Students perform their songs on stage in front of the entire student body.
By Denise Tay
At Naval Base Primary School, a new rhythm has taken over environmental education.
In support of Go Green SG 2025, the school held a Sustainability Rap Challenge, turning its Primary 5 students into eco-conscious rappers and proving that music and environmental stewardship can work together in perfect harmony.
Held over a school term, the students learned about sustainability while exploring their musical creativity, in an activity aligning with the school's mission of Care, Collaborate, Empower.
"We wanted to make sustainability education more engaging and memorable for the students," shared Ang Wen Hui, a teacher and member of the school's Stewards of Environmental Action. "What better way than through rap, which naturally appeals to our young learners!"
The programme kicked off with a self-directed online module on the Student Learning Space (SLS), introducing students to the fundamentals of environmental education. The lesson packages were gamified to increase students' motivation and to add a sense of fun and competition.
Then during music lessons, the students learnt about the importance of music beats in raps and explored how music can be used to communicate important messages. Working together, the students then crafted rap lyrics that highlighted various sustainable actions their peers could take. The students even played percussion instruments to accompany the rap, adding a lively touch to their message.
Students working together to rehearse for the rap challenge.
In a teacher-led round of judging, 6 finalist teams were selected to perform their raps in the Sustainability Rap Battle during school assembly. After watching the live performances, students voted for their favourite performance, while the teachers helped to tally the results.
Students participated enthusiastically in live voting. Students held up their voting cards to cast their votes for their favourite rap.
Students received tokens of appreciation for their participation in the Rap Battle.
The winning composition earned the special honour of having their music piece chosen as Naval Base Primary School’s own sustainability jingle!
The winning team consisted of four Primary 5 students from P5 Endeavour, working with their teacher to record their song.
Through this unique blend of music and environmental education, students learnt to collaborate with their peers while developing their musical and lyrical skills together. More importantly, they discovered how to use their voices to spread awareness of eco-friendly habits. "The students surprised us with their creativity," Joseph Lim, a music teacher in Naval Base Primary School added. "They're not just learning about environmental issues; they're becoming advocates for change through their music, sharing important information for the nation!”
