Each group will have 20 minutes to analyze a hit pop song and fill a chart with post-it notes describing the song elements: 

Steps to Complete Phase 1:

• Choose leaders: 

  • a team captain - who will be responsible for keeping everyone on both committees on task to complete their job in the allotted time, and to approve the final song. The team captain will distribute the role placards appropriately.

  • a words committee captain - who will be responsible for the lyrics committee, and 

  • a music committee captain - who will be responsible for the music. 

• Review the song element descriptions (Each element has a different color post it note. See below).

• Analyze the song on the song page assigned to your group. Use the question prompts to make a specific observation for each of the 10 elements. Write each observation on the appropriately colored post-it notes for that element. Team Captains must make sure that their completed song analysis poster has one post-it note in each color under the music category and one post-it note in each color under the words category - 10 in all.

• Present insights about your song as a group. 

Music elements:

• PINK:  Tempo/Feel/Style - examples: Fast/Club/Dance, Up-tempo/Rock, Mid Tempo/Shuffle, Mid Tempo/Swing, Slow/Ballad

• GREEN:  Meter - 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, etc  

• BLUE:  Chord Changes - use the number system. Identify only the repeated pattern(s) used throughout the main portions of the song. 

• ORANGE: Form - the arrangement of choruses, verses, bridge, etc. 

• YELLOW: Presence of a Musical Hook - Describe it or write it simply.

Word elements: 

• PINK: Topic - the word or short phrase that describes the subject matter and focuses the conversation 

• GREEN: Theme - the moral lesson or idea being conveyed in a discussion that makes it relevant or impactful 

• BLUE:  Tone - the way language is crafted to convey specific emotion, ex. sarcastic, cheery, cerebral, dark, cryptic, sad

• ORANGE: Rhyme Scheme/meter - Is there a clear, consistent pattern to the rhyming of lines? To stressed and unstressed syllables?

• YELLOW: Specific Techniques: Internal Rhyme, Alliteration, Assonance, Slang, Imagery, Irony, etc.

Each group will have 40 minutes to create a pop song using post-it notes (song element descriptions) that are a mix of all 5 songs. 

Steps to Complete Phase 2:

• Scramble: At the timer, group captains will choose one post it note of each color for the Music category and one of each color for the Words category. CAPTAINS may ONLY CHOOSE 2 of the post-it notes from their own team's song analysis poster (1 from the music category and 1 from the words category). The rest must come from other teams' analysis posters. At the end of the scramble, team captains should have 1 post it note for each of the 5 music elements and 1 post it note for each of the 5 words elements. 

• Plan: Members will discuss their 10 song elements and decide on a direction. 

• Create: Each group will create their song and practice a performance of it as they bring it to completion. 

Each group will have 40 minutes to create a pop song using post-it notes (song element descriptions) collected from all 5 songs. 

Steps to Complete Phase 2:

• Scramble: At the timer, group captains will choose one post it note of each color for the Music category and one of each color for the Words category. CAPTAINS may ONLY CHOOSE 1 of the post it notes per category (total 2) from their own team's song analysis poster. The rest must come from other teams' analysis posters. At the end of the scramble, team captains should have 1 post it note for each of the 5 music elements and 1 post it note for each of the 5 words elements. 

• Plan: Members will discuss their 10 song elements and decide on a direction. 

• Create: Each group will create their song and practice a performance as they go. 

Each group will have 5 minutes to perform their original song for the judges. 

• Try to get everyone involved. 

• Have FUN!