Rock ‘n’ Roll Fan Site

David M. Marshall
DMarshall@mec.edu
Joseph Case High School

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

CAI
Multimedia/Digital Media
Internet

Level:

High School

Class:

General Music

Equipment:

Microsoft Front Page
Internet Access

Duration:

135 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Students have completed a unit (Lecture and video series) on the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

MENC Standards Addressed:

MENC 6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
MENC 7: Evaluating music and music performances.
MENC 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
MENC 9: Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

Materials:

The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Video Series (VHS or DVD) available through Warner Home Video

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this lesson, the successful High School / General Music Student will have gained an extended knowledge of a professional rock musician’s career, style of music, creative processes and influences through use of internet and web design software.

Procedures:

After completing a unit on the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll student’s will be separated into groups of 2-3 (Groups should not exceed 5, if they do, adjust time span of lesson appropriately), asked to selected a musician or Rock Band from the unit previously covered and research that group/musician on the internet.

Assignment timeline
Day 1: 45 minutes of Research
Day 2: 45 minutes of Web-design
Day 3: 45 minutes reviewing, sharing and discussing each group’s web-site

Day 1:
Students will be prompted to obtain the following information:

(Biographical Questions)
1. What are the members of the band and where are they from?
2. How did the group form?
3. What are the group’s dates? (They were together from 19?? – ????)
4. Describe their rise to popularity.
5. Explain their fall from popularity.
6. List some distinguishing moments in their career?

(Music Genre)
7. What style of music did they perform?
8. What are the group’s/individual’s musical influences?
9. Did the group/individual credit outside influences for their compositions?
10. What were some of their most popular compositions?
11. What influence did their music have on society and the culture of that time period?

Day 2:
Once that information is obtained, students (who will have had obtained a basic knowledge of Microsoft Front page) will be required to develop a three page web-site dedicated to the musician/band they have researched. The students will be given the following requirements for their web-site:

Page One: Introductory Page
1. Band’s Name with a logo or album cover
2. Picture of the Band
3. Links to other fan-sites
4. Links to other two web-pages within the web-site

Page Two: Biographical Information
1. Biography based on their research
2. Links to other two web-pages within the web-site
3. Multiple pictures or the group/individual

Page Three: Timeline / Discography
1. Timeline of bans most distinguishing moments coupled with historical events during that time period (the timeline should include each of the band’s/individual’s albums with as many album cover pictures as possible)
2. A minimum of one audio clip.

Day 3:
Teacher and students observe a brief presentation of each web-site and follow with open discussion after each presentation.

Evaluation:

Completed web-sites will be graded on the accuracy of the information. Extra effort and creativity in design will be noted.

Follow Up:

Poster timeline project based on site.
Classroom evaluations of published fan web-sites on the web.
Further development and publishing of project web-sites.