Folk Ballad Group Assignment

Through our studies, you have become familiar with the common characteristics of traditional
folk ballads and you have compared several folk and literary ballads. Now it is time for you to
demonstrate your understanding of this form of writing by composing an original ballad in the
same poetic form as the traditional ballads.

You will work with your group, of your choosing, to construct an original traditional ballad that
reflects a modern event or topic. You will present your ballad to the class via video recording
on December 13th and 14th. The video should contain an interpretive performance of the
ballad. Groups may be made up of no less than two and no more than four people.You must
have your group chosen by December 4th. Please understand that more than two absences
between December 4th to the 15th will result in a failing grade because your group mates will
have to go on without you.

ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
DAY 1 December 4th You have two tasks today:
1. Designate group members for each of the following roles. Depending on how
many people are in your group, you may need to take on more than one role or
assign two people to a role.
a. Composer This person is responsible for taking notes and documenting the
groups ideas, decisions and any other information needed to complete all
aspects of the project (to be turned in).
b. Producer This person is responsible for scheduling, organizing, and
directing all aspects of the performance or video recording. Evidence of
your leadership must be provided with final project.
c. Researcher This person is responsible for researching the event or topic
your original ballad will be based on. You will need to provide your group with
internet, newspaper, or magazine articles to assist in the writing process.
You will need to turn in at least two articles with your final project.
2. Today your group will begin the process of writing your ballad. You will need to
complete the tasks below by the end of class today.
a. Decide on the topic and plot. Remember, your ballad must be about a single
event of a dramatic nature. It should deal with a domestic event involving
common people such as a tragedy, the supernatural, a violent crime, lost love,
etc. Refer to your ballad characteristic notes and checklist to be sure youre
on the right track.
b. Decide on your narration/dialogue. Remember that action is developed
through either narration or dialogue in a question or answer format. Whatever
action you describe you must decide how to dramatize.

DAYS 2 -4 December 5th-December 8th

1. Your group will need to continue writing & finalizing your ballad focusing on the
structure and language. Remember that you should have repetition of key lines or
phrases (refrain), abrupt transitions, and a summary stanza. Youll need to make
sure your word choice reflects that of the common people, using plain, simple
language. Also keep in mind that if you include any narration to accompany your
 dialogue, it needs to be in third person and the narrator should be detached
(should not express any emotion) and pay little attention to characterization.
2. You should check in with Miss Hernandez and Mrs. Merrill before you start
recording to ensure that your ballad and script are appropriate.
3. These days should also be spent preparing a script and directing notes for your
video recording. During this time you may practice or actually record your video if
it can be recorded in the room or other prior approved school location. To obtain
approval, you must have written permission from the teacher to use their room OR
an admin to use a commons area. Remember that videos will need to be edited to
make it a clean film. Repeated mistakes, bad audio, or random people in the
background will damage your grade.
4. You should use the 8th to begin editing your video. The 8th will be the final day to
record in the school building.
5. YOUR WRITTEN BALLAD AND SCRIPT ARE DUE DECEMBER 8th on ONE
DRIVE TO kimberly.hernandez@bcsdk12.net

DAYS 5 &6 December 9th-December 12th

1. Your group should be editing your video and attempting to submit it. We will also be
testing audio and clarity on the big screen on the board.
2. You should upload your video onto OneDrive and share it to
kimberly.hernandez@bcsdk12.net

Day 7 & 8-December 13th and 14th. - Ballad Movie Day/Ballad Quiz
 Folk Ballad Group Assignment
Staple this rubric to your original ballad lyrics and all prewriting/planning /research materials. Each member
should have materials to turn in that are clearly labeled as to who prepared it and what function it serves.

GROUP
MEMBERS:________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Period: _________
Composer(s) = ___________________
Producer(s) = ___________________
Researcher(s) =___________________
Ballad Title______________________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3
Exceptional
Structure Ballad exceptionally
implements incremental
repetition, abrupt transitions,
and a summary stanza.
Quatrains and ABCB rhyme
scheme may be attempted.
Ballad skillfully recounts a
Plot single dramatic event related
to common people, deals with
a tragedy, the supernatural, a
violent crime, etc.
Dialogue Ballad makes expert use of
dialogue to reveal the plot with
little clue as to who is
speaking.
2 1 TOTAL
Above Average Needs Improvement Poor
Ballad successfully Ballad attempts to Ballad shows little evidence of
implements incremental implement incremental incremental repetition, abrupt X 2
repetition, abrupt repetition, abrupt transitions, transitions, and a summary
transitions, and a summary and a summary stanza. stanza.
stanza.
Ballad recounts a single Ballad attempts to recount Ballad plot does not recount
dramatic event related to a single dramatic event a single dramatic event or X 2
common people, deals related to common people the event is not related to
with a tragedy, the or incorporates few tragic common people or it does
supernatural, a violent or supernatural elements not include elements of a
crime, etc. or merely touches on a tragedy, the supernatural or
violent crime. a violent crime.
Ballad uses dialogue to Ballad attempts to use Ballad contains no or
reveal the plot. dialogue to reveal the plot. insufficient dialogue or X 2
presents clearly indicated
speakers.

Language Ballad expertly reflects the
language of common people
and uses simple, plain
language.
Presentation The presentation is a superb
interpretation of their ballad,
demonstrated exceptional
creativity and involved all
members in a meaningful way.
MUGS Author makes 1 or less error
in grammar or spelling that
(mechanics,
distracts the reader from the
usage,
content.
grammar,
spelling)
Ballad reflects the Ballad mixes plain and Ballad uses descriptive or
language of common ornate language; makes an ornate language. X 2
people and uses simple, attempt at capturing the
plain language. language of common
people.
The presentation The presentations The presentation was
interpreted the ballad, relationship to the ballad unfinished or was simply an X 2
demonstrated creativity was unclear; some oral reading of the ballad.
and involved all members. creativity was
demonstrated, but not all
members were involved.
Author makes 2 or 3 Author makes 4 or 5 errors Author makes more than 5
errors in grammar or in grammar or spelling that errors in grammar or spelling
spelling that distract the distract the reader from the that distract the reader from X 1
reader from the content. content. the content.

Modern Event or Topic __________________________________________________

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