Today fifth graders at Chamberlayne Elementary created “Region Raps” to share information about the regions of the United States in a creative way. First the students researched their region using books and websites. They were instructed to find certain specific facts as well as anything interesting that they could include in their rap. The students worked in groups to develop lyrics keeping in mind our discussion of the importance of rhythm and rhyme in raps. Next, I showed them how to find a beat and make it loop in Garage Band. The students recorded their raps and were given the opportunity to add special vocal effects if they wanted. Finally, the completed raps were posted onto the classroom blog. This project was also submitted to our county’s blog of shared resources called “Henrico 21.” If you’d like to listen to a student sample about the southeast region, click here.
