL chart, listing what they know already.
Debate the News
Capitalize on controversy. Debating a news story can help students clarify their understanding of a topic, develop opinions and understand others views of current events. Debates can range from formal argumentation to a more casual discussion. In all cases, they encourage interactions and socialization in the classroom. We've provided some guidelines and a worksheet to hold a formal debate as well as tips for more casual opinionated discussions.
Be the Pundit
What's your opinion? Get students thinking about their opinions on current events. Then they can share their views through a short argumentative piece or a more official editorial. Give students 30 or 60 seconds to give their take on a news story. Use this handout to help students organize their thoughts.
News Investigator
Reinforce research skills and best practices for 21st-century education. Using the clickable lyrics as a jumping off point, you can divide up the current events stories amongst your students. Click here for a printable worksheet to guide your students mini research projects.
