That’s a “Rap”:
History and Hip-Hop, for Kids!
¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 Why is history important? At a time when educational resources are scarce, why should time and money be spent teaching pupils about men and women who died long ago? What relevance can Plymouth Rock, Leningrad, or Imperial Japanese isolationism in the nineteenth century have on today’s upcoming presidential election, the democratization of Burma, or the turmoil in the Middle East? It is easy for the student to cast History aside, just as it is hard to convince him or her that Native American – Colonists relations in the 1600s has a bearing on modern day life. Before I began my matriculation as a History major, I struggled with these same concerns, even as I enjoyed the subject. Indeed, my favorite television programming was the History Channel, and my favorite class Social Studies/History. I loved History, but I could not explain why it was necessary, or even pertinent
¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 It was not until my junior year of high School that I could put History as an academic pursuit into perspective. In AP United States History, I learned that to fully understand current events, one must understand the events which immediately preceded the present. And to understand those, one must understand the precedent, ad infinitum. Thus, in order to really understand the social, political, and economical happenings of the world today, one must have a rudimentary knowledge of information spanning hundreds of years. Unfortunately, pedagogical History has been traditionally presented in a dry and uninspiring way. A perceived endless stream of names and dates has caused students to label the subject “boring” or “hard”. Since the importance of History as an academic discipline has been established, it is imperative that the subject be taught in a way that is engaging and enjoyable, so that young people will recognize the relevance and joy of History.
¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 The power of song has long been used as a tool for education. In preschool, nursery rhymes are utilized to teach basic lessons and moral values. Even taught at such a young age, people remember these rhymes for years. Tellingly, one of the most basic primary school lessons is imparted by song: the Alphabet. Children’s television programs use to song as well. Sesame Street, The Wiggles, and Blues Clothes are just a few examples of American programs centered around music. Television, as a medium, is very effective at portraying emotion, but not information. Music, on the other hand, has the power to stick in one’s head and aid with memorization. Combining the mass accessibility of the moving image with the lasting power of song, I will make an educational series of “webisodes” based around various History raps. It is hoped that the webisodes will entertain and educated young people in and of themselves, while also being used as a supplementary teaching tool for schools. Additionally, the raps can be disseminated independently from the webisodes, increasing exposure.
¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 I am basing my project after Epic Rap Battles of History, Drunk History, and John Green’s Crash Course World History. Each of these projects were based on the internet – exclusively YouTube – and seek either to teach or lampoon history. My project would try to emulate the medium, style, and mechanisms of these previous projects. My webisodes would be made on and for the internet, specifically YouTube. Each webisode would be short, around five minutes, and focus on one historical event/topic. The centerpiece of each webisode would be a rap which contains much of the information for the piece. The working total for number of webisodes is twelve. The subject matter will be chosen based on importance, according to the author. While some topics will doubtless be well known, some will be more recondite. I do not want the project to be limited by categories, such as time periods, geographic areas, or subjects; however, since the target audience consists of Americans, subject matter will be geared towards the most relevant topics for American adolescents. Possible subjects include: the Vietnam War, Native Americans and Colonization, United States government, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Little Rock Nine.
¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 This capstone requires many and variegated skills. On the video side of production, I will need: story boarding, script writing, acting, costumes and props, camera shooting, set design, and graphic design. Perhaps most challenging is finding actors to participate in videos. I will need a recording device, but if no cameras are available, I will use my iPad. I can utilize the University of Maryland’s beautiful campus for webisodes’ locations, perhaps using the Queen Anne’s library for the main interior shots. Costumes and props will have to be taken from my own personal wardrobe and imagination. The script will have to reflect the simplicity of my available resources in this regard.
¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 On the rap side, I will need: beat making software and know how, lyric writing, historical knowledge, and sound recording/editing software. The most challenging aspect of the rap production is the beat making. Currently, I do not have the software or the know how to make my own beats. I have been talking with Dan Singer about which iPad application I should use to make easy but pleasing beats. I do not have an infinite amount of historical knowledge, but once a topic is chosen, in-depth research can be done using academic and tertiary sources. The raps can be recorded with my iPhone, iPad, or a Mac computer and then edited with Audacity, a skill I have been honing in HDCC208E: Digital Sound and Music.
¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 The purpose of the webisodes is to make History enjoyable and relatable for viewers. Hopefully, audiences will be able to articulate why studying History is important; by understanding the past, we can better understand the present, as Mark Twain said, “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” By using the rhymes and rhythms of rap, and the emotive power of video, coupled with the widespread capabilities and ease of use of the internet, these webisodes can be a simple but powerful tool for teaching adolescents about History. And maybe I will even make some good sounding music.
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