Hip Hop Math Project

Hip Hop Math Project

Created by Rhonda Schilling

About the Project

The lesson plans, activities and manipulatives on this website incorporate "Math and Music" activities in the hopes of helping to close the achievement gap. These "Math and Music" activities use Hip Hop music and culture, which appeals to a great percentage of our students in the district. Lesson plans and activities were written for elementary and middle school math skills. In addition, there are links to High School lesson plans that were located on the world wide web.

Using Hip Hop music and culture, I believe we will engage and motivate students to a level of which MMSD has only dreamed. Hip Hop music and culture is thoroughly embraced not only by many African American students but also many White, Latino, Asian and other students of color. Hip Hop music, rhythms, and culture is a central theme within the activities and lesson plans. They are aligned with the Math and Music standards of achievement.

The material on this website was created while on Sabbatical during the spring of 2007. Topics were selected based on interviews with several MMSD Math teachers. Each lesson is tied to the Wisconsin Math Standards and Wisconsin Music Standards. It is my hope that classroom teachers as well as music teachers will use this material in their classrooms to engage students in math learning and practice.
THANK YOU!!!!Grant funding ($500)for the project was given by the Thoreau Elementary Endowment Fund through the Foundation for Madison Public Schools. The money was used to purchase picture books used in the created lessons, hip hop history books, math books related to closing the achievement gap, as well as to purchase Hip Hop CDs. The material is housed with Rhonda Schilling at Thoreau Elementary School. Teachers may request the materials for use in the classroom as well as for research.

In addition the Thoreau P.T.O. through the Cultural Art Committee ($300) was given to hire a Madison MC (rapper) to record some of the math raps. We hope to have the recording finished in the 2007-08 school year.

Additional Funding is being sought to record a complete CD of all of the math raps on this site, as well as duplicate 1000 copies so every math teacher in the district could have a CD for their classroom. My dream is to secure funding to duplicate over 5000 CDs so we could provide copies of the CD to ANY and ALL students that request a copy!

Math Class Lessons

Music Class Lessons

Movement Lessons