The New York Times is doing its annual News Rap contest now. Students 13 to 19 years old can choose from at least four important news stories from the New York Times this year to write their 12- to 16-line rap – and they can be all along one topic (say the Syrian crisis?) to ensure your rap makes more sense. Raps must be submitted by 4 am our time on Tuesday, January 12 as a comment to the post linked to above.
Need some inspiration? Check out Flocab’s Year in Rap for 2014.
As always, if you choose to submit to a contest, that counts as your WWS for the period. Some of you are quite creative rappers – I look forward to seeing what you do!
A few students mentioned the speech that President Obama gave to the American people today, and so I thought I would share it with all of you. The content is obviously very important, given recent attacks in Paris and the United States and the increasing concern about safety from countries around the world. More than that, however, President Obama’s speech is fascinating to watch because of the sheer power he has as a public speaker. Watch his use of pauses. Notice when he uses his hands, and the movements they give. Listen to the cadence (pattern) of his voice, and the times when he becomes louder or quieter.
We’ve talked about what makes a good public speaker – President Obama is one of the best. What does he do that you could add to your speeches?
