This project aims at inviting pupils to reflect on the purpose and importance of pop-music in a nation’s culture. They are asked to think critically about the historical period and social climate of the time in which the music/song was created and to see behind the words to discover the universal message that is being sent by the author. The discovery process is meant to teach students to develop a thought process for investigation as a life long learning, and to understand the motives of a culture’s products (i.e. music) rather than to mindlessly consume them. Groups of students from different cultures will cooperate to gain in depth understanding of the target country music and culture and to consider globality as a reality for the modern day citizen

• Materias: Ciencias sociales/sociología , Historia , Historia de las culturas , Lengua y literatura , Lenguas extranjeras , Medios de comunicación , Multidisciplinar , Música
• Idiomas: EN - IT
• Edad de los alumnos: 14 - 19
• Herramientas a utilizar: Chat, email, MP3, Otro software (Powerpoint, video, fotos y dibujos), Video conferencia
• Objetivos: This project aims at inviting pupils to reflect on the purpose and importance of pop-music in a nation’s culture. They... más informaciónThis project aims at inviting pupils to reflect on the purpose and importance of pop-music in a nation’s culture. They are asked to think critically about the historical period and social climate of the time in which the music/song was created and to see behind the words to discover the universal message that is being sent by the author. The discovery process is meant to teach students to develop a thought process for investigation as a life long learning, and to understand the motives of a culture’s products (i.e. music) rather than to mindlessly consume them. Groups of students from different cultures will cooperate to gain in depth understanding of the target country music and culture and to consider globality as a reality for the modern day citizen ocultar
• Proceso de trabajo: The project starts on November 1st, 2010 and finishes at the end of April 2011. There are 5 TOPICS within this... más informaciónThe project starts on November 1st, 2010 and finishes at the end of April 2011. There are 5 TOPICS within this project. Each topic consists of various tasks. New tasks not already contemplated can be introduced by the pupils, depending on time availability. Each topic should not last more than 2 months, so that all participants follow the process more or less simultaneously (school breaks considered). 1. WHAT’S IN A SONG I a. An investigation of Italian and American music: 1. Who is listening to what and why? 2. What are the most popular Genres? 3. Who are the most influential artists? 4. Who are the most popular artists? 5.Why? b. Creating awareness of ones’ attitude towards music: 1. Which relation do I have to music? 2. How much time do I spend listening to music? 3. How and where do I consume music? 4. What music do I like the most? 5. What are the attitudes of people in other countries on these same topics, compared to mine? c. Music as cultural expression and social catalyst: 1.What do songs tell us about a specific time, culture, society? 2. WHAT’S IN A SONG II a. The historical context: 1. What is the historical contest in which the artist operates/sings about? b. The artist’s mind: 1. What is the artist trying to express? 2. Which ideas is he developing? c. Emphasis on lyrics: 1. How are the ideas expressed? 2. Is the main idea developing slowly or expressed at the beginning? d. Structure of a song/roots: 1. Is the idea expressed in a verse or in the refrain? 2. Do the words rhyme? 3. Are the lyrics influenced by a traditional idea of cultural relevance? e. The main idea: 1. Is the message clear or hidden? 2. Why is the message expressed in this way? 3. Could the singer have expressed the idea in another way? 4. How? f. Musical form analysis: 1.the style 2. Instrumentation 3. Cultural color 3. WHAT’S IN A SONG III a. Investigation of the main idea: the social, political, emotional background: 1. Students identify the main social/political/emotional idea in the song. 2. Students investigate the issue (i.e. poverty, freedom of speech) at the local and global levels. 3. Students learn about the issue and the ways to improve/change the situation (call to action, social involvement) b. Catalyst for change: 1. Students may be prompted to act as a catalyst for change on the issue/cause of their choice 4. WHAT’S IN A SONG IV a. The music business: 1. Research of the music industry; an overview of International (with emphasis on Italy and America) music business. 2. The effect of commercialization on artistic expression and creativity. 3. The relevance of the music video: how images influence music. 4. How technology has changed music distribution and will continue to shape music consumption 5. WHAT’S IN A SONG V a. MUSIC VIDEO/DOCUMENTARY: Students will produce a short film that will present the findings of their journey in the investigation of a song. The video or short documentary will cover 1. The artist biography, 2. The historical context, 3. The problematization of the main idea, 4. A critical response to the artist main message, and 5. A call to action. ocultar
• Resultados esperados: 1. Students exchange their ideas on music and teach each other about the way they view/consume music and how this fits... más información1. Students exchange their ideas on music and teach each other about the way they view/consume music and how this fits with their cultural background. Students compare and contrast their actions, reactions, and perspectives with the ones of students in other countries 2. Students gain in depth knowledge of the culture and music of their project partners 3. Students are motivated to use the language they learn in school. They will increase their linguistic proficiency in the target language and improve their listening comprehension skills. Attention to local accents will sharpen linguistic sensitivity and increase knowledge of target language variation 4. Students will improve their research, writing, statistical and critical thinking skills by using technology to explore the topic, developing multi-media presentation, surveying (students will write surveys), manipulating and presenting statistical data, and by writing different forms of texts such as messages on the forum blogs, reviews, reports on personal experiences, etc. 5. Students will improve their communicative competence both in the native and target language and will gain experience in working across boarders with an international team ocultar

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