Introduction and Process

Have you ever thought about how rap came to be? Can you believe it has its roots in poetry? Follow this WebQuest to explore rap through the ages.

You should read all instructions carefully.

1. Welcome to our WebQuest and click on the Student Page link.

2. Click on the Activities link. You should see a list of 5 eras.

3. Click on the Elizabethan link. Read about the Renaissance Era from top to bottom. Pay special attention to questions where you are asked to click on a link. If you click on a link, you will be brought to another page where you should also explore the information provided.

3. Click on the Romance link. Read about the Romance and Transcendentalism Eras starting at the top of the page. Follow all instructions and click on links when prompted to do so. You need to complete the activity listed.

4. Click on the Realism link. Read about the Realism Era and study information provided about the period. Click on the links to read more about each poet famous for this era.

5. Click on the Modern link. Read about the Modern Era and the poets involved with this time period. You should click on the links when directed and answer all questions.

6. Click on The Beats link. Read about the Beats Era and the poets, writers and authors of this time. Click on the provided links to enhance your understanding of how words were used to make a powerful statement.

7. Click on the Rap link. Read about how poetry and rap are linked and the similarities between the two. This will help you when you choose a rap song to compare to one of the eras.

This lesson will be taught in a unit (five days). One day for each era. Each day, an era will be introduced to the class. Time periods will include Elizabethan, Romance and Transcendentalism, Modern poetry and The Beats. The class will read and explore that era and the poets most significant from that time. Students will learn about the many eras of poetry from a historical timeline, dating from 1580 to the present. They will navigate through each era by following the links provided through the Webquest. Through each era, students will learn about poets of that era and become more familiar with their work. The goal of the Webquest is for students to realize how modern day rap evolved from poetry. Once students have completed the Webquest, they will choose a rap song that best models poetry construction from one of the eras. Students will then explain why/how the song chosen models the period chosen.

This lesson can be taught as a Multidisciplinary lesson because it will teach History and English.

The teacher should be well-versed in traditional and modern poetry. Teachers should effectively scaffold this lesson into a poetry unit. This WebQuest is easy to follow and both veteran and novice teacher’s should find it useful and simple to navigate for this planning and instruction.

Students may work independently or in partners for this WebQuest. It up to the teacher’s discretion based on prior knowledge of his/her students and their abilities and needs.

This lesson should be taught in a computer lab where every student or every group has access to a computer to follow the activities from beginning to end. The computers must have internet access, sound and video playing software.

Variations

This activity is great for students who are auditory learners. They can listen to the poetry and kinesthetic learners can also act it out. The lesson is also well-suited for visual learners because the WebQuest allows students to see the lesson in words and pictures on the computer screen as they are following along with the assignment.