Flocabulary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flocabulary,[1] often shortened to Flocab, is an educational New York City-based project that uses hip hop music and other hip hop influenced tools in its lessons. Flocabulary primarily teaches SAT-level vocabulary and United States history, among other topics. The project was created by producer Alex Rappaport and lyricist Blake Harrison (aka Emcee Escher, a pun on M. C. Escher) in 2004, and works with rappers and musicians Akir, April Hill, Trajik, Lady B.L.A.D.E., Afro DZ ak, Grey, and Dee1r. So far the project has released two albums, A Dictionary and a Microphone and Hip-Hop U.S. History, as well as publishing accompanying handbooks and The Rapper's Handbook, a guide to freestyle rapping. Additionally, Flocabulary has performed live on tour.
Flocabulary has received mention from a wide variety of sources, among them ABC News,[2] The New York Times,[3] and USA Today.[4] The project has received praise for its nontraditional methods and effectiveness.
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[edit] History
Blake Harrison first conceptualized Flocabulary in high school upon realizing that he found greater difficulty memorizing information for tests than memorizing hip hop lyrics, and that it would be easier to study if a rapper released an album helping students study vocabulary.
Harrison later graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and eventually moved to San Francisco, California. Harrison met music producer Alex Rappaport, a graduate of Tufts University, while working at an Italian restaurant. Harrison pitched his earlier idea of Flocabulary to Rappaport during a game of basketball, and the two decided to do it.
A month later, a demo was recorded and sent to several educational publishers. SparkNotes requested two songs, and Flocabulary found a distributor at Cider Mill Press. More recently, John Whalen, the founder of Cider Mill Press, has stated that there is international interest from Puerto Rico and Korea.[5]
SparkNotes later created a page about them.[6]
[edit] Recognition
Flocabulary has drawn attention from various media outlets, ranging from newspapers and magazines to mainstream media television networks.
Perhaps most significantly, Keith Garvin's article on Flocabulary in ABC News measured the impact of Flocabulary on the test scores at a high school. According to the article, "Menchville High reports that the average SAT writing score for 11th graders in August 2005 was 420. In April 2006, after Flocabulary was introduced into the curriculum, the average score rose to 477." However, the school's assistant principal said in the same article that they "can't say Flocabulary was 'the' factor."[2]
Others have noted Flocabulary's effectiveness and creativity. Jack Rosenthal of The New York Times says that Flocabulary is "one example of how Web sites have latched onto mnemonics as ways to teach SAT words to high-school students."[3] Laurie Thurston of SmartWriters.com stated in a review of A Dictionary and a Microphone and its accompanying handbook that "This music is smart. It’s funny. It’s creative. It’s not gangsta, homophobic or misogynistic."[7] Flocabulary has also been noted for their music, with Sara Blask of BlackElectorate.com mentioning Flocabulary as having "rap-style lyrics set to catchy music"[8] and an article on DailyCandy.com stating that the "tunes are remarkably catchy."[9]
[edit] Notes
- ^ The name "Flocabulary" is a portmanteau of the words "flow", as in the ability to start and maintain a verse of lyrics, and "vocabulary".
- ^ a b Garvin, Keith (2006-08-01). Rhyme and Reason: Teaching With a Hip-Hop Beat: Duo Helps Kids Learn With the Music they Love. abcnews.go.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ a b Rosenthal, Jack (2005-07-17). On Language: Mnemonics. nytimes.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Hot Sites support staff (2005-03-02). Hot Sites. usatoday.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Winter, Jana (2006-04-04). Flocabulary is the hip-hop way to educate. Colombia News Service. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
- ^ SparkNotes: Vocabulary Builder: Flocabulary
- ^ Thurston, Laurie. Go With the Flo. SmartWriters.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ Blask, Sara (2005-07-01). Hip Hop Fridays: Flocabulary. The Infusion of Vocabulary into Hip-Hop. BlackElectorate.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ A Good Rap. BlackElectorate.com (2005-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
[edit] References
- WHO WE ARE. Flocabulary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- Daerr, Torsten. Interview with Flocabulary. english-test.net. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
[edit] Further reading
- Harrison, Blake; Rappaport, Alex [April 2006]. Flocabulary: The Hip-Hop Approach to SAT-Level Vocabulary Building (in English). Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 193366214X. OCLC 68485201.
- Harrison, Blake; Rappaport, Alex [2006]. Flocabulary: The Hip-Hop Approach to U.S. History (in English). Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 9781933662350. OCLC 76893004.
