Introduction Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion
The Society of Western Music has established "The Museum of Music History". They are looking for a time period to be featured as the opening exhibit. Each of the historic time periods offers much for the museum, but a
committee of specialists in each time period is trying to get their period featured. These specialists will use facts about composers in their time and the significance of the changes in music to prove that their time period is the most important of all.
Students will be grouped into committees of 4-5 members. Each of the 4-5 members will have a specific aspect of your time period to research. After researching your musical period, you will organize your ideas into a presentation so that you can persuade the museum curator to choose your time period for the opening exhibit. The final presentation may be in the form of a skit, a discussion, or a PowerPoint presentation.
If you choose a PowerPoint presentation, you may get pictures of composers, instruments, etc. to make your presentation more informative.
A good place to look for pictures is here.
Make sure you get your information first, then look for pictures.
Remember, you must have a solid argument by showing why your time period is important and how it's different from the other time periods. This is where all your research comes in handy!
1. Students will be divided into groups of 4-5. Each
student then will be assigned to a specific aspect of your musical time period to study.
Those aspects are: composers, instruments, and non-musical significant items.
2. Each person will gather information on their subject. Remember, you do not have to read everything on each webpage! That could take years! Just scan little parts and look for important information.
composer researcher - You will research the significant composers of your time period. What exactly does significant mean? You may find that a composer wrote a large number of compositions that are still heard today.That would be a significant composer and significatn works. Or maybe the composer changed a certain style of music (like opera or symphonies) or even developed a new type of music. A few good exampes of significant artists of our time are Charlie Christian, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis. They changed rock in ways we are still discovering, and we still listen to their music (even though they weren't famous at the time!!). Also, research the works and ideas of the significant composers. There is a ton of information, but not all of it is very useful. Research, decide what info to use, and then organize your information. The instrument researcher will work with you when they are done with their part of the project.
instrument researcher - You will research the instruments of your time period.Try to find instruments that were invented in your time period or improved upon (since many of the early instruments sounded less then great!). Maybe composers started using certain instruments differently in your time period. You could use this as an argument why your time period is best. Some of the instrument links have sounds examples and pictures that you could use in your presentation. Or, if you know someone that plays an instrument found in your time peroid, maybe they could do a demonstration. After the instrument researcher has gathered and organized their information, they will help the composer researcher.
non-musical items researcher - You will research other significant happenings in your time period that may make yours special. Think of cultural, historical, technological, and governmental happenings that may have influenced the music in your time period. Some examples would be inventions, wars, or new ideas of the time. As always, do not just gather information, decide if it's useful and organize it.
Each student will research as many resources as possible to find as much material that they can. Keep track of the sources of information your group uses for your presentation. This includes web addresses, books, or CDs. Do not copy the information word for word from your source. Doing this will result in a drastic lowering of your grade for the project. Put the information in your own words. This will make it easier to understand for your classmates and make it "your" project.
3. All students in your committee group will take the information that they gathered and organize it into their final presentation. The "web technique" is very useful in organizing lost of information.
4. Decide what pieces of information support your idea that your time period the best. All students must decide on which of the three presentations they want to use to persuade the curator to choose their time period for the opening exhibit (skit, discussion, or PowerPoint).
5. Each student will write a letter to the museum curator explaining why his/her time period would be best for the exhibit. Don't be afraid of asking your group members for information! If you researched instruments, you might have questions about non-musical items. In this case, you should direct your questions to the group member that did research that topic. However, your letter should not be the same as your group members' letters! These are your thoughts! Some facts may be the same, but the same facts can be used in many ways. The letter should be at least 2-3 paragraphs covering the composer info, instrument info, and the non-musical info that makes your period unique!
6. As the projects near completion, we will begin class presentations.
| Middle Ages |
Renaissance |
Baroque
instrument info and composer info |
| Classical instrument info and composer info |
Romantic instrument info and composer info |
20th Century instrument info and composer info |
For an Excellent Grade:
Members consistently and actively work toward group goals.
Members are sensitive to the feelings and learning needs of all group members.
Members are willing to accept and fulfill individual roles within the group.
Members consistently and actively contribute knowledge, opinions, and skills.
Members value the knowledge, opinion and skill of all group members and encourage their contributions.
Members help identify necessary changes and encourages group action for change.
For a Good Grade:
Members work toward group goals without prompting.
Members accept and fulfill individual roles within the group.
Members contribute knowledge, opinions, and skills without prompting.
Members show sensitivity to the feeling of others.
Members show a willingness to participate in needed changes.
For a Fair Grade:
Members work toward group goals with occasional prompting.
Members contribute to the group with occasional prompting.
Members show sensitivity to the feelings of others.
Members participate in needed changes, with occasional prompting.
For a Poor Grade:
Members work toward group goals only when prompted.
Members contribute to the group only when prompted.
Members need occasional reminders to be sensitive to the feelings of others.
Members participate in needed changes when prompted and encouraged.
Individual Evaluation:
Each student will receive a grade on his/her individual letter to the museum curator. The grade will be based on the following:
content
information on all three roles
persuasion
neatness and organization
After this assignment is complete, you should have a good understanding of your music time period and how it is a part of our history. You have looked at composers, instruments, and non-musical happenings that contributed to modern society as we know it. What you have seen is the history and evolution of modern music and how it affects our lives. Hopefully, in one way or another, this has helped you better understand the history of music!
Webquest Concept by
Jeremy
Music Teacher
