Novel CD Project
(use
with the novel To
Kill a Mockingbird)
Assignment:
You are in charge of producing a sound track for a new film version
of the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Your
job requires you to do the following:
1)
locate three songs that help “tell the tale” of the novel
2)
type the lyrics to the songs
3)
write a one page, single-spaced paper explaining how the three songs
complement the novel. Compare the
lyrics and mood of the music to events and words in the book.
A short introductory
paragraph, three developed body paragraphs, and a short concluding paragraph
will work well for this assignment.
4)
design a CD cover for your sound track (see example in class)
5)
be ready to present one of your chosen songs to the class who will
act as the board of directors for the music company.
After you play your song, plan a minute of persuasive speaking to
convince us of your choice. The
“board of directors” will choose an all-star combination of songs from all
presented in class for the ultimate To Kill a Mockingbird CD.
What
Do You Turn in for a Grade?
You will turn in your typed one page paper with lyrics attached and your
CD cover. Point Value:
up to 100 points for the paper; up to 20 points for the CD cover
with relevant artwork/graphics (yes, you may use your computers to generate the
cover). Click here
to see the grading rubric for the project.
Class
Presentation: Dress professionally for your presentation to the
“board of directors.” Mrs.
Adams will provide a tape/CD player for your songs. Please provide a copy of the
lyrics to the one song you present to the class.
TIP: type your song
lyrics in 9 or 10 point font and put 2-4 copies of the song lyrics on a single
page. You won’t have to photocopy
or print out many sheets of lyrics this way.
Count the number of students in your English class so you know how many
lyrics you will need.
What
is the purpose of this task?
1) to critically think about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and
to locate non-print media (the songs) that support the themes and tones of the
novel, 2) to write a comparison
paper using an effective writing style and proper grammar, 3) to practice a
short persuasive speech in front of a large group,
4) to link the ideas of the novel, not only to songs, but to relevant,
interesting graphics on the CD cover.
Due
Dates:
Your typed paper and CD cover will be due on Tuesday,
October 9, 2001. Everyone’s
paper and CD cover will be turned in to Mrs. Adams that day. On Thursday, October 4th, we’ll draw names at
random to find out which students will present their songs on Tuesday, October 9th
or Wednesday, October 10th.
Music
Choices? The novel is set in the 1930s, so any music written from
the 1930s through the present day can be considered.
Keep in mind the tone of the novel (scary in parts?
joyful in parts? tense and
suspenseful in parts? ). Make sure
the selected music fits with a particular scene or scenes in the novel.
A soundtrack for a film usually plays in the background of the action on
the screen.
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