Now that you have a big list of facts for your Colorado song, it's time to turn them into lyrics! (Lyrics are what we call the words to a song.

See the video below to help you get started!

You can either use the same Google Doc you started last week, or start a different one. You will need the list of facts you found, though, to help you out.

Here's how to do this:

First, how is your song going to flow? Think of songs you hear on the radio. Usually there are a few different sections. Here are some common song forms:

Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus

Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus - Bridge (something different) - Chorus

Verse - Verse - Verse (this is called "strophic" when there's no chorus)

Maybe you can think of something different!

Second - if you have a chorus, you should probably write that first. It should be something that ties everything together. Save lots of your really interesting facts for the verses, and make the chorus be an "overview" of your topic.

Third - for your verses, use the different categories of facts that you compiled about your topic. Your first verse should cover one of the categories, your second verse should cover another, and your third verse should cover the third category. Each verse should have a similar structure - the same number of lines, the lines should be about the same length, etc. - but the lyrics will be different. Also, don't forget to make the lines rhyme!

Finally - if you are going to rap your song, start practicing now! If you want to sing it, start coming up with a melody (the way the pitches fit together).

Next week we'll look at some awesome websites to help us create the music. So make sure your words are all ready to go this week!

I hope you enjoyed the Virtual Reality videos from last week! I thought they were really cool, so I wanted to share them with you.

This week - we are starting a new project. You get to create your own song based on what makes Colorado awesome!

The first part is what you are doing this week: deciding a topic and doing some research.

Please watch the video below for detailed instructions.

Here are the steps:

1. Choose a topic - it can be anything or anyone from Colorado's history OR something that makes Colorado unique (places in Colorado, skiing, an animal that you find in the mountains, any state symbol, any major team, any Colorado college, a famous person from Colorado's history, a famous person who is still alive from Colorado, really - ANYTHING that is unique to Colorado!)

2. Start a Google Doc where you will share facts about your topic

3. Come up with three categories of facts (see the video for ideas)

4. Research! And put as many facts there as you can - it doesn't have to be complete sentences, just throw them on the Google Doc. You want LOTS of facts to make next week's

5. Share your google doc with me at jdewinkl@jeffcoschools.us

6. Next week - we'll work on the next part of the project - turning your facts into verses for a song!

Remember when we went to the symphony in the fall? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be IN the symphony?

--The first video below is Philadelphia Orchestra performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Carnegie Hall is one of the most famous performance spaces in America. You can rotate the camera and even move around the orchestra so you can experience what the different players experience!

The song is called "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from a larger piece called the Peer Gynt Suite. We'll do something else with it later on - but for now, as you listen, think about what is happening to the tempo (the speed) of the music.

--The next one is a little different. They used Virtual Reality to make the music "come to life" as the orchestra performed - this performance is by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at their performance venue, Disney Symphony Hall in LA. Enjoy how the artists enhanced the music!

In the fall, we talked about the families of instruments and met the major instruments of the orchestra. Now it's time to create your own instruments!

Scroll through the following Google doc compiled by Mrs. Blomquist and find an instrument (or two or three!) that look interesting. Then try creating it! Most of them you should be able to do with the materials you have at home. I also don't have to remind you, but.... be sure to ask an adult for help if you need it with cutting, hot gluing, etc.

An important note: Skip the ones that use Makey Makey. We have those resources at school, but you probably don't have them at home. You can check out the videos, though, because it's a pretty cool idea!

Have fun! Let me know what you create! Take a photo or video of you playing it and send it to me at jdewinkl@jeffcoschools.us. I promise I won't share them - unless you want me to!

Questions? Email me at Joseph.DeWinkle@jeffco.k12.co.us. You can also share Google docs with jdewinkl@jeffcoschools.us