How can we use music to communicate about characters and themes in a novel/story?
Grades
6-12
Subjects
ELA
Key Content
literary analysis, character development, theme
![A book lies open on a desk, with a pair of white ear-buds acting as a bookmark.](/sites/default/files/styles/project_snapshot/public/project-snapshots/images/30_Literary_Playlist_1280x720.jpg?itok=IbyOCW9_)
Taking on the role of curators for a streaming music service that is producing a special collection of literary-inspired playlists, students read and analyze literature to develop music playlists that portray the development of themes and/or characters over the course of the novel/story. Students publish their playlists, along with a detailed set of liner notes that provide an evidence-based analysis of the themes or character development throughout the written work and a rationale for the selection of each song.
*Although most PBLWorks model projects range from 2 to 4 weeks, timing for this project may vary greatly depending on the length and complexity of self-selected texts and the in-class versus out-of-class time provided for independent reading—you may zoom in and out of project activities over a period of time as students read their texts.