The projects are designed to engage students in creating a tangible product inspired by this program. The students have a choice to pick a project, which were designed to cover multidisciplinary areas, or develop a project on their own.
See below for examples of the projects we have created.
Students will observeand analyze what they see through the programmatic elements and through their ownresearch, then submit their projects to their teacher.
Feel free to contact Melissa Koch 612-465-0220 or melissa@mnshubert.org with questions or comments.
HISTORY/VISUAL ART/MUSIC/DANCE/LITERARY ARTS
History of the Pillars:
The four pillars of hip hop consist of: Breaking (dancing), Graffiti, DJing and MCing. In this project, the student is asked to trace the history of one of the pillars of hip hop either broadly or to take a specific current event at a time during the development of hip hop and tie that event to a major development in the culture. Some areas to think about: social events/factors that shaped its development, the role of race and gender, the use of technology, popular artists, other genres that influenced hip hop or grew out of hip hop. These are suggestions. As you research, you may develop your own ideas. In your conclusion be sure to say what the current state of hip hop is and the possible future. Cite at least two sources.
DANCE/PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Create a Dance:
Hip hop dance constantly uses a person’s own uniqueness and originality to improvise on the current dance moves. Using your own originality, take one or two styles of hip hop dance (rocking, breaking, locking, popping) and create your own dance. Videotape the final product and hand in to your instructor or post on You Tube.
LITERARY ARTS/MUSIC (Appropriate for high school age or higher student)
True versus Pop:
True hip hop art should inspire you to become a better person. Hip hop’s original purpose was to be “a blueprint for self improvement.” Today’s pop hip hop (what you hear on the radio and MTV) is not considered by many to be real hip hop because of its negative lyrics and content. In this project, the student should compare and contrast two song’s lyrics from the hip hop genre: a. pop radio song and b. true hip hop song. Students should cite, then compare and contrast the messages in the two songs. The student can then create their own hip hop song using lyrics of their own choosing based on the ideals of the true hip hop culture.
SOCIOLOGY/ETHNIC STUDIES
Evolution of a Dance:
Hip Hop began in the Bronx in the 1970s. Hispanic people then built upon the dance form by adding head spins. The dance form moved to the Asian culture who then added karate inspired movement into the dance. Today, hip hop dance is a mix of various cultural elements. In this project, the student will research each variation/evolution of the hip hop dance and discover how and in what way, each ethnic culture has influenced each incarnation of the dance form.
CULTURAL STUDIES
What is a Culture?
The student will explain what a culture is. Using hip hop, the student will explain what elements define hip hop as a culture. Using compare and contrast methods, a student will compare hip hop to another culture of their choosing and what is different about hip hop in its origins and meaning.
