This document outlines a webquest activity for high school choir students to choose 4 pieces of music for a spring concert. Students are instructed to choose 1 song by a pre-20th century composer, 1 vocal jazz piece, 1 popular ballad arrangement, and 1 contemporary classical song. For each piece, students must include a brief biography of the composer and details about what the song means and why it was written. Resources for finding music are provided, and a rubric evaluates students based on following the genre guidelines, organization, quality of research and writing, and inclusion of composer biographies.

1. What music do YOU want? Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] A WebQuest for Grade 9-12 Designed by: John Rotola [email_address] Based on a template from The WebQuest Page James Levine, Boston Symphony Orchestra

2. Introduction Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] I knew I shouldn’t have done it, walking outside in the winter without a jacket is just asking for pneumonia. Well all of that is in the past now, either way I’m going to be absent from school for at least a month. Being that you are the assistant director, I’m giving you all of my responsibilities while I’m gone. I haven’t picked out the spring repertoire yet, you’re going to need to research and choose 4 songs for the concert in my place. Do remember that the students won’t benefit from singing 4 pop songs. The purpose of this class is to teach students a variety of genres and time periods of music, so make sure to keep that in mind when you’re choosing your repertoire. Images Courtesy of: www.tactical-graphic-design.com

3. The Task Student Page Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] This is an important task! It is your job to find 4 different pieces of music to be performed by the choir. In order to succeed you are going to need to keep a couple of things in mind: Is this music the right level for our choir? Will it challenge us without being too hard? Who wrote this song? Is this a famous composer from centuries ago or a modern day composer? Is it written for mixed choir? Is it SATB? What does the melody sound like? Will it be enjoyable for the choir and the audience? The best resource in the world to find music of all kinds is the internet. The majority of music found on the internet will be on websites that are selling it. However, previews can be found of at least one page of music and a recording of that music. You should be able to find out a lot about the piece just by the preview. Our school has a wonderful music library as well, I expect you to find one of your songs in the library. Title Some Great Resources! Pandora Choral Domain Public Library Sheet Music Plus The Mutopia Project Great source for listening to hundreds of choral works Tons of free choral arrangements of different genres Huge database of published choral arrangements Free choral arrangements (mostly classical and jazz)

4. The Process Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] Now that you have an understanding of the assignment, lets get started. The concert is coming up fast and the music needs to be given to the students well in advance so that they can get it polished in time. However, don’t feel overwhelmed. If you follow these steps the concert is sure to be a success! 1. Choose a song that was written by a composer living before the 20 th century. 2. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written? 3. Choose an arrangement of a vocal jazz piece written for a mixed choir. 4. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written? 5. Choose a popular ballad that was arranged for a mixed choir. 6. Make sure to include a small biography about the group who originally wrote the song. What does the song mean and why was it written? 7. Choose a contemporary classical song for your repertoire. 8. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written?

5. Grading Rubric: Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] Beginning 1 Developing 2 Accomplished 3 Exemplary 4 Score Found the 4 genres of music listed in the Process Student did not find 4 pieces of music. 4 pieces of music are chosen, however they do not follow the guidelines as set. 4 pieces of music are chosen and most of the songs follow the guidelines as set. 4 pieces of music are chosen and all of the songs follow the guidelines as set. Organization Assignment is turned in with no apparent order. It is difficult to find the different pieces of music. Student has attempted to organize assignment without 3-ring binder, however it is still difficult to follow. Student has put the assignment together in a 3-ring binder, however the work is not completely organized. Student has put the assignment together in a 3-ring binder, differentiating between the different genres of music. Quality of Information Gathered Information in the assignment is lacking. Either biographical information or all 4 pieces haven’t been included. The information included is very basic and doesn’t have much to do with the assignment. The music chosen doesn’t follow the guidelines in most cases. The quality of information provided is well researched but has little to do with the assignment. The music chosen doesn’t completely follow the genres listed. Information included is well researched. The music chosen is appropriate for high school repertoire. Composer Biography Assignment is incomplete. There are only 1 or 2 biographies included. A biography for all 4 genres of music isn’t included. There is a brief biography for each composer, but the information lacks. There is a brief biography for each composer with relevant information provided. Quality of Writing The assignment appears to have been thrown together. There are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. There are quite a few grammatical/spellings errors and the writing is very basic. It appears that little time was spent proofreading. There are only a few grammatical/spelling errors and the writing in the assignment is well thought out in most parts. There are very few grammatical/spelling errors in the assignment. All writing is well thought out.

