Play It Again: Understanding History Through Music
Students will work in teams to examine repeated themes in US History. Teams will deconstruct lyrics from a favorite song, explore the historical context for the song, and add a new verse to the song. Our work will culminate in a public exhibition of student work. A selection of songs will be preformed at a local cafe and all student work will be on view for public discussion. Teams will reflect on their experience in a letter to the original artist.
Students will be able to:
Explain the theme, meter, and mood of their song.
Identify the intended audience as well as opinions that may be excluded from the song.
Develop a timeline of US History with help from classmates.
Discuss and debate ideas during Socratic Seminars.
Discuss in detail three events from US History that fit the theme of the song.
Justify word choice in the verse they have added to the original song.
Communicate with an audience about their product and their process.
Final group products: Responsibilities are defined on the Group Roles Page.
Project proposal defining group roles, team vision, and common expectations for group work.
Group project binder with and notes, goal sheets, and drafts of student work.
Addition of verse of lyrics to a song selected by the team for it's social and historical significance.
CD case insert with original themed artwork, lyrics, notes on historical context, and team information.
Team blog with images, video, music, notes, and reflections.
Public exhibition of products at a local cafe. Selected songs to be performed by student and guest musicians.
Letter to the original artist explaining student learning and presenting added lyrics.
Group roles: See Group Roles Page for more specifics on each role.
Lyricist
Graphic Designer
Documentarian
Historian
Assessment:
Students will receive scores for participation in and work completed during class activities.
Students will be assessed on the their final products according to grade sheets they design themselves for their individual roles and goals.
Students will receive a score for active participation during project work periods.
Students will receive a score for their participation in our public exhibition.
Timeline:
Project benchmarks will be set by students and will need to include time for critique, revision, publication, and rehearsal. The project will run 5-7 weeks based on student need and the possibility of guest speakers and field trips. Benchmark dates will be posted on our team Google Calendar and noted on team goal sheets.