Music+Assignment+21st+Century+Strategies

The following assignment was developed for the Junior Chamber Orchestra based on 21st Century PLC topics with the addition of Principal Bo Adam's charge to Junior High faculty to include writing components in all classes. Question components are derived from PLC strategies (summarized by Jere Wells as follows)

critical thinking problem solving information literacy global awareness 

Coldplay Assignment   1. Coldplay is a "Rock" band founded in 1998. It is most often associated with a style of Rock music called: A. Heavy metal B. Hip Hop C. Alternative D. Country Rock // This question involves information literacy. The students needed to find and explore a website if they did not know the answer from experience. //  2. Name the four members of the band and their respective instruments.  // This question involved information literacy and problem solving. The students needed to find and explore a website. The band's members were also listed on their music, but not the instruments. //   3. What country is home for the Coldplay band?  // This question relates to the "global awareness" strategy. //  4. Can you name one or more other famous Rock and Roll bands from Coldplay's home country? Can you hear any influence on Coldplay's music by other groups? (Write a complete sentence or two.) <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This question addresses global awareness, critical thinking, and writing. There are several possible answers to the question.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">5. In the category "Song of the Year," //Viva la Vida// won a prestigious recording award in the United States in 2009. What is the name of the prestigious award? <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A. United States Recording Award <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">B. Grammy Award <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">C. Recording Industry Award <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">D. Granny Award <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This question involves information literacy. The students needed to find and explore a website if they did not know the answer from experience. It was also designed to be "fun." No one missed the question.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">6. Which of the following is NOT a famous song by Coldplay? <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A. "Purple" <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">B. "The Scientist" <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">C. "Trouble" <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">D. "Yellow" <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This question involves problem solving (process of elimination) either from their personal experience with Coldplay's music or by an information literacy search on a website.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">7. One of the Album covers for //Viva la Vida// features a famous painting by Eugène Delacroix entitled "Liberty Leading the People." Why do you think this painting might have been chosen as a cover for the album? <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This is my favorite question and the most difficult for the students (and, as it turned out, for me as well)////. It involves critical thinking, global awareness, and information technology (to a different area, namely art and Delacroix). There is no right or wrong answer to this question, only insight developed by the student. I received many good and varied answers to the question.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">8. Recent Coldplay music videos, "Strawberry Swing" and "Life in Technicolor ii" have been noteworthy for using what? <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A. high definition <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">B. surround sound <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">C. animation <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">D. guitars <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This is an information technology and problem solving question.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">9-10. Much of Coldplay's music is highly rhythmic and rhythmically "exact," that is, coordinating with the beat and with even divisions of the beat. (This is one of the aspects that gives the music its unique "Coldplay sound.") Write a paragraph in the manner of an essay exploring this aspect of the music. There are several ways to write about this question. Consider first the __way__ you are going to approach the topic before actually writing. Here are three suggestions on how you could approach the topic: <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Analyze the rhythms and describe your analysis. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Write about how the words to the song fit with the rhythms. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Write a description of what you do with the techniques of your instrument to play the rhythms. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">No matter what approach you take, make the first sentence of your paragraph an effective summary of your ideas. Then make all the other sentences in the paragraph relate specifically to the first sentence. Word process your paragraph on a separate sheet of paper and print to hand in. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> //This was the key writing component to the assignment, and a new writing experience for most of the students. Students who took the question seriously produced some exceptionally fine paragraphs. I was proud of their effort.// <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">11-15. On the next page are the rhythms found in //Viva la Vida//. Identify the measure numbers from your part which corresponds to the example of each of the given rhythms which you have. Write the measure numbers next to the example. Then write the correct rhythm syllables underneath the given rhythm. Practice the rhythms to rehearse in class. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> // This question was really a second assignment relating to rhythmic studies undertaken during the semester. To see the assignment, you would need to have Sibelius music notation program. This exercise served as an effective means for the orchestra faculty to determine who in the class was understanding the rhythmic component of our class curriculum, and as a result, we can better assist students who are having difficulty. The assignment would involve non-verbal, critical thinking at least in part. // <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">To save you some time: <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#1—everyone <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#1 variant A—first violins and violas <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#1 variant B—basses only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2—first violins, violas, cellos <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2 variant A—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2 variant B-1—violas and cellos <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2 variant B-2—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2 variant B-3—violas and cellos <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#2 variant B-4—violas and cellos <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#3—first violins, violas, cellos <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#3 variant A—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#3 variant B—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#4—everyone has #4 except first violins (though they come close in mm. 67-68) <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#4 variant—second violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#5—second violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#5/#4 combo—second violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#6 and #6 variant—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#7 and #7 variant—first violins only <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#8—everyone except basses (cellos, search for the second and third measures of this rhythm only) <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">#9—violas and cellos

// If you are interested in this part of the assignment, let me know and I will provide you a copy. Or if you have Sibelius I can e-mail you a copy. //