Name: ______Period: ______Date:______
COWBOY SONG PROJECT (PRE-AP)
Chapter 19 – Ranching and Farming
Objective: You will create and perform a song about the life and times of the cowboy. You have the option of completing the project alone or by working with 1 or 2 partners. The presentation must be presented “live” in class or recorded on a video.
Song Criteria: Music was an important part of cowboy life. It provided a means of celebrating the life of cowboys living and working on the Western plains and prairies. Cowboys wrote and sang songs to express strong emotions of loneliness, happiness, and even to soothe and quiet herds of cattle.
Some songs were written as ballads. A ballad is a story told through a song which usually included repetition, four-line stanzas (verses), and a rhyming pattern. Common rhyming patterns are ABAC, AABB, or ACBC. The repetitions can be entire lines or stanzas. (Check out examples attached).
Song Instructions: Your song must include . . .
1. An appropriate and printed title.
2. Structure: (3) separate stanzas (verses) and (1) chorus. Each stanza must have at least (4) lines.
3. (4) vocabulary words from Chapter 19 which are appropriately used in the context of your song.
4. (8) out of twelve (12) elements from Chapter 19 text and/or own research
*Required elements include:
1) Spanish origins of cowboys, longhorn cattle, and cowboy terms;
2) Cowboy clothing and gear;
3) Cowboy’s work responsibilities and various jobs;
4) Life on the open range and cattle drives (positive and/or negative aspects);
5) Cowboy recreation (songs, stories around the campfire);
6) Dangers faced by cowboys on the open range, cattle drives (storms, stampedes, rivers, Indians);
7) Major cattle trails (Goodnight-Loving Trail, Great Western Trail, Chisholm Trail, Sedalia Trail);
8) Major Texas ranches (King Ranch, JA Ranch, Shoe Bar Ranch, Matador Land and Cattle Company, and XIT Ranch);
9) Inventions such as barbed wire and their impact on cowboy life;
10) Rodeos and riding (bulls and horses);
11) Famous cowboys of the era (Pickett, Cody); and
12) Famous outlaws of the era (Billy the Kid, Jesse James, John Wesley Hardin).
Presentation Instructions:
1. You may add music to your song (this is optional), but the music must be appropriate for the classroom and lyrics of the song.
· You will be entirely responsible for providing music; do not expect the teacher to search, download, or otherwise install any music for your song.
2. The song lyrics must be clearly audible and understood during the presentation.
3. Timing of the song must be between 1 and 3 minutes.
4. If the presentation is completed via video, you must either email the video or put the video on a flash drive in one of these formats: mp4, mov, or wmv. Then, bring it to your teacher so he/she can download it to their computer to present and project to the rest of class. You may also post the video and send your teacher the link.
5. Creativity and use of props is highly encouraged!
What to Turn In:
1. A copy the completed song; 2 if you perform the song live in class (1 for you to use during presentation and 1 for the teacher)
· The song’s lyrics, verses, and chorus must be complete and neatly printed. The song may be typed or printed.
· Each of the (8) required elements and vocabulary words in the song must be highlighted, underlined, or somehow emphasized so that they are easily identifiable. A key provided is always helpful!
2. (1) copy of the grading rubric to give to me, the teacher.
Grading: This activity counts as a Summative Grade. A rubric is attached which provides the grading criteria and point scale for this activity. This activity is graded on a 100-point scale.
Chapter 19 Cowboy Song Activity RUBRIC
Category / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 0Song:
Lyrics, Content, Structure
30 points / Lyrics, content, and structure are complete, exceptional, extremely well written; outstanding job!
30 / Lyrics, content, and structure are complete, appropriate, well written; good job!
26 / Lyrics, content and structure are mostly complete, appropriate, satisfactory writing; satisfactory job.
21 / Lyrics, content, and structure are incomplete, mostly appropriate; fair writing; fair job.
15 / No song lyrics, content, or structure.
0
Song:
Required Elements
30 points / 8 out of 12 elements are included and exceptionally used in song.
30 / 8 out of 12 elements are included and appropriately used in song.
26 / 6 out of 12 elements are included and appropriately used in song.
21 / 4 or fewer elements are included and appropriately used in song.
15 / No elements are included.
0
Song:
Vocabulary
10 points / All 4 vocabulary words included and used exceptionally in context in song.
10 / All 4 vocabulary words included and used appropriately in context in song.
8 / 3 out of 4 vocabulary words included and used appropriately in context in song.
6 / 2 or less vocabulary words included and used appropriately in context in song.
4 / No vocabulary words included.
0
Song:
Title
10 points / Title is included, extremely creative and appropriate with song lyrics.
10 / Title is included, creative and appropriate with song lyrics.
8 / Title is included, but lacks creativity and is somewhat appropriate with song lyrics.
6 / Title is not included, or lacks creativity, and is mostly or completely inappropriate with song lyrics.
4 / No title is included.
0
Song:
Presentation
20 points / Excellent song presentation (in voice projection, clarity, tone, timing, and performance).
20 / Good song presentation (in voice projection, clarity, tone, timing, and performance).
14 / Satisfactory song presentation (in voice projection, clarity, tone, timing, and performance).
8 / Fair song presentation (in voice projection, clarity, tone, timing, and performance).
4 / No song performance included.
0
Name(s): ______TOTAL POINTS: ____
Comments:______
Sample Songs
Back in the Saddle Again
I’m back in the saddle again, out where a friend is a friend. Where the longhorn cattle feed on the lonely jimson weed I’m back in the saddle again.
Ridin’ the range once more, totin’ my old forty-four, Where you sleep out every night and the only law is right, Back in the saddle again.
[Chorus] Whoopi ti yi yo to a fro, back in the saddle again. Whoopi ti yi yea, I’ll go on my own way, Back in the saddle again.
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
I’m a roaming cowboy riding all day long, Tumbleweeds around me sing their lonely song. Nights underneath the prairie moon, I ride along and sing this tune.
See them tumbling down Pledging their love to the ground Lonely but free I’ll be found [Chorus] Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
Cares of the past are behind, Nowhere to go but I’ll find Just where the trail will wind [Chorus] Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
I know when night has gone, That a new world’s born at dawn. I’ll keep rolling along, Deep in my heart is a song Here on the range I belong, [Chorus] Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.