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How To Write Vocabulary Rhymes

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Many students say that memorizing vocabulary words is a struggle, so we designed a simple lesson plan to help students learn, master and retain difficult vocabulary by writing a rhyme. This exercise can be done while a beat is playing (free beats are available here) or without music.

Step 1. Choose Your Vocab Word and Pre-teach

In this case, let’s use the word vain – an SAT-level vocabulary word that students might have to grapple with as early as middle school.

A.    Teach the word and the definition: Vain (adj.) too proud, into oneself

B.    Use the word in a sentence: (e.g.) “Vain people always carry a mirror in their pocket so they can check themselves out.”

Step 2. The First Line

The formula:

_____________(Definition)___________ (Vocabulary Word),

_____________(Context)__________ (Rhyme).

We know that our first line will end with vain. To be an effective learning tool, the first line also needs to contain the word’s definition.

Here’s a sample first line:

“Lisa was so into herself, you know, she was so vain,”

If you’re working with a group of students who have never done this before, it may be a good idea to provide the first line. Once students get used to the exercise, they’ll be able to write it on their own.

Step 3: The Rhyming Word Bank

We know that our first line ends with vain, so our next step will be to create a list of words that rhyme with that sound: luckily, many English words do. For this exercise, have students raise their hands and call out words that rhyme. Make a list on the board like this:

Vain – perfect rhymes

Pain
Gain
Brain
Plane
Vein (homonym!)
Insane
Disdain
Entertain

Vain – slant rhymes

Day
Play
Wage
Take
Sale
Sayin’
Money

As you can see, the slant rhymes get further and further away from the root word, but they’re all close enough (pronounced with a little poetic license) to rhyme with vain.

Step 4: Complete the Rhyme

Now that you have a rhyming word bank, your students will have to choose one of the rhyming words and use it to complete the rhyme.

You’ll notice in the formula that we ask students to think about context in their second line. This is a key point and can really separate great writers from writers who simply complete the assignment. In this case, writing with good context means that the second line supports the meaning of the vocabulary word you are defining, through action or theme.

For example, here is a second line that doesn’t use context:

“Lisa was so into herself, you know, she was so vain,
She likes rain.”

While this is a perfectly fine rhyme, we are relying on the first line’s definition as a context clue but not really getting another exposure to the word’s meaning.

Here’s a better example that uses context.

“Lisa was so into herself, you know, she was so vain,
She looks in the mirror so much it drives me insane.”

Step 5: Perform

Each student should now have at least two lines written. At this point, you can offer students that chance to perform their rhymes for the class (over a beat or a cappella). This is always a fun way to end the lesson and it’s always great when you (the teacher) share as well.

Step 6: Repeat

Now that students get the idea, they shouldn’t have a problem repeating this process with other vocabulary words that you chose. Provide students with a list of 8 words and have them write an entire verse on a specific topic!

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New this summer! Find more writing lessons in the Writing Academic Raps Teacher Resource Book, Flocabulary’s brand new program debuting on August 15th.

Flocab recently collaborated with College Board Schools to run a hip-hop songwriting contest. Students from College Board Schools were invited to write an educational rap song on a variety of topics. In fact two Flocab artists, Zach Prottas and D-Stroy, visited all the schools to work with students on songwriting and introduce the competition. The whole thing was a great experience. The winners and their families were flown to New York City for an awards dinner, and then the young artists had a chance to record their songs in Flocabulary’s Manhattan studio.

Kameron was the middle school winner. A soft-spoken, polite young man, Kameron became a beast on mic! Check out his vocabulary-defining, award-winning track, “Hip-Hop 101.”

Listen to Hip-Hop 101 mp3

Read the lyrics to Hip-Hop 101

For the high-school competition Tyriek had already won in 2008, so for 2009 he began his rap with a challenge to his fellow students. But with such precise lyrics, seemless flow and overall swagger, Tyriek was able to hold on to the title after all. Check out his award-winning song, “The Sequel.”

Listen to The Sequel mp3

Read the lyrics to The Sequel

Shout out to all the contest entrants. Y’all are a talented bunch! Keep up the great work guys.

Big up to Adam Knaresborough and his students at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia for submitting this awesome original rap. They took the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and put them to rhyme and a classic beat.

