The Brown Bag Teacher

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Flocabulary in 5th Grade: Rap in the Classroom

Happy, happy Tuesday, friends! Have you ever heard of or used Flocabulary? Flocabulary is a website that hosts a library of Common Core aligned raps for K-12. I learned about Flocabulary through a teaching friend over the summer and finally tried my 2 week free trial once school started. And friends, the verdict is WOW!

My kids are really BIG and love all things cool and hip. They think it is beyond cool that I can ‘rap’ with the video and love joining along. If all we did all day long was listen to Flocabulary, I am certain my kiddos would declare me the best teacher ever.

There are loads of videos covering all different subjects. Obviously, I focus mainly on the language arts videos, but if my kiddos clean up quickly enough in the afternoon, we jam out to a video of their choosing (remember, I am in the running for the best teacher ever).

From main idea, to inferring, to the stages of writing, we use a new Flocabulary video atleast once a week (with the standards listed on the page!). You can browse the videos here, without having an account.

With every rap/video, there is an online activity that we complete together. We use Kagan’s Numbered Heads Together to work cooperatively and then, check our answers. Sometimes, I also print the lyrics of the song and we tape them in our interactive reading notebooks. That way, when we listen to the rap, we can sing along! Plus, the lyrics have the option of ‘deleting’ words, so students have to pay close attention. Each video/rap also includes a printable as an extension of the video. The printable asks students to ‘prove’ their mastery of the skill – sweet!

Using Flocabulary’s 5th grade vocabulary program, partnered with my Interactive Word Wall, we love adding high-quality words to our word wall each week. The raps feature 10 words each week (15 words when you move into the 6th grade program), practice activities, and a weekly quiz. Using this fun and hoppin’ raps, my students learn these words faster and have a greater understanding of the words’ meanings. I have been SO impressed with the Flocabulary Vocabulary program!

Well, after my 2 week free trial, I took the plunge and purchased the year-long plan. Yes, it was pricey, but thankfully, I applied for and received a special grant from our PTO – woohoo! Personally, it was totally worth it. Also, my kids cheered when they learned I renewed the subscription (again, I am the best teacher ever ;)).

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you try out Flocabulary with your 2 week free trial or already use it, let me know what you think of it. How do you use it in your classroom?

*insert disclaimer here* I am sharing about Flocabulary because I really love this resource and think it might benefit your classroom. I am doing this review on my own and am not receiving anything in return for my review. *end disclaimer*

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    • Kate says

      October 9, 2013 at 4:04 am

      Hi Jessica! Thank you so much. I took screen shots of the things I wanted to show and pasted them into PowerPoint. Then, using PowerPoint, I added the arrows and text. Then, I selected 'all' and save each as a photo. 🙂 Although it is a couple of steps, it is a super simple process! -C

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