Science & Music Project

1. Science & Music Project Overview Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Final Notes All phases will be completed over the course of the school year.

2. Overview Incorporating music/songs into your studies can be a very rewarding and enjoyable way to learn or review different topics. For this project you must create a song about any science topic of your choice. Preferably this would be a science topic that you will learn this year, but if there is a topic that you enjoyed from a previous year, that is also a possibility. Your songs should incorporate a reasonable amount of information/content with regard to your selected topic. A “Phase” sheet to help keep you organized will be distributed to you as you begin this project.

3. Phase 1(Group Selection) Determine whether you will be working with others, or individually, for this assignment. If you decide to work in a group, please use the “Working with Others” sheet to guide you and take the time to carefully select the individuals you will be working with. It is important to know that you can work with any students on the team, not just those students in your particular class. Whether you choose to work alone or individually, it is necessary to hand in the “Group Member Selection Sheet” to indicate your choice. This information should be written on your “Phase” Sheet

4. Phase 2(Topic Selection) Before moving on to the next phase it may be helpful to determine the topic you plan on creating a song about. Since there are quite a few potential topics out there, some of which you have yet to experience, a topic sheet with brief descriptions will be provided. Once you select a topic it will be necessary for you to put some effort into learning about it, especially if it is a topic not yet covered in class. It is recommended that you share this information with me so guidance can be provided with regard to what should be included in the lyrics. This information should be written on your “Phase” Sheet

5. Phase 3(Song Selection) In order to create lyrics for a song it is necessary to first consider the song or genre of music that you would like to use. This important step will help guide the writing of your lyrics. You can: • find an instrumental track and add your own lyrics • use your own instruments to create a track that you can add your own lyrics to • create your own beat (or instrumental track) using music creation software.

6. Phase 4(Lyrics) Create school appropriate lyrics that provide an overview of your chosen scientific topic (i.e. – atoms, cells, genetics, space, etc.). You may experience some challenges with this portion of the assignment, so it is acceptable to make changes after the initial draft of the lyrics is completed. Revisions to various aspects of this project will likely occur throughout the entire process. Students often come up with more desirable lyrics as time goes by. A copy of this should be attached to your “Phase” Sheet

7. Phase 5(Names) After writing your lyrics, you must: • come up with a creative group/band name • come up with a creative song name (both your group/band name and the song name must be school appropriate) This information should be written on your “Phase” Sheet

8. Phase 6(Flyer) Create a flyer promoting your band and song. This phase should be completed using a computer program such as Word, PowerPoint (PPT.), Publisher, Photoshop, etc… All flyers will be printed and displayed around the classroom. Upon the completion of this phase your group/band should begin to rehearse your song. A copy of this should be attached to your “Phase” Sheet

9. Phase 7(“Air Check” Reservations) Once your group feels confident in the ability to sing the song in a harmonious and N’SYNC (get it?) manner, you should schedule an appointment to come and record your song in my room during lunch. Groups must bring in their musical track or instruments to be used during recording. Since some of you have the means to do your own recording at home, this is also an option. However, I must receive notification of this through the completion of the appropriate sheet in the reservation log.

10. Phase 8(Recording) This last phase will result in a recorded song. All in-school recordings will be done on my computer using a music editing program called Acoustica and ultimately converted into MP3s. Each group will only get two chances to make a recording, thus it is important that you are well prepared. Also, only the groups recording will be allowed in the “studio” at this time. For those of you doing your own recordings, please be sure that your finalized song is in an MP3 format. RECORD

11. Final Notes Final Notes • All groups will have until the end of April to complete this assignment and mini-deadlines for the various phases will help you keep up with the assignment over the course of the school year. Even though you have these mini-deadlines it is important for you not to procrastinate on any part; as the school year has a tendency to fly by – since you are having so much fun . • This will primarily be an out-of-school assignment, so be sure that you are working with individuals that you can get together with. However, you are more than welcome to use my classroom at lunch to get together if necessary. • Groups/bands may create a video as an extension of the original assignment.