M.E206

Compare/Contrast across Disciplines

Students will identify ways in which the concepts from other content areas, such as visual arts, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, are related to music. Students will then produce a written comparison/contrast response on a chart provided in the Student Booklet.

Prior to the assessment, the teacher should lead a discussion regarding the definitions of the concepts of “compare” and “contrast.” The teacher should ask the students for examples of things that are the same and things that are different. The teacher should model comparing and contrasting using example concepts from another content area compared with music. This modeling should take place several times prior to the assessment so students are aware of the use of comparison/contrast charts.

Students should have a working vocabulary of musical concepts, including rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, dynamics, texture, form, variation, and interpretation. These words should be placed on a word wall or on the board.

This Teacher Booklet provides two examples that might be used in this assessment:

  1. 1. Compare the rhythm and timing of Arthur Honegger’s Pacific 231 to the rhythmic prose of
  2.     Jonathan Robin’s poem The Whirling Wheels of Change
  5. 2. Compare John Coltrane’s jazz piece Impressions to Wassily Kandinsky’s painting Improvisation
  6.     28

Consider any specific technology that may be needed for using either example.

This item has been voluntarily field-tested by Michigan teachers with a non-representative sample of students.

Teacher Booklet

Download PDF Download Word Doc

Student Booklet

Download PDF Download Word Doc

This is an analytic rubric. The column on the left shows the dimension that is being measured in the student’s performance. The levels across the top row indicate the performance level in the dimensions. Occasionally all dimensions and performance levels are exemplified by multiple students in a single recording.

TEACHER SCORING RUBRIC

  • Dimension

  • Similar Features of Examples

  • Differing Features of Examples

  • Use of Terminology

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

  • Student does not describe similar features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student shows some ability to describe similar features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student shows a good ability to describe similar features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student thoroughly and thoughtfully describes similar features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student does not describe different features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student shows some ability to describe different features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student shows a good ability to describe different features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student thoroughly and thoughtfully describes different features of the examples.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student uses little or no music vocabulary.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student uses some music vocabulary with accuracy.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student uses a rich music vocabulary with one or two inaccuracies of meaning.

    N/A at this time.

  • Student uses a rich music vocabulary with accuracy.

    N/A at this time.
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