The Basic Quest
Starting with records and ending with MP3s, students list at least 5 different formats for recording music (alternately, they can write about the players – e.g. gramophones instead of disc records – but the information they gather would be essentially the same). With each, they need to learn the following:
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what it was called
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how much music it could hold (probably in terms of minutes)
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how big it was
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the decades in which it was popular
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some of the music genres that are often associated with it
Bonus Quest 1
What were the limitations of each format/player, and why did they need improvement? In what ways was each format better than the previous one?
Bonus Quest 2
Why do some people still enjoy buying and listening to vinyl records? This will take more than simply looking at an information site; students will probably have to visit forums and ask around.
Bonus Quest 3
What do you think the next music player will be like? Don’t just think about what might be cool; consider how what we have now could be even better.
