Warden Avenue's Rapping Poets

Warden Avenue PS  teacher Ms. K noticed that not all her students eagerly engaged in the poetry unit lesson. With the help of her colleagues, the team brainstormed on how they could engage all students in the grade 4/5 classroom and initiated the Warden Avenue Rap Project.   

With the overlaying theme of citizenship, staff and students started listening to rap songs and using them as a jumping off point for word choice, rhyme, rhythm and message. To culminate the lesson, students would write a rap song. Students researched how to write a rap song, how slang and word play works in songwriting and strategies for merging the message of the song with the beat of the music. The class listened to many rap songs and deconstructed the elements (message, words, rhythm). Next, they wrote couplets set to a beat. The students then chose a beat from a predetermined group which were selected by the teacher. They worked at brainstorming possible topics around the theme of citizenship and changing the world through our own actions. The students wrote lyrics about self-esteem, acceptance of others, tolerance and respecting the environment. After the lyrics were complete, they practiced singing the songs to the beat they each chose. The final assessment was to be their performance on stage in front of their classmates. 

However, the young rapping poets did not stop there. After the poetry unit was concluded, they expressed a desire to create a class CD and possibly sell it as a fundraiser. Ms. K’s class produced a recording of their songs on a master track and developed a CD cover of artwork created by students. This unit has been in large part driven by the students from concept to performance to production and finally marketing.

"This comprehensive project was a delight to see from its inception. Students produced great literary and expressive language skills and demonstrated great confidence in the delivery of their assessed performances. Ms. K ran with a concept that spoke to the interests and strengths of her students," says Principal Quincy James, who is very proud of the students’ accomplishments.