Interdisciplinary Project

Areas to be covered:
1. Music
2. History
Instructions:
You will choose any event in history between the 17 th century and the 20th
century, and find a connection between it, and a musical aspect of the time period.
Whether it be about how an event affected a composer or the premiere of a piece;
or if a historical event was the influence for a well-known piece of music that still
exists today. An example of this would be the influence behind the composition of
Beethovens Third Symphony. You will need to show evidence of good research on
the historical event, including important people involved, dates of important factors,
why the event occurred, and how it was resolved and how it affected everyone
involved. You will also need to have a well thought out connection between that and
a musical event, and go into detail about the music, or the information about a
composer.
You can present this information in one of three ways. You can:
1. Write a 6 page research paper
2. Create a slideshow presentation and present it to the class
3. Make a detailed timeline with both events on either side to show how they
line up, and give a presentation explaining the correlation between the
two.
Keep in mind that there will be credit given for a presentation if you choose option 2
or 3, giving you more opportunity to get points toward your final grade. If you
choose to write the paper it will be graded solely on the content, and
understanding, of the topics covered. If you give a presentation there will be
categories about how well you present and the visuals used to help strengthen your
main point. Keep in mind that if you solely do the paper there is a change you could
get a lower grade than if you did an oral presentation.
Presentations for this project will be done during finals week in front of the history
faculty and music faculty to get equal opinions from experts on each subject. Each
presentation should be ten minutes in length at the least, and there will be time for
questions from the class at the end. There is a rubric below showing what youll be
graded on so you know what to expect. The categories on the presentation and
visuals arent applicable to those who choose to write the research paper, making
the overall grade out of 15 points instead of 25. The grade given out of these two

Interdisciplinary Project Rubric

Organizati
on

Clarity

5 points
Organized in
a flawless
manner. Flow
of project
made sense
and
strengthened
the
connection
between the
two events.

4 points
Organizatio
n was great.
Flow was
good, and
all points
made were
clearly
understood.
Could have
been
stronger.

Project was
extremely
clear. All
points made
were well
thought out
and added
depth to the
project as a
whole.

Project was
mostly
clear. Points
were
thought out,
but could
have stayed
on point
more, but
very well
done.
Presentation
was good.
Spoke with
few
hesitations.
Could tell
preparation
was good.

Presentati
on

Presentation
was excellent.
Spoke very
clearly and
concisely to
get main
point across.
Very
prepared.

Visual
Aids

Visual aids
were great
and really
added to the
presentation.

Visual aids
were good,
some
seemed
unnecessary

3 points
Organizatio
n was
adequate.
Flow of the
project
wasnt
always
smooth.
Concepts
could have
been much
stronger.
Project was
clear. Some
sections
didnt add
to the
overall
point. Could
have stayed
on the
subject
more.
Presentation
was
average.
Didnt go
the full 10
minutes and
seemed to
ramble due
to lack of
preparation.
Visual aids
were
average,
didnt add
much to

2 points
Organizatio
n was
decent.
Project
jumped
around too
much, didnt
have a clear
flow.
Concepts
were
average.
Project
lacked
overall
clarity.
Rambled too
much to fill
time/space.
Needed to
focus on
main topic
more.
Presentation
lacked
preparation.
Didnt seem
to know
what to say
and didnt
speak
clearly.

1 point
Organizatio
n was a
mess. There
was no flow
in the
project,
points being
made
werent
clear due to
it.

Visual aids
were OK,
seemed to
have
minimum

Lack of any
good
visuals.
Didnt add
to

Project was
not clear at
all. No main
point that
was
expanded
on and
lacked any
sort of focus
throughout.
Presentation
fell short.
Didnt go for
the full time
and lacked
research. No
preparation
went in at
all.

.
Research

Research was
great; you
could tell that
there is a
deep
understandin
g of the
topics being
covered.

Total:_______/________
100:_________%

Research
was good;
you could
tell there
was good
understandi
ng of the
topic. Could
have gone
into it a
little more.

presentation
.
Research
was
average;
you could
tell that
topics were
research,
but not
completely
understood.

effort put in.

Research
was decent;
could tell
the student
did the
minimum
amount to
get by, with
no deep
understandi
ng of topic.

Percent out of

presentation
at all.
Little to no
research
done. Could
tell that the
student
didnt really
know the
concepts,
with no
good
connection
made.