Here is the assignment all 8th graders received in class today, Thursday, October 18th:
8TH GRADE MUSIC ESSAY
Assignment #2 – A First Draft
Due in next week’s Thursday music class, Thursday October 25th
Now that you have chosen a CD, you will listen to it:
• Actively and carefully listen to each track, just like we have been doing together in class.
• As you listen, make notes to yourself on what you hear. The notes can be about any or all of the following aspects of the music:
o The overall production sound
o The choice of instruments
o The lyrics, mood and setting of the song
o The form of the song
o The style of the song. Is Dylan using a familiar musical genre?
o The “package:” Cover, liner notes, lyrics.
o How does the song fit into the world that Dylan lived in at the time of composing?
Please hand in at least a paragraph about each track. If there are 10 songs, there should be at least 10 paragraphs, plus:
Then, please conclude with a draft of a thesis statement. What do you think about the music you are hearing? Do Dylan’s songs fit into your life?
GRADING RUBRIC
You will get a “Check minus” for:
o Incomplete sentences,
o Only one of the subjects above addressed,
o Lyrics copied and dumped from a website without naming the source
You can get a “Check” for:
o At best, two subjects above addressed
o Thesis statement missing
o Spelling and punctuation not checked and correct
o Lyrics included, but not connected to what you write
You can get a “Check Plus” for:
o Full, thoughtful sentences that invite the reader to read further
o Interesting, unexpected responses based on the suggestions above
o Thesis statement is your personal, original idea
The most important aspects of your work are your careful listening to the music, and your own, personal responses to it. I hope you will enjoy this musical experience!
ASSIGNMENT #3 – FINAL ESSAY
DUE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 2007, in music class.
So far:
* You have made a first listening through your recording of choice, and written at least a paragraph of notes, thoughts and reflections on each cut.
* This first listening helped you write a thesis statement paragraph for your essay, based on the listening and our study of Bob Dylan in class.
Now:
*Have a second listening through each track, see if this listening adds to your thoughts and reflections paragraphs, add any new opinions, thoughts or reflections to the final essay.
* Put your thesis statement paragraph at the beginning of your paper.
*Put your essay together, in a finished form, to hand in on the due date.
SUGGESTIONS:
Don’t necessarily listen to your recording from the beginning. Why not start with the last track and work backward? This way, you might get a fresh insight into a song.
Don’t listen to the whole album at one sitting. Listen to it in pieces. Come back to it between other homework.
REMEMBER
Please attach all your earlier pages of this assignment to your finished product, so you have a record of the entire process.
Be sure to cite all sources you used to prepare your essay if you state facts in your writing. These sources are websites, books, even conversations with your parents.
Enjoy your minimester, enjoy your Bob Dylan listening, and I look forward to reading your essays next week.
