BEYOND JINGLE BELLS: A CHRISTMAS RAP

TEACHER’S NOTES

OBJECTIVE: Build up Christmas vocabulary, rhyming (pronunciation), cooperative learning, creativity, fun.

AGE GROUP AND LEVEL: Teenagers, at least B1 (adaptable)

1. Show some famous Christmas raps (eg Run DMC, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, TLC).

Focus on the different beats. Which one do they like most and why?

It’s also interesting to notice how rap beat has changed over the years.

Most of rap songs are also adaptations from old songs, from different genres. If your students are into music, you can compare the original song and the rap version.

Pick one, for example, Santa Baby, by Snoop Dogg. Copy and paste the lyrics in a word cloud.

Can your students spot any Christmas words? (Competition: 1 min!)

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3. What are the rhyming words?

Display the first paragraph of the lyrics and focus on rhyming.

It was December 24 on Hollis after the darkMy man Santa saw a rabbi and gave the strangest remarkHe said that giving was his living and I had to take partSo I grabbed a bag of goodies and I hopped up on his cartI laced the pockets of the poor and gave the hoodie a playDropped some dollars up on Hollis and I went on my way

Explain what rhyming couplets are: In poetry, a couplet is a pair of lines. Typically, they rhyme and have the same meter. They make up a unit or complete thought. 

Can your students find more rhymes for each couplet?

It was December 24 on Hollis after the darkExample: I was meeting all my friends. I wanted to see Mark.

He said that giving was his living and I had to take partExample: So I had an idea for giving. I run to the the food mart.

2. Brainstorm Christmas vocabulary, and put it in alphabetical order.

You can do this on sticky notes on the wall, or online, using padlet.Padlet is like a wall on which you can post content: text, also pictures, links, videos, etc. One of its main benefits is that you and your students can have access to it whenever you want, for revision, to keep on building vocabulary, improve it by adding pictures, etc.

HOW TO USE PADLET (TEACHERS)

Register Click on “make a padlet” On the right of the screen, you can set up your padlet, add a title and a description, or

any extra information, content (icons, background, address …), etc. Click on next. Change your privacy settings and select “password protected wall”, so

that only your students can use it. You can also moderate the posts. Share the link with your students and they can start posting their content (double

clicking or tapping on the wall).

3. Now your turn!

In pairs, the students choose 10 random words from the padlet.

Example: angel

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They will write a sentence including that Christmas word at the end. Then, a rhyming couplet.

Example: Last Christmas I saw an AngelThe dude was hungry, he ate a bagel

They will do the same with all of the words.

Remind them that they need to keep the theme (Christmas) throughout the whole rap and try to come up with a catchy chorus.

Here are two useful websites to help your students with rhymes and pronunciation.Rhyming words: http://www.rhymezone.com/?loc=barPronunciation (text-to-speech): www.ivona.com

Once they have written up their lyrics, the students will listen to the following rap beat. Can they add their lyrics?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZQtS6WPZuE

The students will need to edit their lyrics, if necessary, so that they fit into the beat, practice, learn and record! (they can use Vocaroo or their mobile devices for recording the rap). Each person will have to rap 5 rhyming couplets.

Finally, the students will post their song in your class blog, padlet, etc. Students will listen to 5 raps, comment on them and vote.

Creating raps is a very motivating activity for teenagers.

It focuses on rhythm and rhyming. It provides patterns that make learning easier. It builds the students’ confidence in oral language. It’s motivating and interesting for students. It offers opportunities for repeated readings, which build fluency.

This activity, though can be used with adults too, so instead of a rap, you can let your students choose a type of music they like (blues, rock, etc.). If your are working at lower levels, you might also offer support with rhymes in the pre-task and work on sounds a bit more before asking the students to create their rhymes.

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STUDENT WORKSHEET

1. Popular Christmas rapsRun DMC, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, TLC).

• Focus on the different beats• Which one do you like most and why?

Look at the following lyrics, from Santa Baby rap. Can you spot any Christmas words?

2. Now look at the first verse of the lyrics What are the rhyming words?

It was December 24 on Hollis after the darkMy man Santa saw a rabbi and gave the strangest remarkHe said that giving was his living and I had to take partSo I grabbed a bag of goodies and I hopped up on his cartI laced the pockets of the poor and gave the hoodie a playDropped some dollars up on Hollis and I went on my way …

Can you find other rhyming words for each couplet?

Example:It was December 24 on Hollis after the darkI was meeting all my friends. I wanted to see Mark.

3. Now your turn.

Brainstorm Christmas vocabulary In pairs, choose 10 random words from the brainstorming activity

Write a sentence including one of those words at the end. Then, write a rhyming couplet.

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Example: “Angel”

Last Christmas I saw an AngelThe dude was hungry, he ate a bagel

Do the same with all of your words.

Try to come up with a catchy chorus.Remember the theme is Christmas!

Listen to the rap beat. Can you add your lyrics?https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZQtS6WPZuE Each person will have to rap 5 rhyming couplets.

Edit, practice, learn and record! (use Vocaroo or your mobile device) Post your song. Listen, comment and vote!

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