"Song Parody" project
Last revised: Thursday, June 19, 2003
Overview:
- One of your assignments for this course is to prepare a song parody based on an infectious disease. Your assignment will be to write a parody based on a single disease, and you should work in pairs.
- This project is worth 30 points (out of the 50 points for "to be announced") towards your course grade of 500 points.
- Choose a partner to work with. If you would classify yourself as a very "unmusical person", choose a partner who would not classify her/himself also in this way. But don't worry -- this project is not about your musical abilities.
Name Topic Gr # Gates, Amy Elizabeth anthrax 1 Spaeth, Erika Leigh anthrax 1 Hewitt, Hannah Sarah Herpes 2 Risotti, Alaina Nicole Herpes 2 McCarthy, Sarah H. Staph 3 Reisinger, Eric I. Staph 3 Grzadziel, Joanna Izabela Plague 4 Rice, Rachel Elizabeth Plague 4 Pagano-Therrien, Melani Ulcers 5 Press, Laura Catherine Ulcers 5 Holt, Laura Ann Influenza 6 Walsh, Kathleen A. Influenza 6 Ciorciari, Marissa J. Ebola 7 Niemiroski, Laura Rae Ebola 7 Carroll, Ericka L. Tuberculosis 8 Gorowski, Krystyna Tuberculosis 8 Ainsworth, Audrey E. Leprosy 9 Barrera, Abigail Charmaine Leprosy 9 Fournier, Robert Steven Syphyllis 10 Zhang, Frank Fan Syphyllis 10 Laucka, Caitlin Mary AIDS 11 Lazar, Lara B. AIDS 11 Pierre, Sandra Malaria 12 Shead, Heather E. Malaria 12 Seger, Pamela Rachel Botulism 13 Shreeve, Trevor P Botulism 13 - Choose one disease caused by bacteria, protists, or viruses. This could be one of the diseases listed on the handout or some other disease.
- E-mail the instructor to make sure that this is not a disease someone else has already picked. There are hundreds of interesting diseases, so there's no reason for everyone to pick the same one. Once I've received your e-mail, I'll post your disease on this list so others can see it and know to pick something different.
- Make a list of important properties of your disease. Include any major symptoms, special features that characterize the disease, its causative microbe, its transmission, etc. Try to get as many terms and phrases as possible, so you can have things to work into your song.
- Find a song that you think would work as a basis for a parody. It should be something people will recognize, but there's a nearly infinite variety of possibilities. You may need to try several songs until you come up with one that seems to "click".
- Write a parody version of the song, in which you include enough features of the disease to make it recognizable as a way to learn about the disease through song.
- Here's an example of a familiar song turned into a parody, although in this example all that is named are the diseases: "The infectious disease song".
- Your grade (30 points) will be based on:
- using relevant information (15 points)
- creativity and humor (15 points)
- Optional: any individual or pair who is willing to sing their song to the class will earn an additional 10 bonus points added to the 30.
- My goals for you are that you learn all about your disease and communicate your understanding to others through a song. Have fun with this project -- be creative and enjoy it.
- Deadline: Wednesday, June 25. I'll bring my guitar to the meeting, and if I know the song I'll either sing it or play backup while you sing it.