Pre-AP Bonus Project: Song of My Schoolday

If you have submitted a draft of IWA #3 before Friday, Dec. 17, you may participate in this extra credit project.

Sound and song is an important part of Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl. In this project, you will make a “soundtrack” of the different parts of your school day, from start to finish. The steps for this project are outlined as follows:
1. Think of songs that you could relate with the 8 periods of your school day:

- 1st period (or arriving at school)
- 2nd period
- 3rd period
- 4th period
- 5th period (or lunch)
- 6th period
- 7th period
- 8th period (or when school lets out)

2. On clean sheets of notebook paper, write at least 3 sentences explaining your choices in songs, and why you hear them at those particular times. **Include the song title and artist.

Ex: Track 8 (When school lets out): "On the Road Again," Willie Nelson. I chose this song because it is very upbeat. It talks about how good life really is and how good it is to be with friends. When Willie Nelson sings about “Seein' things that I may never see again,” it reminds me that life goes by pretty fast and if I don’t pay attention I’ll miss out on things. The upbeat mood of the song matches my mood when the bell rings at 4:00. It makes me happy again, after a routine day of classes.

3. Print out the lyrics to all of the songs you choose, and highlight the parts you talk about in your explanation.

Important: Your songs must be SCHOOL APPROPRIATE. It is hard to find a song without an occasional curse word, BUT your song cannot talk EXPLICITLY about anything inappropriate; and your school day should not include sex, drugs, violence, thugging, pimping, gangbanging, etc. Just remember, I will hold you responsible for anything you turn in.

Not having a computer is not an excuse. There are libraries in your neighborhood that you can use. And there is still time to ask Santa for a computer, or to make friends with someone who has one.

Rubric: 70-79: Good effort, but fewer than the required sentences; 80-89: Good effort, with the required number of sentences; 90-100: Good effort, with the required number of sentences and a CD burned with your soundtrack on it.

Projects are worth 20% of your grade, and will count as an extra project to bring up a low overall project grade. This project is due Wednesday, Jan. 6th (right after Christmas break). If you have questions on anything, I suggest you talk with me before or after school to clear everything up; you may email me, but do not wait until the end of the break.