weekly

The News in Rap : Current Events & Language Arts Class (Ongoing)

Completed by 5 learners

Ages 8-11

Live Group Class

This weekly ELA ongoing class with a UK based English Teacher uses current events to teach Language Arts through rap lyrics. Grades 3-5. #confidence

Ms. Tracey, BA, PG Dip (Hum)

Average rating:

4.8

Number of reviews:

(242 reviews)

Live video meetings

1x per week

1-10 learners per class

45 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

1 live meeting

45 mins in-class hours per week

Class Experience

US Grade 3 - 5

This weekly ongoing class will teach learners about current events each week from around the world, each class will focus on 3-6 events in the news that week. Topics chosen will be appropriate for grades 3-5 . As we will focus on current events, each class will be different each week and as this is an ongoing class learners may drop in and out, no reading or preparation is required.

As well as being a 'citizen of the world' this class will also teach elements of Language Arts (see learning goals for a list) we will analyse the lyrics of the rap song, learn new vocabulary, read and respond to articles, play vocabulary games with the words of the week and take a comprehension quiz. Finally, learners will use the new words they have learnt to collaborate and write a rhyming rap song about the week's events, this will practice sentence construction and use of new vocabulary and memory recall - completed lyrics will be posted to the classroom page for learners to download and keep (and maybe put on a rap show for their family). 

For example The Week in Rap for the week (1st September 2023) contains the following topics :
Thousands march to mark the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. India becomes the fourth country to visit the moon. Art created by AI is not eligible for copyright, a judge rules. A rare spotless giraffe is born at a Tennessee zoo. Lego will sell bricks featuring braille. Simone Biles wins a record eighth national gymnastics championship. 

Topics for each upcoming week's class will be posted to the classroom page on Sundays.

This class is a fun way to increase our vocabulary, learn and use new words practically and have fun with our friends from all over the world!

Learning Goals

5th Grade ELA CCSS Standards :

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1	
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1.C	
Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1.E	
Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.2.A	
Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3	
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3.A	
Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4.A	
Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5	
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5.C	
Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1	
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2	
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3	
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8	
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9	
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6	
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.C	
Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4	
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5	
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.D	
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Other Details

Parental Guidance

Topics selected will be appropriate to learners in grades 3-5

Supply List

Learners will not need any supplies for this class.

External Resources

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Ms. Tracey, BA, PG Dip (Hum)

Joined December, 2020

4.8

242reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

Non-US Teaching Certificate in English to Speakers of Other Languages

Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Northampton

I have a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and currently studying a Masters degree.
Qualified Literacy Teacher in Primary and Secondary Schools.
Qualified English Language Teacher with TEFL.