Constitution Rap

Session Design by Emily Esparza

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
● U.S. I History Standard 4.2:
○ Students will describe the structure and function of the government that
the Constitution creates.
● Secondary Choir Lv. 1 Connect 3
○ Experience how music connects us to history, culture, heritage,
community and to other academic subjects.
● Secondary Theatre Lv.1 Respond 4
Demonstrate the ability to receive and act upon coaching, feedback, and
constructive criticism.
Essential Questions
● How can we use music to express ideas?
● What kind of government does the Constitution create?
● How can we use feedback to improve a product?

Enduring Understandings
● Students will understand that music can be used to connect and express
complex ideas and concepts.

ASSESSMENT
Performance Tasks
● Students create and perform a song/rap about the Constitution which will be
graded by using a rubric in order to describe the structure and function of the
government that the Constitution creates.
● Students will receive peer feedback on their songs/raps from their classmates
about their songs/raps and use that feedback to create the final version of their
song/rap in order to demonstrate the ability to receive and act upon coaching,
feedback, and constructive criticism.
Other Assessments
● Students will write a response to the following prompt: How did using music help
connect you to history?
MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher Materials
● Electronic recording device such as a phone, camera, or video camera.
● Example educational songs/raps
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJiwRtxG1o (rap example)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KmB_PRmIhY (song example)
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● Popcorn

Student Materials
● If available electronic recording device.
● Paper and a writing utensil

LEARNING PLAN
Day 1
Framing / Hook
1. Educational rap/song
a. Discuss with students:
i. Have you ever used a rap/song to help them memorize or
understand a concept.
ii. How did the rap/song help you with either memorizing or
understanding a concept?
iii. How does music help to connect ideas?
b. Show students a couple of examples of an educational song/rap.
i. NOTE: If possible show one of the songs/raps the students may
have referenced.
ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJiwRtxG1o (rap example)
iii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KmB_PRmIhY (song example)
c. Explain to students that they will be creating their own educational
song/rap about the U.S. Constitution.

Process
1. Project Guidelines
a. Go over the project guidelines with students in the Song/rap Project
Guidelines (See Attached).
i. NOTE: Emphasize that the students have the option of using the
melody from an already existing song or they can create their own.
2. Project Guidelines for Drama Across
a. Split students into groups. Each groups will be creating a short song or rap
(about 30 sec.) for their part of the Constitution.
i. The Preamble.
The three branches of the government.
The Bill of Rights.
Amendments: how to make amendments
b. Talk about song verse rap (quote project guideline worksheet, but there is
no need to hand it out to everyone because I altered the lesson).
3. Music
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a. Before allowing students to go and work on their raps discuss the musical
element of this assignment.
i. Explain to students that they will not be graded on their singing
ability, but they will be graded on active participation. (There is no
such thing as a “Bad Singer”.) Every person in each group should
be singing, and be engaged during the performance.
ii. Explain to students the importance of using diction.
1. Diction is the style of enunciation in speaking or singing.
When using diction you should emphasize the consonants in
each word.
2. The use of diction will help in the audience understanding
the lyrics in your song/rap. This is extremely important
because in this case and scenario the lyrics to an education
rap/song are what your audience will be focusing on.
b. Diction Warm Up
i. Have students repeat the phase “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of
Pickled Peppers: a Peck of Peppers Peter Piper Picked” focusing
on using diction while saying the phase. Each time students repeat
the phase they should speed up and try to maintain using good
diction.
4. Lyric/Rap work time
a. Split students into groups and allow them to begin working on their
rap/song for the remainder of the class period.
i. NOTE: For this project you may want to let students choose their
own groups.
b. Explain that students should aim to finish writing their lyrics by the end of
the class period because tomorrow they will be recording their songs/raps.
c. Remind students to bring a electronic device that they can use to record
their song/rap to class tomorrow. If students do not have a device they can
use explain that you will bring in a device that they can use to record their
scene.
5. Lyric/Rap Work Time Drama Across
a. Allow students time to work on their part of the Constitution.
b. 5 min. Before the end of class have each group share their rap and give
each other peer feedback if time allows.
i. Students can share what they have so far without being done.

