Assessment Project

Assessment Project
By Natalie and Avrial

introduction
This project combines music and history into one summative assessment about jazz. In the history side, students will focus on one specific era of
jazz to complement their unit on the 1920s. The history students will have a smaller list of songs to choose from for their project; they will only choose
pieces from the 1920s and Harlem Renaissance. However, on the music side, students will focus on all eras of jazz. The project is broken into a set
of non-negotiable questions for each class. The history instructor will grade the history related questions, while the music instructor will grade the
music related questions. Each student, regardless of their primary class, will be graded based on the entire rubric, with a difference in non-negotiable
questions depending on their primary class. Possible songs for the summative - "Miss Brown to You" - Billie Holiday, the Jazz Suite Brown, Black
and Beige - Duke Ellington, "It Ain't Necessarily So" from Porgy and Bess - George Gershwin, Symphony No. 1 Afro-American - 1,2,3, and 4 -
William Grant Still

history
Standard 1 - History - 2d: Evaluate the impact of different factors – on topics
to include but not limited to gender, age, ethnicity and class– on groups and
individuals in this time period and the impact of these groups and individuals on
the events of the time period.
big ideas
1. African Americans used music from different cultures to develop their own sound
and culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
2. Jazz first appeared in New Orleans in the early 1900s and was influenced by the
existing cultures in the city.
A jazz ensemble can be a representation of democracy due to the freedom of each
musician.
3. Music can be studied through a historical and social perspective to
understand culture, geography, and civics.
inquiry questions
1. What was the culture like during the Harlem Renaissance and how was it formed?
2. Why is New Orleans significant to the creation of jazz music? What other cultures
existed there during this time?
3. What are the key concepts of a democracy and how can different aspects of life
be representative of those concepts?
4. How can music answer significant questions about what the world was like
when it was produced/performed?
possible misconceptions
1. Jazz music sounds the same and cannot give implications into what the culture
was like during the time it was released.
2. Music cannot be used to answer historical questions and understand the world we
live in through a historical lense.
3. The Harlem Renaissance was only about the music and nothing else.
formative
1. History of Jazz WebQuest
The students will complete a WebQuest individually that takes them through
different periods of jazz music. The students will be graded on their ability to
complete each question on the WebQuest in full and show comprehension of
each source read. The WebQuest will take up approximately one full class
period, with remaining questions finished for homework. The evidence
outcomes with this assignment are a complete understanding of the different
transitions jazz music has taken since the 1900s and the different factors at play
that influenced these transitions. Students will be assessed on their ability to
answer the questions in full sentences and complete a “wrap-up” question that
summarizes the major points of information covered in the WebQuest.
2. Influential Jazz Periods Rotating Computer Stations
Students will be put into groups and work through rotating stations. Each
station has a set of laptops opened to a different activity. These activities
will include a listening station for students to listen to different pieces of
jazz music from different eras to allow them to comprehend the changes
the genre experienced. The stations will also include a group with
biographies of famous and influential jazz musicians to help students start
relating jazz music to topics of social studies. This formative will also take
up approximately one class period. Students will be assessed on their
ability to complete the corresponding tasks at each station. The data
collected will be used to assess the student’s knowledge of the different
eras of jazz and how they relate to changing historical periods as well.
music
NAME- MU:Cn11.0.T.Ia Demonstrate understanding of relationships between
music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.
Theory of Music - 3.2 Classification by genre, style, historical period or
culture. Evaluation of music using critical, informed analysis
Theory of Music - 3.3 Evaluation of music using critical, informed analysis
big ideas
1. Understanding connections to varied contexts and daily life enhances
musicians’ creating, performing, and responding.
2. Understanding distinguishing characteristics of musical genre allows one to
articulate why diversity in music is important
3. .Historically significant events have an impact on current and future music.
4. Using appropriate vocabulary helps one successfully participate in various
performance activities.
inquiry questions
1. Why should people examine music from cultures other than their own?
2. What is the importance of examining music from different historical periods,
cultures and traditions?
3. How, when, and why is music used in the community?
possible misconceptions
1. Jazz music isn’t real music. (What biases informed this idea?)
2. Jazz music is purely white American and comes from nowhere else.
3. Jazz is only smooth jazz. OR Jazz is only free jazz.
formative
1. Music Stations
Students will go around room to different stations in groups or individually by
choice. Stations would include jazz rhythm readings, jazz listening, jazz music
stand matching games, jazz history stations, practice scat jazz stations, etc.
Students will need to go to at least one listening station, one reading station,
one oral station, and one history station, but it will be their choice which of them
to go to. They can always do more than one. Students would be graded on their
completion of the stations. They will write a reflection on the stations with key
learning points in a "I knew, I thought I knew, now I know" format. If their isn't
enough time for them to finish the stations in one class period, the stations will
be up and available for one week after for any time visiting. The reflection will be
written the class period of or after the station depending on where to students
are in their progress.
2. Listening
Listening will be spread between class rehearsals. Everyday we will listen to a
new piece of jazz music. We will discuss key vocabulary and musical terms,
eras, composers, style, instrumentation, historical significance, etc. They will
collect the information from the listening sections in notes that are either
provided (a log book), or they can choose to make their own note pages,
recordings, or videos. However they can keep track of the information, they are
welcomed to do so, but an option of a log book will be provided for use if they
choose. Every class period, we will also review the previous pieces we have
gone over students can volunteer to lead the review just like warm ups. They
can phone a friends if needed as well. Students will be assessed on their
participation in class discussions, use of musical terminology, and review
session. Review session leading will not be mandatory, but it will be made clear
that choosing to review the previous music will aid in their ability to do well on
the summative. The questions for the review sessions will be the same
questions used on the summative assessment.

