Title: Contemporary Composers Book Project Email the teacher
Subject and Level: General Music, 6th grade
Learner Description - Students are made up of a sixth grade general music class, which include Special Education and Regular Education students.
Overview - In this unit, students will be placed in cooperative groups, and as a group they will pick a contemporary composer to research. They will be given a framework to work with. (See Appendix A) As a cooperative group, each team member will be responsible for researching one of the following topics of the composer they pick: childhood life, schooling/music lessons, Map/ Physical Geography of country in which the composer was born, music styles they composed and significant events taking place during their lifetime. After they teach their fellow group members what they learned, the group then creates a book of their researched information.
Rationale: The Purpose of this Unit
The curriculum for sixth grade general music covers composers through music history. By learning with this integrated unit, the students are offered a chance to be active learners and teachers, thus creating an enthusiastic and fun environment in which to learn.
Goals for this Unit
o Knowledge of different Contemporary Composers
o Group interaction
o Social skills
o Writing, reading, research and communication skills
o Speech
o Computer research skills with help of internet
Standards and Benchmarks
27.B.3 Know and describe how artists and their works shape culture and increase understanding of societies, past and present.
Music Standards
25B - Students who meet the standard understand the similarities, distinctions, and connections in and among the arts.
27A - Students who meet the standard can analyze how the arts function in history, society and everyday life.
27B - Students who meet the standard understand how the arts shape and reflect history, society and everyday life.
Learning Activities
As a cooperative group, students will research a composer from the contemporary music period. Team members will decide which topic about the composer that they will individually research. They will chose from the following:
o Childhood Life
o Map/ Geography of where the composer was born
o Schooling/ Music lessons
o Music Styles/ Genre the composer is best known for
Each team member will research their information and bring it back to the group for the project. Each will create a page for their composer book.
Assessment
Before the project began, each class created a rubric to use during assessment. Students were graded solely on their portion of the project. I have included the rubric:
10 5 0
Information/Content Project is very complete and has gone above and beyond the call of duty Project is not very complete and is missing important facts about the composer Project contains no information on the composer
Appearance/Creativity The project is colorful and appealing to viewers. Attention has been paid to fine details that enhance the project's appearance The presentation is somewhat colorful and appealing to viewers. Little attention has been paid to details that enhance the project's appearance The presentation is simply thrown together with no attempt to make it colorful or appealing to viewers
Neatness Project is typed out, double spaced, and in order Project is not typed out. It is hard to read. Help! I can't read this project!
Work Habits The student uses class time wisely while working towards personal best, puts in extra effort, and uses outside time if necessary Student is usually on task but only with reminders to work on the assignment The student is repeatedly off task and is willing to settle for less that personal best
Spelling and Grammar There are one to three mistakes in spelling and grammatical errors There are four or five incorrect spelling or grammatical errors There are many mistakes in spelling and there are many grammatical errors
Total Score: _____/50
Comments:
Management
The teacher works solely as a class facilitator, helping students only if they need assistance. Students will have their materials as needed, and teacher will check student process daily by proofreading and by daily student reflection.
Unit Evaluation:
What was effective?
I found that the Contemporary Composer Book Project was extremely effective. When students are exposed to areas that they normally would not be, I feel that I have succeeded as a teacher. Students were responsible for their own page in the book. They took their page very seriously and they wanted to create their best work. They each learned a fair amount of new information on composers and their music.
What was not effective?
o What I found ineffective about my project was trying to get students caught up when they were absent. Students who did not attend class when we were making the rubric were less informed than those who did attend because as a class we built the guidelines for the project.
Appendixes:
Appendix A
Team Composer Research Project
o Your team will be researching the composer you chose to research.
o Each team member will be responsible for a certain part of the project.
o Each team member will be graded on his or her part of the project only.
Project Guidelines:
As a cooperative group, students will research a composer from the contemporary music period. Team members will decide which topic about the composer that they will individually research. They will chose from the following:
o Childhood Life
o Map/ Geography of where the composer was born
o Schooling/ Music lessons
o Music Styles/ Genre the composer is best known for
Each team member will research their information and bring it back to the group for the project. Each will create a page for their composer book.
Handouts