Another example of the engaging learning opportunities afforded when hip-hop meets academic content.

Listen: Amendments Rap

Anyone that’s ever walked out of a pet store with a “new best friend” can relate…

8th grader Fiorella Nicoloso of Incarnation Catholic School (Sarasota, FL) wrote this phenomenal rap/song using tough vocabulary words. Incorporating academic content into your own artistic creations - be they poems, songs or raps - is an unbeatable way to make sure you really know your stuff.

We hope everyone enjoys this. Big Up, Fiorella!

—————–

“A New Best Friend”

As I walked down the street to the pet store one day,
I thought about what kind of pet I’d want to stay.
Would I want a little turtle who basks in the sun?
A pet that lies out all day doesn’t sound much fun.
I don’t want a tiger to maim my face,
I don’t need any more cuts, thanks.
What I want to instill, I mean say to you,
Is the importance of a pet in my home and yours, too.
I won’t go back, or revert, to fish,
They’re boring- they just swim in a dish.
I need a pet with longevity- life,
I don’t need any more emotional strife.
The anguish of losing a pet is too much,
I just don’t think I can take that difficult rush.
Then I walked up to the pet store, hopped through the door,
And the clerk asked me, “What are you here for?”
The man was churlish- he was very rude,
I wanted to say, “What’s your problem, dude?”
He hovered over me- watched where I went,
Needless to say, my patience was spent.
As I walked away my mind began to wonder,
“Do I really want an animal that’s predatory and plunders?”
I walked around, looking at all the pets,
Glancing at each one saying, “Close but not yet.”
And then, in the corner, what did I spy,
But an aisle of bunnies, ears to the sky.
I gingerly picked up a cute little fellow,
Handling him with care, I saw he was yellow.
I went over to look at the bunny clothes,
But saw the attire was too long for short feet like those.
This skittish little guy was jumping in my arms,
He didn’t seem anything like bunnies on farms.
I wanted to flaunt him about on every street,
Just wait and see all the people he’ll meet!
I jostled up the aisle and pushed through the line,
And declared to the clerk, “I’ll take him- he’s mine.”
After I paid for him, I decided alone,
That I’d rehabilitate, or care for, this bunny on my own.
I named this little guy Harry the Hare,
If anyone has a problem with that, I don’t care.
Taking my new found friend in my arms,
I proclaimed to the world, “Harry, you’re ours!”

Song written by Fiorella Nicoloso, Grade 8 ICS

That’s right: A hip-hop board game that educates players about the history of the genre and the culture intertwined with it, connects “rap culture slang” to standard English, and more. Learn more about this innovative and engaging (and educational) game here.

How did we find out about this? Folks connected to the Hip-Hop Skillz creators reached out to us! Here’s what Shon wrote:

“I enjoyed looking at all the work other educators are doing
to use hip-hop as an engaging tool to embrace youth culture and get
them involved more actively in the learning process. I noticed
you did not have anything on the The Hip-Hop Game of SKILLZ, by Wil
Seegars (an educator from Detroit that created a powerful board game
that teaches the rich history of Hip-Hop Culture, chronicles its
social diversity across the globe, engages its players in vocabulary
battles, and gets students to demonstrate their ability to go from
slang to standard English). If you never heard of his work and his
product, I think it’s well worth looking into and posting something
about him on your site. His website is www.hiphopskillz.com

Good luck with what you’re doing and lets keep showing the world
Hip-Hop is more than a negative blub on the evening news.”

- Shon Watts

Right on!

To honor Edgar Allan Poe’s 200th birthday, Flocabulary produced two music videos. A perfect supplement when covering the great poet and author, these videos underscore the parallels that exist throughout centuries of American art. Poe is Hip-Hop. Enjoy!

First, in “The Pit and the Pendulum,” an isolated prisoner recounts his horrific tale of captivity and torture:

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Meanwhile, in “The Cask of Amontillado,” a deranged man decides to lure an acquaintance to his cellar and bury him alive:

View high-def versions and find more educational hip-hop songs at http://www.flocabulary.com.

Better than Flocab?