summative
The Social Studies class and Music class will combine for two full class periods at the end of the unit to present their summative projects.Students will have a
choice of different pieces of jazz music from the Swing Era and the Harlem Renaissance to include in their projects to answer questions during their presentations.
They may work in groups or individually to prepare a presentation for a class gallery walk. The presentations must include and show a full understanding of the
music itself as well as its historical significance. The presentations will answer the following questions each meeting standards in the separate content:
Social Studies:
What is the historical significance of this piece?
How does a person’s background influence the music they produce? How does this apply to the artist and piece you have studied? How does a person’s value in
society influence the music they produce or the success their music might have?
Music:
What era of jazz does this piece belong to? Why?
What expressionary elements do the musicians take/make and how does that show the intent of musicians and impact listeners?
 1 2
The presentation did not
Social Studies Q1
touch on the historical
significance of the piece and
the time period is not listed or
explained. There are no
specific events mentioned
regarding the era of the piece.
Social Studies Q2
The questions are not answered
in full or using specific detail.
The presenter’s understanding
of the societal value of a person
and how this relates to their
success is unclear.
The presentation does not
discus appropriate musical
Music 2
terms that relate to the piece of
music chosen. OR /AND Most
musical terms used are used
incorrectly.
The presentation presents one of
the following
-correct era
Music 1
-correct start date
-correct end date
The presentation has one of
Presentation
the following
-poise (natural and relaxed)
-elocution (clear voice and
correct pronunciations)
-organization
The presentation does not
prove the historical
significance of the piece and
is missing a specific time
period and important events
surrounding the piece.
The presentation only generally
answers the question about the
societal value of a person in
relation to musical success, but
does not answer it specifically
related to the artist and piece
studied.
The presentation discusses few
appropriate musical terms that
relate to the piece of music
chosen. OR/AND Two or fewer
terms are used incorrectly or
out of turn.
The presentation presents two of
the following
-correct era
-correct start date
-correct end date
The presentation has two of the
following
-poise (natural and relaxed)
-elocution (clear voice and
correct pronunciations)
-organization
3 4
The presentation fully answers
the question directly relating to
the historical significance of
the piece, including the time
period and some events
surrounding the piece.
The presentation discusses the
artist’s background related to
the production and success of
the studied piece.
The presentation discusses the
appropriate and accurate
musical terms that relate to the
piece chosen.
The presentation presents all of
the following
-correct era
-correct start date
-correct end date
The presentation has all of the
following
-poise (natural and relaxed)
-elocution (clear voice and
correct pronunciations)
-organization
The presentation fully answers
the question directly relating to the
historical significance of the piece,
including the specific time period
and events surrounding the piece.
The presentation also expands
the answer to include why this
kind of piece was produced during
the specific time.
The presentation discusses the
artist’s background related to
the production of the studied
piece. The presenter also
recognizes what society valued
during the specific time period of
the piece and is able to relate
that to the success or impact of
the piece.
The presentation discusses the
appropriate and accurate
musical terms that relate to the
piece chosen. AND The
presentation discusses how
these choices convey the artist's
intent in historical context for
listener impact.
The presentation presents all of
the following
-correct era
-correct start date
-correct end date
AND the presentation
discusses historical and music
reasons why the piece fits in
the selected era of jazz.
The presentation has all of the
following
-poise (natural and relaxed)
-elocution (clear voice and
correct pronunciations)
-organization
AND
The presentation is not a poster
board or verbal essay.