Music Trading Cards        

Background
Many students like to collect and trade cards of players in such sports as football, baseball, hockey, soccer and basketball. This lesson uses this concept to help students learn more about composers and musicians by organizing information through categorization, creating chards, writing descriptions and inserting pictures.

Objective
Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity.
Students use the writing process effectively.

Activities
1. Give students trading cards of various sports to observe and determine what is written on cards
2. Brainstorm what to include on their Music Trading Cards: name of musician or composer, date and location of birth/death, type of music written or played, most famous work, favorite work or instrument, brief personal history...
3. Research person on Internet and in library using trade books, magazines, newspapers and biographies
4. Using desktop publishing and tool bar rulers, design a 5 x 7 " trading card
5. Model how to insert a table: look at tool bar, click on Table, click on Insert table, determine how many columns (2) and how many rows (1 or more)
5. Break into small groups and have students collect data, write, design trading card set up, and choose and insert graphics
6. Proof read, edit, print and laminate
7. Students then trade cards and share statistics

Materials
trading cards, Internet access, desktop publishing, laminating machine, Trading Card Template

Evaluation
Student will be evaluated using Trading Card Checklist

Extension Activity: Make a Music Game

• Students will create a Mix and Match Music card game
•  Using downloaded pictures, graphics or paint/draw applications, students will produce similar and different music picture or word cards
• In the Mix and Match Music card game, students look for similarities between pictures or words on a deck of cards
• Students create as many cards as desired, the more the better
• Select the words or pictures to be used and print them out
• Tape or paste them onto 3" x 5" file cards
• Laminate cards if possible
• To play with two to four players, deal each player four cards from a deck of at least 24 cards
• Each turn consists of matching two cards by finding something in common between them
• Put the matching cards on the table, draw two more, and your turn ends
• If you do not have a match in your hand, draw one card and your turn ends
• The game is over when there are no more cards; the person with the most wins

Homework

Have students play their Music Mix and Match card game with parents or siblings.

Field Trip

Go on a virtual fieldtrip to hear music at San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.