DEAN MARINO
The "I Want" Song
An "I Want" song is a musical number that a
character sings to convey their desires.
It talks about their hopes, the obstacles they face,
and how they are going to make their dreams a reality.
Instead of expressing the wants of a fictional character, students will use different song-writing
techniques to express their personal aspirations.
As a class, we will look at different musical theatre examples, different song structures and methods for rhyming.
This will equip students with the necessary tools for creating their own lyrics.
Unit Overview
Lesson #1:
Students will be introduced the several musical theatre characters and how an "I Want" song
.can convey a character's wants and obstacles
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to explore the cultural impact on musical theatre productions, and dissect the character’s intentions/motivations.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to collaborate in group discussion (entire class and small-groups) to articulate the importance of a character's motivations.
Lesson #2:
Through various prompts, students will have the opportunity to write down their
personal aspirations and how they are going to achieve them.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to investigate their cultural perspective, their community ideas, and personal beliefs to help inform their “I Want” song topic.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to write narratives and develop real/imagined experiences.
Lesson #3:
Students will generate a list of perfect and slant rhymes to expand their vocabulary
before structuring their own "I Want" songs.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to revise their “I Want” Worksheet, expand upon original ideas, and generate a list of rhyming words.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to use wordplay as a device for storytelling and will gain personal insight from other classmates
Lesson #4:
The class will focus on structuring their rhymes, and students will select
one of the four main rhyme schemes.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to structure their collection of rhyming words and phrases.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to participate in a range of collaborative discussions and solo work to identify how the song structure influences the character’s desires, reinforces the obstacles, and drives the story forward.
Lesson #5:
The class will continue working on their rhyme schemes and structuring their songs.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to structure their collection of rhyming words and phrases.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to participate in a range of collaborative discussions and solo work to identify how the song structure influences the character’s desires, reinforces the obstacles, and drives the story forward.
Lesson #6:
Students will work individually or with a partner to format their song and determine
how they want to tell their story.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to use theatrical conventions to structure and revise their devised song.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to participate in a range of collaborative discussions and solo work to identify how the song structure influences the character’s desires, reinforces the obstacles, and drives the story forward.
Lesson #7:
A feedback session will occur before the final day of the unit. Students will offer advice to their peers, ensuring the wants and obstacles are specific in their partner's song.
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Drama-Based Objective: With a partner, students will be able to investigate the personal beliefs that affect a drama, and use theatrical conventions to revise a devised drama.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to participate in one-on-one or group discussions, pose questions that clarify and verify the song’s intention, and seek to understand other classmate’s perspectives.
Lesson #8:
Students will create a polished draft of their "I Want" song before turning the project in for a final grade.
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Drama-Based Objective: Students will be able to write original lyrics to an “I Want” song, which highlight their current dreams and obstacles.
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Language-Based Objective: Students will be able to develop a real experience or event through song by; engaging in group discussions, participating in the song-writing process, and adapting a voice for storytelling.