Arts Learning

Students learned about the historical/social context of hip hop; they made original poems and dances informed by hip hop and performed for an audience of over 400 people. The evaluation method was based on teacher and artist-created dance/choreography rubric that all students used to score their own work. The average overall score was between three (proficient) and four (exemplary). Additional methods included a final reflection with all students carried out by the evaluator as an in-class discussion in which students reviewed and critiqued a video of their final performance. Students also spent time reflecting more generally on their work and the project as a whole in large group discussion and one-on-one interviews. 2: Participating teachers know more about hip hop as an art form and social movement. They have new digital resources and new analysis methods to integrate into their curricula. After the professional development sessions the evaluator interviewed and wrote up the participants’ conclusions about what they learned about hip hop and social justice. The evaluator also talked to the teachers over the course of the project as they did the actual work with the visiting artists. At the final reflection session attended by the lead artist and participating teachers, teachers talked about what they took away from the project and how they plan to continue using hip hop music and video and poetry in their curricula.