Math is Music to My Ears

Math is Music to My Ears is intended for students in the urban upper elementary mathematics classroom. While my target classroom will be fifth grade students, the content can be modified to be suitable for any grade level. This unit was written to address the use of music in the math classroom with an emphasis on hip-hop music. My paper discusses how music is used to teach children in the nursery and primary levels but somehow music is dissolved in the classroom by the time students reach the upper elementary grades. By the end of this unit, teachers will realize the benefit of using music in the math classroom and have a deeper understanding on the how’s and why’s of using hip-hop music in the math classroom. Through the use of music, students will be able to have a different approach and experience with math. Students will also be able to create their own raps or songs to help them understand and reinforce mathematical content.