One of the second grade classes chose to write their own rap about the lungs and diaphragm. We worked as an entire class to brainstorm what they knew. In the next class, we reviewed what they knew and then began the process of writing the rap. I have never done anything in this way before and it was completely different to try. I'm incredibly pleased with all the hard work that our students put into this.
The video can be found here: Gonzalez PBL Rap
**This is an unlisted video that can be found only by knowing the link to the rap. It is not public. Hoping to clean up the areas where I can be heard saying "one" or "go." Sorry about that!**
The process involved starting with what students knew. I literally asked them to state a fact. The first fact a student gave was "The lungs help us breathe." There was the first line.
The second fact a student gave was "They help us sing." Bingo - there is line two.
We talked about what rhymes with the word sing and students came up with "Ring." They then talked through how to add the middle words and came up with "When you tingle you hear a ring go ding ding ding." Alright. First section finished.
We continued to do this for forty minutes. Yes. It was long. The kids couldn't believe what they had produced when the time was over. When they couldn't think of something to say, I'd lead them into a discussion about what they learned in gym with Coach Ingram or what they learned in science class with Mrs. Klimek or how they used their breath in art with Miss Martin. It always led to more information and in the end we had a really great result.
Their final poem - student written, teacher led, student ideas, teacher encouragement, student inspired, teacher thrilled- way to go Mrs. Gonzalez' class!!!
GONZALEZ RAP:
The lungs help us breathe
They help us sing
When you tingle you hear a ring
go ding, ding, ding.
Lungs can't hold water.
Lungs hold air.
Don't smoke anything
with your lungs take care.
When you breathe in,
your lungs expand.
You take in oxygen
from plants everywhere.
You breathe out
carbon dioxide
Plants then take it
inside and outside.
Nicotine and tar
are bad for your lungs.
They are addicting
to everyone.
Smoking makes your heart
so so big.
and your heart beats faster
boom, boom big.
Your life is shorter
when you smoke.
So choose instead
to just say no.
When you sing
keep your shoulders down.
Take a deep breath
don't wear a frown.
Under your ribs
is your diaphragm.
It moves up and down
it's awesome, man.
We're at the end
of our lungs rap
we learned a lot.
"We love our lungs"
Snap!
**This is an unlisted video that can be found only by knowing the link to the rap. It is not public. Hoping to clean up the areas where I can be heard saying "one" or "go." Sorry about that!**
The process involved starting with what students knew. I literally asked them to state a fact. The first fact a student gave was "The lungs help us breathe." There was the first line.
The second fact a student gave was "They help us sing." Bingo - there is line two.
We talked about what rhymes with the word sing and students came up with "Ring." They then talked through how to add the middle words and came up with "When you tingle you hear a ring go ding ding ding." Alright. First section finished.
We continued to do this for forty minutes. Yes. It was long. The kids couldn't believe what they had produced when the time was over. When they couldn't think of something to say, I'd lead them into a discussion about what they learned in gym with Coach Ingram or what they learned in science class with Mrs. Klimek or how they used their breath in art with Miss Martin. It always led to more information and in the end we had a really great result.
Their final poem - student written, teacher led, student ideas, teacher encouragement, student inspired, teacher thrilled- way to go Mrs. Gonzalez' class!!!
GONZALEZ RAP:
The lungs help us breathe
They help us sing
When you tingle you hear a ring
go ding, ding, ding.
Lungs can't hold water.
Lungs hold air.
Don't smoke anything
with your lungs take care.
When you breathe in,
your lungs expand.
You take in oxygen
from plants everywhere.
You breathe out
carbon dioxide
Plants then take it
inside and outside.
Nicotine and tar
are bad for your lungs.
They are addicting
to everyone.
Smoking makes your heart
so so big.
and your heart beats faster
boom, boom big.
Your life is shorter
when you smoke.
So choose instead
to just say no.
When you sing
keep your shoulders down.
Take a deep breath
don't wear a frown.
Under your ribs
is your diaphragm.
It moves up and down
it's awesome, man.
We're at the end
of our lungs rap
we learned a lot.
"We love our lungs"
Snap!