6. Conclusion Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] Congratulations! You have successfully created a program for this year’s spring concert. As you now understand, it is a very hard task to try to find music that will challenge students and be enjoyable at the same time. However, you have done just that and now the students are ready to begin in the learning process. Before this activity is over, write a paragraph on the various challenges that you faced while participating in this webquest. Was there a certain genre of music that presented for difficulties than another, or were they all hard to find?

7. Credits & References Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] This webquest was created by John Rotola, student of Colorado State University. It was created during the fall semester of 2008 as a project for a class. Thank you www.tactical-graphic-design.com for allowing this webquest to use your clip art due to the creative commons license. Also, thank you Pandora , Choral Domain Public Library , Sheet Music Plus and The Mutopia Project for providing great resources for students and music educators to use Based on a template from The WebQuest Page Training materials to aid in the production of a webquest: The WebQuest Slideshare Group

8. [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion A WebQuest for Grade 9-12 Designed by: John Rotola [email_address] Based on a template from The WebQuest Page James Levine, Boston Symphony Orchestra What music do YOU want?

9. Introduction (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion This webquest was developed to allow students to understand the behind the scenes work that goes into finding music for high school choirs. The process of finding music that students will enjoy while culturing and challenging them is extremely tough. If a student can successfully come up with a successful repertoire, they will most definitely benefit from the experience and appreciate their future directors who assign them music. Students will gather various information available to them on the internet to choose 4 different songs that will be on a hypothetical spring concert. All 4 songs need to be in different genres that would be typically heard in a real concert. In addition, a brief biography of the composer needs to be included to ensure that the student did in fact research the piece of music that he/she chose.

10. Learners (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion This webquest was designed for a high school aged student in choir. While the activity would also be applicable for band and orchestra students as well, it was designed for a choir. The students must have a basic concept of music genres as well as major composers who wrote in those genres. In addition, the student must have basic music reading skills as to see if the music is too difficult for a high school choir.

11. Curriculum Standards (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Colorado’s music curriculum is based upon 5 standards. This webquest is designed to cover 4 of the 5 standards. In this webquest students will sing, read music, listen, analyze, evaluate and describe music and relate music to various historical traditions. In addition, students will need to have a basic understanding of the internet and be able to use it as a resource so that they can complete the assignment. Problem solving and creativity are huge skills required to be successful in this webquest. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion Colorado Model Content Standards Standard 1 : Students sing or play on instruments a varied repertoire of music, alone or with others. Standard 2 : Students will read and notate music. Standard 4 : Students will listen to, analyze, evaluate, and describe music. Standard 5 : Students will relate music to various historical and cultural traditions.

12. The Process (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Students should work by themselves for this assignment, group work is not advised unless time is an issue. Working by yourself ensures that each student is becoming musical literate on their own. The project itself is fairly quick, it shouldn’t take a class more than 2 weeks to have an organized project completed. I would recommend 2 class periods dedicated to the webquest and then assign the rest of it for homework. Skills required by the teacher are very minimal. The teacher must be able to recognize authentic composers of different genres and be musical literate enough to decipher what the student is writing about. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion Now that you have an understanding of the assignment, lets get started. The concert is coming up fast and the music needs to be given to the students well in advance so that they can get it polished in time. However, don’t feel overwhelmed. If you follow these steps the concert is sure to be a success! 1. Choose a song that was written by a composer living before the 20th century. 2. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written? 3. Choose an arrangement of a vocal jazz piece written for a mixed choir. 4. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written? 5. Choose a popular ballad that was arranged for a mixed choir. 6. Make sure to include a small biography about the group who originally wrote the song. What does the song mean and why was it written? 7. Choose a contemporary classical song for your repertoire. 8. Make sure to include a small biography about the composer. What does the song mean and why was it written? ________________________________________________________________________

