Patricia M. Sorrentino
CDs, radio, iPods, oh my! Music, music, music … a true part of who we are. Rap lyrics absorb a majority of space on many students' music devices, so how should educators capitalize on this fact? This unit is designed to teach the poetic elements of poetry through rap lyrics. Within rap lyrics all the "textbook" poetic elements can be found. Once these elements are identified in rap lyrics, students should be able to take their new knowledge and apply it to more "traditional" poetry. Developed for an English class, this unit asks students to read deeply, write formally, conduct and participate in small group and/or whole group discussions, and present/perform poetry.
(Developed for English III and IV, grades 9-12; recommended for English I, II, III, IV, and Poetry, grades 9-12, and Language Arts, grades 7-8)
