This week, Week 4 on the syllabus, the assessment due at the end of the week is their Project Proposal. I wanted to give students time to toss around ideas and find the right topic, hence waiting until the 4th week of the project to require they propose their topic. Included in this post are the instructions, rubric, and teacher example for the Project Proposal. As I may have mentioned in an earlier post, I will be completing the project along with my students so I can experience the process and so I can offer them examples of each of the assessments throughout the quarter.
Project Proposal Instructions
Your Project Proposal should be completed in MLA format and should
be turned in by Friday, February 10 at 3:30 p.m. I will accept the assignment
up to two weeks after the deadline as per the AHS grading policy, but you will
want to turn it in as soon as possible so you have time to work on the creation
and completion of your project.
Your proposal should be at least two pages long, written in MLA
formatting (see the MLA formatting folder in the Resources folder in Schoology)
and thoroughly include the following:
- A central research question: A problem you want to solve, something you have
always wanted to know, purpose of a creative endeavor, etc.
- Your reason for the selection of your topic: Do you want to know more about a particular topic about
which you have not yet had time to explore? Do you wish to share knowledge
of a particular topic you find interesting? Do you wish to explore the
ways others utilize their creativity to better understand your own methods
to produce something unique? Explain.
- A detailed report of your methods for gathering
information: Beyond the sources you will
utilize as required by the curriculum, what other methods of research will
you need to utilize for the completion of your project? (Examples: Watch
episodes of sitcoms to better understand what makes something funny, read
scholarly articles to better understand methods of deep sea exploration,
visit an art museum to better understand the techniques of a particular
artist, etc.)
- What you plan to turn in for evaluation: Will you compose a traditional research paper on the
topic of your choice? Will you create a documentary? A podcast? A collection
of short stories? A novella? Will you perform a short stand-up set?
- Rationale for your choice of delivery method for the
Final Project: Why have you chosen to present
your findings in the manner in which you have? Why do you think that is
the best way to share what you will have learned?
- A
preliminary timeline for completion: This
will likely change as you begin your project, but at this point, how can
you best organize your time to ensure that you can complete the project by
the deadline? This could be completed as weekly or bi-weekly goals, or “By
(date), I will have completed _____________ portion of the project.”
Project Proposal Grading Rubric
Final Project Proposal: Composing a Song
For as long as I can remember, I
have wanted to compose my own song. I started singing as a child, moving up
through the grade-level choirs until I auditioned for and was accepted into my
high school’s prestigious show choir. As an adult, I have been in a variety of
musicals and am currently in a cover band. Singing has always been part of my
life. While my dream of becoming a (semi-) professional singer has come true, I
now want to be able to create my own songs instead of always singing songs
written by someone else. Since my band members are incredibly talented and have
also been wanting to create original music, now is the best time for me to write
my own song.
In order to be able to accomplish the task of writing a song, I want to do research into other musicians’ process, as I have never attempted this feat before. I found a documentary series on Netflix called Song Exploder that I have enjoyed and found informative. Each episode features a different artist and details their process for writing one of their famous songs. I plan to watch as many of those episodes as possible, as each featured artist has a distinct style from the next, and I am still not completely settled on my own style and sound yet. I plan to find a podcast about songwriting, as well, but I have not yet searched for one yet. I am hoping to find something useful on iHeart Radio. I will also read a book about songwriting. I am currently debating between The Songwriter’s Survival Guide by Judy Stakee and Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison. My plan is to purchase one of them in the next few days. I think the most valuable part of my research process will be to talk to songwriters I know and get their take on the process. These interviews will be more personal than the interviews I will watch, and I am hoping that these friends can offer me some advice about how to tackle my own project.
Though I would love to be able to
perform a song with my band live in front of my students, I do not think that
will be possible, considering my bandmates’ work schedules. I will likely
present a video recording of our song. I think that the video recording will
serve as the next best option to a live performance, as students will be able
to see my band mates and get a feel for how we interact with the music. An
audio recording would be okay, but I think a video would be more engaging.
The following is a tentative project
timeline:
· Week
4 (2/6 – 2/12)
o
Finish Project Proposal
o
Purchase book for Book Review
o
Take notes on podcast about songwriting
o
Watch Song Exploder episodes
o
Listen to recorded music; play with melody
and lyrics
o
Gig with band 2/11 at Austin Eagles
· Week
5 (2/13 – 2/19)
o
Finish Podcast Review
o
Update Works Cited
o Set up interviews with songwriters
o
Watch Song Exploder episodes
o
Read 1/3 of selected book
o
Solidify melody; Continue to play with
lyrics
o
Practice acoustic songs with Jeff
o
Band practice 2/19
· Week
6 (2/21 – 2/26)
o
Complete Published Interview
o
Update Works Cited
o
Watch YouTube videos about songwriting
o
Read 1/3 of selected book
o
Solidify some lyrics; Practice singing
o
Acoustic performance with Jeff 2/25 at
B&J
o
Band practice 2/26
· Week
7 (2/27 – 3/5)
o
Finish book
o
Complete Book Review
o
Complete Works Cited
o
Finish lyrics; Practice singing
o
Band practice 3/5
§ Run
through song
§ Record
video of performance
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