Should+Hip-Hop+be+censored?


 * __**SHOULD HIP-HOP/RAP MUSIC BE USED IN OUR ENGLISH CLASSROOM?**__
 * CLASSROOM AUDIENCE:

Our event involves English freshman students attending a large urban high school. Thirty percent of the students will flunk freshman English the first time around. The students represent different writing and reading abilities. We are going to learn to express opposite opinions constructively. This opposition will change how we feel about each other. It will bring our class closer together. In the beginning, we spend some time researching the beginnings of hip-hop. This will help us start on the same page. Where did it start and what was its purpose? How has it changed? Should this art form (hip-hop) be censored? Is Hip/Hop a relevant part of our culture? Could we study Hip-Hop in our English Classroom? **Our writing assignment will be to address those questions using at least two sources.**

Through reading, writing, listening and oral presentations, we will argue, discuss, enjoy, and write our thoughts together with the students.**“Speed Dating” is next on our event chain. All the students line up their desks in two lines facing each other. Students will share what they have learned from their research in three minute discussions one to one. They will discuss their writings and the information they have learned in their research.**

To learn both the positive and negative ideas about censorship, **we need to incorporate role playing.** There is a strong chance that without it everyone would be on the same side. Roles will consist of a teen, a parent, a police officer, a counselor, a teacher, a member of Mothers against Rap, Tupac Shakur { a dead rapper}, a contemporary Hip-Hop artist and a conservative politician. A possible interview of family, peers, or other teachers may serve the student in their discovery. Delving into their character, they must learn to see the reasons, feeling and emotions from that perspective. Seeing through someone else’s eyes may lead to empathy to other's perspectives. Our goal is to develop global citizens with a sensitivity to each man’s voice. I**n small groups we will role play for and against the study of rap music in the classroom.**

In answer to the question "should hip-hop be censored?", we are going to look out how music is censored and how we can censor our own music to keep those around us happy. Then **we are going to learn some censoring vocabulary for our own personal use.**

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 * **Blanking** is when the volume is silenced for all or part of the word.
 * **Bleeping** is playing a noise, usually a "beep", over all or part of the word.
 * **Resampling** is using a like-sounding portion of vocals and music tooverride the offending word.
 * **Resinging** is replacing the offensive word/phrase with a more appropriateword/phrase.
 * **Backmasking** is taking the offensive word and reversing the audio,sometimes the whole audio is reversed (often because it is a home-made job), usually only the vocal track is reversed.
 * **Repeating** is repeating the word said just before the explicit word was used.
 * **Skipping** is concerned with deleting the curse word from the song without time delay.
 * **Disc scratching** is scratching on the word, making it sound like anotherword, or make the word said faster or slower.
 * **RoboVoicing** can be making the word totally non-understandable by anoverpowering robotic voice effect (usually used as a last resort for home-made jobs)
 * **Distorting** happens when less offensive words such as "shit" replaces theoriginal cuss word.

We have only begun to scratch the surface. Now we will turn to Tupac Shakur’s violent life story. We will discuss the struggles, pain and power discussed in Tupac’s poems. Each student will choose a book that Tupac read during his lifetime. The list can be found at [|www.hiphopisread.com]. **We will have at least 25 minutes for silent reading each day. We will discuss what our books are about daily sharing in small groups. Our reading and discussion will give way to journaling in our journal how Tupac's life may be similar to our lives.**

Some of the audio we will listen to in class is represented in the following video. media type="youtube" key="Np9B-noT_iY" width="420" height="315" align="right" media type="youtube" key="p7vwxDmmAZs" width="560" height="315"


 * This is where it is important to write with your students by modeling your thoughts on the smart board**. With these writings we will explore the themes and cultural significance in Tupac’s rap poetry. Starting a personal journal at this juncture, the students can begin to write their feelings and ideas on paper. How does Tupac share his life struggles with his rap poetry? Can we share our feelings and pain through poetry or rap lyrics?

All of this brings us to write our own hip-hop or rap lyrics. While we write, we will listen to the clean versions of contemporary hip-hop or rap music. After writing, we will read our lyrics to each other. Here comes speed dating again, we will allow more time for individual sharing time. We will now assemble a collection of our thoughts and personal rap lyrics in a small book. We could sell the book and use the funds for recording and digital classroom equipment.

We have studied the positive and negative effects of hip-hop/rap music Through out the event, we have focused on the struggles reflected in hip-hop music and poetry. Some students will personally relate to the struggles discussed in hip-hop lyrics. During discussion concerning censorship, we have learned to listen to each other respecting each other’s opinion. Many of our school lessons do not matter to our audience {the students}. In this event, we have leveled the playing field. Yes, our students may know more about the hip-hop lyrics than their teachers!. Let their prior knowledge help them succeed!

For our final discussion of “Should hip-hop be used in the English classroom"”, the students may invite their parents and teachers to their last discussion. They will show empathy and maturity when others outside the class express their opinions.

Metacognitive strategies consisting of coaching the students in thinking skills was represented with listening skills, word analysis, and active reading strategies. This information through music and our readings does matter to our high school audience. Do we have to stretch ourselves to reach them? Hip-hop is part of our culture. It is not insignificant to our culture and it is not going away.

Of course, common core state standards must be reflected in our events. It is important that with fun comes measurement of goals achieved. The following English common core standards were integrated into this event:


 * 1) Present information, evidence and reasoning in a clear and well-structured way appropriate to purpose and audience. ( our debate, our writings, and our final public debate)
 * 2) Participate in different types of interactions. (speed-dating, group discussion and debate),
 * 3) Argumentative and informational writings were studied. ( Research writings to prepare for the debate)

We can bring excitement to the classroom by exploring topics familiar to our students and their prior knowledge. The event approach is alive and well for new and old teachers to jump into with both feet and with their minds wide open!