13. Resources (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion This lesson is relatively easy to put together for a teacher. Only one teacher is required to assign the webquest and ultimately grade the work, outside help is not required. I have listed the only resources that would be required to be able to perform this webquest. A basic library of music in the school from which to choose an arrangement Access to computers with an internet connection Pandora Choral Domain Public Library Sheet Music Plus The Mutopia Project Tons of free choral arrangements of different genres Huge database of published choral arrangements Free choral arrangements (mostly classical and jazz) Great source for listening to hundreds of choral works

14. Evaluation (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page It will be apparent if the student was successful in this webquest by the final 3-ring binder that is turned in at the end. If the student has obviously put some time into organizing the binder as well as included appropriate repertoire and well written pertinent information about the composer, this webquest would be considered a success. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion Beginning 1 Developing 2 Accomplished 3 Exemplary 4 Score Found the 4 genres of music listed in the Process Student did not find 4 pieces of music. 4 pieces of music are chosen, however they do not follow the guidelines as set. 4 pieces of music are chosen and most of the songs follow the guidelines as set. 4 pieces of music are chosen and all of the songs follow the guidelines as set. Organization Assignment is turned in with no apparent order. It is difficult to find the different pieces of music. Student has attempted to organize assignment without 3-ring binder, however it is still difficult to follow. Student has put the assignment together in a 3-ring binder, however the work is not completely organized. Student has put the assignment together in a 3-ring binder, differentiating between the different genres of music. Quality of Information Gathered Information in the assignment is lacking. Either biographical information or all 4 pieces haven’t been included. The information included is very basic and doesn’t have much to do with the assignment. The music chosen doesn’t follow the guidelines in most cases. The quality of information provided is well researched but has little to do with the assignment. The music chosen doesn’t completely follow the genres listed. Information included is well researched. The music chosen is appropriate for high school repertoire. Composer Biography Assignment is incomplete. There are only 1 or 2 biographies included. A biography for all 4 genres of music isn’t included. There is a brief biography for each composer, but the information lacks. There is a brief biography for each composer with relevant information provided. Quality of Writing The assignment appears to have been thrown together. There are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. There are quite a few grammatical/spellings errors and the writing is very basic. It appears that little time was spent proofreading. There are only a few grammatical/spelling errors and the writing in the assignment is well thought out in most parts. There are very few grammatical/spelling errors in the assignment. All writing is well thought out.

15. Teacher Script (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page In order for this webquest to be fun for the students, the facilitator needs to be energetic when introducing the project. If the choir director is also the teacher who is presenting the webquest, an effort should be made to make the students concerned that this is actually a real problem. The more believable the assignment, the more serious the students will treat it. After the activity has been introduced, the rest of the webquest is pretty self explanatory. As long as the student has access to the different slides of the webquest they should be able to perform the work on their own. However, the facilitator should be present to still answer questions that might arise. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

16. Conclusion (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page This webquest is beneficial for the student for many reasons. First of all, it makes the student appreciate and be respectful of their teacher due to the amount of work required to choose repertoire. It is not uncommon in a typical choir room to see students complaining about the music that they are singing. By completely this project, students will have a better understanding of how hard it is to choose appropriate music for them. Secondly, it makes the student use musical skills that wouldn’t be used if everything were chosen for them. Not only does the student have to rely on personal musicianship; musical literacy and appreciation for all genres of music are required. The student needs to be able to look over a song quickly and have a brief understanding of the language, difficulty and genre that the music falls under. Then the student will practice researching and writing skills in order to write successfully about composers from each of the songs that they choose. Finally, basic computer and web browsing skills will be used in order to use the appropriate resources to complete the assignment. This is a great activity to use outside of the monotonous choir routine that encompasses 4 out of 5 of the Colorado Model Content Standards. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

17. Credits & References (Teacher) [ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion This webquest was created by John Rotola, student of Colorado State University. It was created during the fall semester of 2008 as a project for a class. Thank you www.tactical-graphic-design.com for allowing this webquest to use your clip art due to the creative commons license. Also, thank you Pandora , Choral Domain Public Library , Sheet Music Plus and The Mutopia Project for providing great resources for students and music educators to use Based on a template from The WebQuest Page Training materials to aid in the production of a webquest: The WebQuest Slideshare Group