The Reading / Listening - Kendrick Lamar - Level 0

Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. He won for his album "DAMN". The 30-year-old songwriter rapped about being black in the USA. His songs became well known after police shootings of black people. Pulitzer said his album was a masterly song collection about "the modern African-American life".

The Pulitzer Prize for music started in 1943. Kendrick Lamar is the best selling musician to win it. Classical musicians usually win. Pulitzer said the prize went to "the best work". They said the album "shines a [new] light on hip-hop." Sky News said Lamar won for his "deep" lyrics and his mix of different musical styles.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Kendrick Lamar - Level 1,  Kendrick Lamar - Level 2   or  Kendrick Lamar - Level 3

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/kendrick-lamar-becomes-first-non-classical-or-jazz-musician-to-win-pulitzer-prize-11334352
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kendrick-lamars-pulitzer-win-is-just-the-beginning-w519246
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/arts/music/kendrick-lamar-pulitzer-prize-damn.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. is the first rapper to win the
  2. He won for his album
  3. The 30-year-old
  4. rapped about being black
  5. His songs became well
  6. police
  7. a masterly song
  8. the modern African-
  1. songwriter
  2. collection
  3. "DAMN"
  4. American life
  5. shootings
  6. Pulitzer Prize
  7. known
  8. in the USA

Paragraph 2

  1. The Pulitzer Prize
  2. started in
  3. the best selling
  4. Classical musicians
  5. the prize went to
  6. shines a new
  7. Lamar won for his "deep"
  8. his mix of different musical
  1. light on hip-hop
  2. lyrics
  3. for music
  4. styles
  5. usually win
  6. "the best work"
  7. musician
  8. 1943

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Kendrick Lamar is (1) ___________________ to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. He won (2) ___________________ "DAMN". The 30-year-old songwriter (3) ___________________ being black in the USA. His songs became (4) ___________________ police shootings (5) ___________________. Pulitzer said his album was a masterly song (6) ___________________ "the modern African-American life".

The Pulitzer Prize for (7) ___________________ 1943. Kendrick Lamar is (8) ___________________ musician to win it. Classical musicians (9) ___________________. Pulitzer said the prize went to "(10) ___________________". They said the album "shines (11) ___________________ on hip-hop." Sky News said Lamar won for his "deep" lyrics and his mix of different (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

KendrickLamaristhefirstrappertowinthePulitzerPrizeformusic.Hewo
nforhisalbum"DAMN".The30-year-oldsongwriterrappedaboutbe
ingblackintheUSA.Hissongsbecamewellknownafterpoliceshootingso
fblackpeople.Pulitzersaidhisalbumwasamasterlysongcollectionabou
t"themodernAfrican-Americanlife".ThePulitzerPrizeformusicstarte
din1943.KendrickLamaristhebestsellingmusiciantowinit.Classica
lmusiciansusuallywin.Pulitzersaidtheprizewentto"thebestwork".The
ysaidthealbum"shinesa[new]lightonhip-hop."SkyNewssaidLamarw
onforhis"deep"lyricsandhismixofdifferentmusicalstyles.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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