​Grade 7/8 Stories through Sound 

 
Name:    Grade:   
 
Assessment 
 
Criteria/Strand  Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8  Clarification 
B.1: Demonstrate the  Did not submit 4  Shows limited  Shows some progress  Shows significant progress  Task 3  
acquisition and  progress recordings  progress in instrument  in instrument  in instrument performance  (Progress) 
development of the  with commentary, and  performance  performance  throughout 4 progress 
skills and techniques  recordings submitted  throughout 4 progress  throughout 4 progress  recordings. Includes 
of the art form studied  show limited progress.   recordings. Includes a  recordings. Includes  excellent commentaries on 
limited commentary on  substantial  progress.  
progress.   commentaries on 
progress.  

B.2: Demonstrate the  Final product shows  Final product shows  Final product shows  Final product shows  Task 3  
application of skills  limited technical skill  adequate technical  substantial technical  excellent technical skill and  (Progress) 
and techniques to  and does not  skill, but does not  skill and demonstrates  demonstrates a variety of   
create, perform and/or  demonstrate a variety  demonstrate much  some variety of  musical expressive elements.    
present art.  of musical expressive  variety of musical  musical expressive 
elements.    expressive elements.    elements.   

C.1: Outline a clear and  Wrote an unoriginal  Wrote an original story  Wrote an original story  Wrote an original, creative  Task 1  
feasible artistic  story that is difficult to  that is difficult to  that has a clear plot  story that has clear  (Story) 
intention  understand.  understand.  and characters, but  characters, clear plot, and is   
    shows little creativity.   a feasible length.     
Develops a limited  Develops an adequate       
variety of ways to  but somewhat unclear  Develops a substantial  Makes creative, clear, and  Task 2 
represent the story  variety of ways to  and clear variety of  doable connections between  (Connection) 
through music.   represent the story  ways to represent the  the song and the story. Able 
through music.   story through music.   to use a variety of musical 
  elements to represent the 
story and can communicate 
them accurately.  
C.2: Outline  Develops a limited  Develops an adequate  Develops a substantial  Makes creative, clear, and  Task 2 
alternatives,  variety of ways to  but somewhat unclear  and clear variety of  doable connections between  (Connection) 
perspectives, and  represent the story  variety of ways to  ways to represent the  the song and the story. Able   
imaginative solutions  through music.   represent the story  story through music.   to use a variety of musical   
through music.   elements to represent the 
  story and can communicate 
them accurately.  

C.3: Demonstrate the  Progress recordings  Progress recordings  Progress recordings  Progress recordings and  Task 3  
exploration of ideas  and commentary  and commentary  and commentary  commentary submitted  (Progress) 
through the  submitted weekly  submitted weekly  submitted weekly  weekly demonstrate 
developmental process  demonstrate limited  demonstrate  demonstrate  excellent reflective growth.  
to a point of  growth and student  adequate growth, but  substantial reflective 
realization.  does not discuss  student does not  growth.  
growth areas in  clearly discuss growth 
commentary.   areas in commentary.  

D.1: Outline  Develops limited  Develops adequate  Develops substantial  Able to clearly and  Task 2 
connections and  explanations of  explanations of  explanations of  accurately explain the  (Connection) 
transfer learning to  connections between  connections between  connections between  connections between the 
new settings  the story and the song.  the story and the song.  the story and the song.  story and the song with 
creative literary and music 
connections. 

D.2: Create an artistic  Final performance  Final performance  Final performance  Final performance product  Task 3  
response inspired by  demonstrates a limited  demonstrates an  demonstrates a  clearly and effectively  (Progress) 
the world around them  expression of the  adequate expression  substantial expression  expresses the original story. 
original story.   of the original story.   of the original story.  

D.3: Evaluate the  Completes a  Completes an  Completes a mostly  Completes an effective and  Task 3 (Final 
artwork of self and  surface-level self  adequate self critique.   relevant self critique.   accurate self critique.   commentary) 
others.  critique.  

Student Justifications: I think 5 or 6 because represent my  Teacher Justifications: 

story clearly using my music also I follow the progress 
carefully and wrote every commentary and every record on 
time and show my growth every time. Also, I explain clearly 
about my connections between my music and tory. My final 
performance is quite good and demonstrates a substantial 
expression of my story, at last, I complete a mostly relevant 
self-critique. 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Task 1 (Story): Write an original story to act as the plot of a short movie that has no 
dialogue.  
 
 
Task 2 (Connection): Develop an explanation of how you will use music to tell your story 
through song.  
 
 
Task 3 (Progress): Using guitar or piano and a variety of expressive elements, create 
and record a song that tells your story using only music. Submit weekly progress videos 
with attached commentary, as well as a final product with commentary. Commentary 
should explain how the expressive elements you used helped communicate the story.  
*Your week 4 commentary should include a self critique of your work following the 
project and evaluate how effectively you used a variety of musical elements to tell your 
story.