Rats for Lunch/ Rondo Rap Project

I have a new project I would like to tell you about.  I have just started it, but I think it will be very fun and very educational for my fifth graders learning to count rhythms.  I found this song in the book, based on a Jack Prelutsky poem, and I decided to have my students,  who have been learning how to compose rhythms and counting them,  write a rondo rap, just like the one they learned in the book.  They know how to compose rhythms, so this is just a next step.  After that, they will compose a song too, using the notes they have learned on the piano, the C position, the middle C position, and some of them have also learned the g position. I will keep you posted as to how the project is going, but here is the checklist I created for the project so you can see my thinking.

Rondo Rap Project
Standard:  Create their own compositions by applying the knowledge and skills of notation, symbols, and terminology of dynamics.

1.  Practice rhythms using "too" for quarter notes and "tata" for eighth notes and "titititi" for sixteenth notes. 

2.  Create your own rhythm piece of sixteen measures, using these notes and corresponding rests: whole, half, quarter, double eighth and sixteenth notes.

3.  Learn to speak these pieces in correct rhythm and learn to clap them as well.

4.  Learn to rap "Rondo for Lunch" from the Making Music series, 5th grade edition, page 138-139.

5.  Choose another poem to speak correctly.

6.  Add rhythms to your poem and practice rapping in rhythm.

7.  Create your own RONDO RAP, one syllable per rhythmic note, at least a poem of eight lines or more, on a subject of your choice.

8.  Write your poem first, or put your rap song together with your lyrics at the same time, whatever works best for you.

9.  Use quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, and double eighth notes, and sixteenth notes, as well as rests when you need them.

10.  Use 4/4 time, Look at the example, and use Rondo for lunch as your guide.  Use this website to find a poem or example of a poem if you need one.  

http://jackprelutsky.com/the-silver-moon/