Introducing the Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest!

At Flocabulary, we love seeing students use their voices and creativity to share what they’ve learned and are interested in. That’s why, this school year, we’re inviting students to become researchers, lyricists, and rappers for the chance to turn their lyrics into a Flocabulary lesson!

What is the Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest?

The Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest is a new student writing contest that asks kids to select a historical figure that piques their interest and use their creativity to write about what they learn. The winning students will have their hip-hop inspired raps turned into a Flocabulary video and suite of activities, which will be published on our platform to be viewed by 20,000 schools across the country!

In the words of hip-hop legend and rapper Nas, hip-hop has been a “voice for the voiceless.” So, what better way to celebrate and uplift student voices than with a rap-writing contest? This annual fall contest gives students the opportunity to express themselves, share their voices, and showcase their creativity and skills.

What about your other student contests?

You may be familiar with our previous student contests for Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and our parent company Nearpod’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month contest. The Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest combines these individual events into one contest, dedicated to celebrating and uplifting student voices.  

In our past contests, Flocabulary winners would see their lessons published in the summer or the following school year. By shifting to a single contest, we can accept submissions and share the winning student lessons all within the same school year. 

The new contest will continue to encourage students to honor the multicultural heritage of the U.S. Together, we hope to inspire a range of diverse topics, unique perspectives, and creative writing opportunities for students.

You can use our past contest winners’ videos to inspire your students for this year’s contest!

How to enter the Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest

Step one

First, students will choose a historical figure to write a rap song about. The only parameters are to pick a person who has had a significant and lasting impact on history and does not already have a lesson about them in Flocabulary.

Invite students to select a figure they feel a personal connection to or are interested in learning more about. Students can use this project as a mirror, selecting a figure they see themselves in; or as a window, selecting a figure that helps them learn more about the world around them. 

Step two

Then, it’s research time. They’ll learn about the person’s life, significance, and the traits that made them impactful.

Step three

Now, for the fun part: They take the research they’ve compiled and turn it into a rap song! Students can utilize the Lyric Lab or our graphic organizer in the contest packet. Their lyrics should rhyme, have rhythm, include figurative language and wordplay, and be at least 16 lines long.

Step four

Finally, fill out an entry form and submit the song before submissions close on November 15, 2024, at 11:59 P.M. EST. 

Step five

The Flocabulary team will then consider all entries and pick 10 finalists. The selected finalists will be invited to record a performance of their song for their chance to be named our contest winners! Two winners will be selected—one from grades K-5 and one from grades 6-12. The winners will collaborate with the Flocabulary team to create a song, video, and lesson inspired by their submission.  

The final lessons will premiere on Flocabulary in April, National Poetry Month, to celebrate our talented student poets—because hip-hop is poetry, after all!

The poetry of hip-hop

Hip-hop and poetry may seem like two very different genres—but hip-hop artists rely on many of the same techniques as poets, including imagery, alliteration, metaphor, simile, rhythm, and rhyme. They also use similar form devices, such as iambic pentameter, internal rhyme, prose, theme, motif, meter, and flow.  

Take Kendrick Lamar, for example—he is regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time. He is known for his complex lyricism and technical artistry. In 2018, Lamar made history when he won the Pulitzer Prize in Music. It was the first time in Pulitzer history that the prize had been awarded to an artist outside the classical or jazz genres.  

But hip-hop is about more than poetry or music. Since its inception, hip-hop has centered around five elements, or pillars, including: 

• DJing 
• Breaking (or breakdancing) 
• MCing (or rapping) 
• Graffiti 
• Knowledge 

By blending these elements together, hip-hop has grown and become more than a genre of music. It’s a lens through which we can view the world, a way of viewing, experiencing, comprehending, and critiquing life—a way of being. 

Hip-hop is also a powerful tool for teaching. Flocabulary is built on hip-hop’s unique ability to tell stories and invoke emotions. Academic vocabulary is a leading indicator of student comprehension, and the more students understand, the more successful they can be. Hip-hop has two to three times the number of words per song compared to other genres, making it the perfect vehicle to teach academic vocabulary and other educational content. Utilizing hip-hop in the classroom offers an engaging way to connect with students and teach curriculum, while also imparting important literary techniques that can help them become stronger writers.

Enter the Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest

So, what are you waiting for? Help your students find their voices this fall—get started on their submissions today and enter the Flocabulary Student Voice Rap Contest! Download the contest packet for the rules, rubric, and other resources.  

We can’t wait to hear what your students have to say!