The Album Analysis Project will get students excited to analyze and foster deeper thinking about the media they already enjoy! Perfect for before breaks or summer, this project empowers students to showcase their expertise and practice independent work skills.

The suggested timeline for this project is 3 days (for 50 min class periods). If your students are used to literary analysis, this project is sub friendly!

Students will use literary skills to analyze a musical album of their choice. They will:

• create a thesis on the album's theme
• evaluate the impact of the historical/cultural context the album was created in
• evaluate the influence of the artist's identity and experiences
• identify connections between the song lyrics, album theme/tone and the cover art
• identify and argue three "most important songs" on the album
• close read song lyrics

Students will present their analysis via a collage/murder board on Padlet, or a 5 paragraph essay. Students will need make a free account on Padlet if they choose to complete their project there.

You will get:

• Project Overview
• "Proficiency" Checklist for students to use when creating their project (using Standards Based Grading, proficiency 8.5 is a B)
• Chunked brainstorm worksheets, one per day, with questions to guide student analysis
• Listening Journal page for students to use when listening to the album. Use it like Cornell notes!
• Examples (4 Padlet projects, 3 Essays) labelled with skill level/grades to make expectations clear for students