Background
Cubans
are extremely lively, passionate, and artistic people. The
art and music they create reflects these qualities. Students
will learn about Cuba through Cuban women who have organized
a rap group, and a female poet who is considered a Cuban national
treasure.
Lesson
Objectives
Students
will watch a video and be able to identify two different
types of Cuban art forms.
Students
will compare and contrast rap and poetry.
Students
will create a rap or a poem about Cuba based on what they
learned from the video and the accompanying web text.
Time
One period plus homework time, or one block period
Ask
students if they like rap music. Elicit favorites, examples,
reasons why they like it/don't like it. Ask students if
they like poetry. Elicit favorites, examples, and reasons
why they like it/don't like it. Ask them if they think there
are any similarities between rap and poetry. Also, how are
they different?
Tell
students that they are going to get a chance to meet a Cuban
rap group and a Cuban poet. Pass out the Rappers
and Poets worksheet and go over it with them.
Watch
the video segments about the female rap group, "Grupo Instinto"
(in time: 3:00), and poet Carilda Labra (in time: 25:00).
Afterwards, have students go over their worksheet with a
partner to complete it. Then as a large group, check their
comprehension of the video with the worksheet.
Assignment: Students then work individually to create
a rap or poem about Cuba based on what you learned about
it from these two divas. Have copies of the web links listed
below printed out and available for research. Teacher must
decide scoring rubric (# of lines, type of paper to use,
etc.) Issues to think about when writing their poem or rap:
*Do you think the content of the rap and poetry would change
if the authors were men? If so, how?
*What did you learn about the Cuban way of life from the
words in the rap and the poem? About how Cubans think? Sleep?
Live? Eat? Feel? Dream? Hope?
Assessment Suggestions
Develop a rubric for grading the poem or rap. Grade on creativity,
form, presentation, linking of ideas about Cuba learned
from video or text.
Extension
Have students perform their rap or read their poem for the
class.
Display raps and poems on a bulletin board.
Have students bring in samples of rap music lyrics and their
favorite poetry, and analyze the lyrics to a song or two.
(Encourage them not bring ones that are heavy on profanity;
Will Smith may offer good alternatives to profanity-heavy
rap groups.) What kinds of things do the authors of the
raps write about? What are popular themes for songwriters
and poets? Why? If they do use a lot of profanity, why do
they do that? What emotions do you think they want to convey?
"Rhyme and Resist: Organizing the Hip-Hop Generation"
by Angela Ards at http://www.thenation.com/issue/
990726/0726ards.shtml. Condensed history of rap music
as a form of social and political resistance and activism
with its beginnings in poetry. Links to many activist and
civic organizations aimed at youth and popular culture reform.
