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Web Quest-Ballads

Introduction
Task
Process
Evaluation
Conclusion
Teacher's Page
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Introduction

        Congratulations!  The ancient role of bard has been reinstated, and you have been apprenticed to become one of the first new bards for the twenty-first century.  In ancient times,  apprentices trained for years and were required to memorize hundreds of ballads, stories, and poems.  They were also supposed to be able to compose songs on the spot. 
        With the invention of the Internet and modern communication, the UBS (Union of Bards and Storytellers) has determined that such extensive training is no longer needed.  However, bards are still needed to write new ballads.

 

 

 

Task

    As the first step in your training, your job is to find an incident that you feel is most worthy of a ballad.  Using the list provided, find out about one of the disasters or one of the people.  You will have two written segments to turn in to the UBS judges.

    First, summarize the story briefly in paragraph form.  In your summary, concentrate on getting down the important facts of what happened and what you believe is important to convey the significance of the event, either on a personal level (like in "Barbara Allen") or on an historical level (like in "Influenza").

    Secondly, write a ballad about the event or the person you chose.  Your ballad should have at least 20 lines of poetry and follow a consistent rhythm and rhyme pattern.  You may write in ballad stanzas, but you can choose a different pattern if you prefer.  Be sure your ballad tells the story.  Adding in any literary devices (of the ones we have discussed in class) would be a plus.

 

 

Process

    Choose one of the events or people listed below.  Follow the link to find out the story behind the name.

The Chicago Fire

The Richmond Theater Disaster

Jackie Robinson

The Haymarket Riots

Amelia Earhart

California Forty-Niners

Woody Guthrie

Billy the Kid

Tom Morgan

(For Billy the Kid and Tom Morgan, you are being directed to the home page of the Library of Congress.  When you get there, click on the American Memory,by the American Flag.  When you get there, click on Search on the right hand side of the page.  Type in the name of the one you want to research, and when the list comes up, click on the one that says "WPA Life History" on the left hand side.)

 

 

Evaluation

Rubric for Summary:

Excellent Very Good Good Fair Needs Work
content All main ideas about the topic are present. The main ideas are presented, but may be slightly incomplete. Most of the main ideas are present, but some many be incomplete. Some of the main ideas are not present or are misrepresented. Major ideas are missing or incorrectly stated.
sentence

structure

 Sentence structure is varied and all sentences are complete. All sentences are complete, but are written on a simple level. Most sentences are complete. Sentence structure is repetitious and sentences are incomplete. Most of the sentences are not complete or lack clarity.
brevity Ideas are summarized concisely, yet include all of the important information. Ideas are summarized concisely. Ideas are summarized and include all of the important information, but are not concise. Most of the ideas are present, but are not concisely worded and include unnecessary information. The paragraph does not summarize the main ideas, but simply retells the paragraphs reported on.
grammar, spelling, punctuation There are no grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. There are a few inconsequential mistakes. There are some mistakes. There are many mistakes. Mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation interfere with the content of the summary.
comprehension A clear understanding of the events is evident. A basic understanding of the events is evident. Most of the summary shows an understanding of the events, but there may be a few details that are unclear. The summary shows misunderstandings in the events. The summary shows misunderstandings of the events that interferes with an overall picture of the situation.

 

Rubric for Ballad:

Excellent Very Good Good Fair Needs Work
Rhythm The rhythm patter is consistent throughout. The rhythm pattern is consistent, with only occasional minor problems There is a rhythm pattern attempted, but there are some problems maintaining it. The ballad does not maintain a consistent rhythm pattern. There is no discernible rhythm.
Rhyme The rhyme pattern is consistent throughout. The rhyme pattern is consistent, with only one or two minor problems. The rhyme pattern has several inconsistencies. The rhyme pattern is not consistent. There is no rhyme scheme.
Plot The simple story is easy to understand. The simple story is understandable, but could use some explanation to make it clearer. The story is too complex to be understood without more explanation The story is hard to follow. There is no story.
Characters The characters fit the story and are described as much as needed in the simple context of a ballad. The characters fit the story. The characters do not behave consistently with the information we have in the ballad. The characters are inappropriate or out of place. There are no characters.
Grammar,

Spelling,

Punctuation

 There are no grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. There are only minor mistakes. There are many mistakes, but they do not detract from the understanding of the ballad. There are many mistakes, and some detract from the understanding of the ballad. There are numerous mistakes that make the ballad not able to be understood.
Ballad motifs/abstract subject The ballad concerns strong human emotions. The ballad concerns human emotions. The ballad does not reflect the emotions the characters would feel. The ballad does not deal with human emotions. There are no characters to show emotions with.
Poetic Devices The ballad uses poetic devices discussed in class to further understanding or to create mood. The ballad uses one or two poetic devices. The ballad does not use any poetic devices. The ballad does not use any poetic devices. The ballad does not use any poetic devices.

 

 

 

Conclusion

    Success!!  You have completed the first steps to being a 21st century bard!  Your apprenticeship does not end here, though.  Be on the lookout--your fellow bards are all around you, sometimes masquerading as common, everyday singers, songwriters, and storytellers!  When you listen to the radio, pay careful attention.  Some of the songs you sing along with are ballads, and the artist a fellow bard!

 

 

 

 

Teacher's Page

A fun sidelight to this could be a music day.  After the students have found some ballads in the music they listen to on the radio or on their CD's, have them bring in a copy of the lyrics for you to check.  If the lyrics are appropriate, let the student bring a tape or CD of the song in and play it in class. 

 

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Introduction
Task
Process
Evaluation
Conclusion
Teacher's Page