Writing about music assignment ~ Persuasive Letter
One-inch margins; double-spaced; 12 point standard typeface;
500 - 600 words.
Assume the following scenario for this assignment:
You are
now a third grade teacher in the Plausible Unified School District (PUSD). You teach at Pretty Regular Elementary School
(PRES). You are one of five teachers
(Mr. “A”, Miss “B”, Mrs. “C”, Ms. “D” and you) who teach third grade at PRES
and you are the newest of the five. You
are aware that the State of
Scenario One:
Mr. “A” is
very supportive of your efforts to incorporate the VAPA into your
classroom. Miss “B” and Mrs. “C” don’t
seem to care one way or the other. Ms.
“D” is actively opposing your efforts yet she will not share with you the
reason why she is so opposed to your desire to incorporate music in your class.
Scenario Two:
At Back-to-School Night, you shared with the parents of your
students the fact that you very much intend to incorporate music in your
classroom. You shared that you feel that
music is important in the education of a child.
You shared the fact that the state has established Content Standards for
the Visual and Performing Arts - including music - and you intend to make a
concerted effort to meet those music standards.
You receive a letter from a parent who feels that you are wasting their
student’s time by teaching music in your classroom. They express their belief that music is a
frill and should not take any time away from the “Core Four” - reading,
writing, math and science. This parent
uses reasoning such as, “Music has never been taught in the third grade here at
PRES, there is no reason to start teaching it
now.” This parent makes statements such
as, “What does music have to do with education?” This parent says, “My tax dollars don’t pay
for you to play CDs for my kid!”
For
either option:
Write a
persuasive letter (addressed to all four of your third grade team members or to
the disgruntled parent, depending on which scenario you choose.) explaining to
them the reasons for, and the merits and benefits of, your efforts to meet the
Content Standards in music. In your
letter, please support your reasoning with generalized summaries of the Content
Standards for Music, especially at the third grade level, and direct citations
of small sections of the Content Standards.
This is a
professional letter written in the first person; “I believe that…” “I think that by doing this…”
State Content Standards available from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/
State Curriculum Framework available from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/cfir/vpa/