Day 2
Framing / Hook
1. Diction Warm Up
a. Diction Warm Up
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i. Have students repeat the phase “You know you need unique New
York” focusing on using diction while saying the phase. Each time
students repeat the phase they should speed up and try to maintain
using good diction.
Process
2. Work Time
a. Students must record their raps by the end of the class period and either
email it or submitt it on canvas by midnight.
i. NOTE: If any groups finish early have them help the other groups
record and/or go around to the different groups and give feedback.
Day 3
Framing / Hook
1. Movie Theatre set up
a. Have students sit wherever the classroom as long as they can see where
the videos are being played.
b. Have a popcorn station set up on tables so that students can go and get
popcorn to eat during inbetween videos.
Process
1. Feedback paper
a. Have students pull out notebook paper (the amount of paper depends on
the number of groups).
b. Write the following sentences on the board.
i. List two things the groups did well.
ii. List two things the group could improve on.
c. While watching each group’s song/rap video students will respond the
above prompt.
2. Watching songs/raps
a. Watch each of the groups videos allowing time in between each video for
students to write feedback.
b. Collect the feedback at the end of the class period
3. Reminder for next class
a. Remind students that they will be revising their songs/raps and recording
the final version of their song/rap next class period.

Day 4
Framing / Hook
1. Have students repeat the phase “In tooting two tutors astute tried to tute a duke
on a flute but duets so gruelling end only in duelling when tutors astute toot the
flute” focusing on using diction while saying the phase. Each time students
repeat the phase they should speed up and try to maintain using good diction.
Process
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1. Feedback
a. Pass out peer feedback from the last class to each group. Please
emphasize that students should use the feedback they received when
revising their song/rap/
i. NOTE: At the end of the class period please be sure to recollect the
feedback worksheet to use with the grading the final song/raps.
2. Revising
a. The rest of the class period allow the groups to revise their song/rap and
re-record it.
i. NOTE: If any groups finish early have them help the other groups
record and/or go around to the different groups and give feedback.
b. All groups final songs/raps are to be turned in at midnight.
3. Self Reflection Homework
a. For the next class period students will write a short response reflecting on
their experience during this process. In addition to their personal reflection
they will also respond to the following prompt: How did using music help
connect you to history?

Constitutional Rap Worksheet

Goal: Students will create their own Constitutional rap that will describe the structure
and function of the government that the Constitution creates.
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Guidelines:
Students must either choose to create a song or rap about the Constitution.
1. Song: If you choose do you create a song you must use an instrumental/karaoke
track from an already existing song, and create your own lyrics to match the
music.
2. Rap: If you choose to create a rap you do not need to use an
instrumental/karaoke track from an existing song. But you can use an
instrumental/karaoke track if you so chose.
Students will have first turn in a “rough draft” of their song/rap in order to receive
peerfeed. After revising their song/rap students will turn in the final version of their
song/rap.
Song/Rap Requirements:
1. Your song/rap must be at least 1 minute long.
2. Your song/rap must describe the structure/function of the United States
Government the Constitution created. Necessary areas are:
a. The Preamble.
b. The three branches of the government.
c. The Bill of Rights.
d. Amendments: how to make amendments.
3. You must use effectively use diction when performing your song/rap in order to
clearly communicate the lyrics and ideas of your song/rap.
4. All group members must participate by singing the song/rap.
a. There is no such thing as a “BAD” singer!!!!!!

Feedback:
1. Each group will record and turn in their first version of their song/rap. In class
each groups song/rap will be shown to the class so that each group may receive
peerfeedback.
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2. You MUST use the peer feedback you receive when creating and recording the
final version of your song/rap. However, you DO NOT need to use all the
peerfeedback you receive.
a. Pick the most recurring feedback you receive from your peers or the
feedback you feel like will help improve your song/rap the most.
Final Song/Rap
1. After grading you final song/rap it will be posted to our class’s YouTube channel
so that your parents may see your song/rap.
a. If you do not want your song/rap posted online please let Ms. Esparza
know.

Constitutional Song/Rap Rubric

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Participation and All group members Some group No group members

Engagements actively participated members participated and
and engaged in the participated and engaged in the
scene. engaged in the scene.
scene.

Constitution Song/rap effectively Song/rap attempts Song/rap does not

describes the to describe the describe the
government created government created government created
by the Constitution by the Constitution by the Constitution
and includes all and includes all and does not
required areas. required areas. include all required
areas.

Diction Group consistently Group attempts to Group does not use

and effectively use to use diction in diction in their
diction throughout their song/rap. song/rap.
their song/rap.

Peer feedback Group effectively Group attempts to Group does not use
uses peer feedback use peer feedback peer feedback to
to improve their to improve their improve their
song/rap. song/rap. song/rap.