Have any students who listen to one of our songs and say, “not bad, but I could do better”? Well, three such students at Lindenwold High School in New Jersey heard “Three Times,” our version of Marc Antony’s famous speech in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and decided to take the challenge. So Booshon, John, and Kyle spent a weekend writing and recording their version of the famous speech. The result is pretty incredible. This is a must-hear. Leave the boys some comments and let ‘em know what you think.

Julius Caesar Rap (click green triangle to play)
Lyrics:

Friends, lend me your ear for a quick minute!

Romans, lend me your ear for a quick minute!

Countrymen, lend me your ear for a quick minute!

I got something to say, I need a quick minute!

(Repeat x2)

K.T. verse:

Lend me your ear for a quick minute;

I come to bury J.Ceasar no praise given.

Brutus said he was filled with much ambition;

Therefore, he deserved such a brutal killing.

People always staying focused on the bad things,

like forget the good and that a real shame.

They’re tryna play Caesar but it really ain’t a game.

They just decided that he was the perfect one to blame.

Brutus really when and lied on his best friend,

As a result Caesar’s life hit a dead end.

So tell me how in the world can we respect them,

If they expect to save Rome with a death wish.

Don’t get me wrong they are allowing me to speak now, and so I speak out for the deceased now.

I mean, since he’s gone whose gona lead now?

I guess Brutus cuz he’s happy as can be now.

Sike, he knows the truth about J.C.

When people cried and struggled, he felt the same thing.

You all loved him once and Brutus mainly.

That’s why to me, it just seems so crazy.

DJ Suppa verse:

Spittin’ the ether, I come to bury the Caesar

The good interred with the bones, so let it be with the Caesar,

The noble Brutus told you Caesar was ambitious and,

It was a grievous fault and Caesar went and answered it,

Under the leave of Brutus, for he’s a man of honor,

He was a friend of me, so I’m gonna be his sponsor,

There was ambition when Caesar brought the soldiers back,

He brought the poor up from the bottom so he cut em’ slack,

So let me bring it back I ain’t dissin’ Brutus but,

Imam speak about the present I’m gonna tell you what,

You used to show him love, you didn’t need a reason,

And now you hatin’ him, the Senate stopped his breathing,

Three times I presented the crown and,

Three times Caesar turned it down uhh,

A bunch of animals never will you mourn for him,

I must pause now cause my patience wearin’ thin.

Friends, lend me your ears for a quick minute,

Romans, lend me your ears for a quick minute,

Countrymen, lend me your ears for a quick minute,

I got something to say I need a quick minute.

(Repeat x2)

Booshon verse:

No praise when I’m puttin’ Caesar in the ground.

The evil lives after them you can ask around.

The good interred with the bones let it be with Caesar.

Ambitious was the king so he was a people pleaser.

Brought him down to his knees Caesar paid his fees.

Senate took him out the game said he was a tease.

On Ides of month three you can plainly see

Brutus had the honor serving Rome faithfully.

Funeral music for the king of the Rome

He was ambitious; he was holding his own.

He brought back many of the lost ones

Who lost some, back to the Romans’ misfortune.

And you saw the same day at the Lupercal

Caesar turned down the crown with a stupid smile.

All for nothing people loved Cease without a cause.

My heart froze with him so I’ll take a slight pause.

Another great, complete lesson plan from Daniel D. Zarazua, this one uses the complexities of the “rich rapper” myth to address various topics related to microeconomics. It also gets students thinking critically about portrayals of wealth in the media, and about how economic principals can affect their lives in unexpected ways.

Mr. Zarazua writes, “I’ve use it in different contexts, but students analyze constructions of ‘wealth’ as presented in music videos, concepts such as supply and demand, monopolies, distribution, and costs of living.”

This lesson plan is a great way to connect with students’ “out-of-school” interests and expertise to teach important academic and social principles.

Check it out here: Rappers Are Millionaires Excercise

Earlier this week, a blogger in Virginia named Gloria Brogdon sent us a lesson plan that helps students think critically about the history of hip-hop and make their arguments in a video project. The best part of this lesson is the video students are asked to watch - BET’s comprehensive documentary on the history, the culture and the issues.

Below, you can check out Part 1 of the four-part series. On Gloria’s blog - Conversations on Hip-Hop - you can view the other videos and read the complete lesson.

Remember, you can send us your lesson plans by click the submit button to the left.