Now, It’s Time for the Breakdown!

Hip-hop is an art form that responds to current events. From its inception in the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop has been used to comment on the current political climate, letting People of Color take charge of the news they spread to their communities and disrupting mainstream media. With this in mind, work with your class to create news stories using the elements of hip-hop!

First, prompt your students to pick a story in the news that they are passionate about. This could be individually, in small groups or as a class.

Once they’ve chosen their news story, ask them to consider the elements of hip-hop: breaking, MCing, DJing and graffiti art.

• Which art form would highlight their information best?
• Do they want to rap about it?
• Tell the story through dance?
• Maybe their report is a combination of several elements!

Give your class ample creation and rehearsal time to make a hip-hop piece that speaks to their current event. Afterwards, put on a news hour for another class where each group presents their segment to give a full update on the news of today.

To support this unit, use the Move It, Name It, Tell It! Activity.