Week 5 — Assignment (Adaptive) · "Five Keys, Three Ways"

Course: MUS 156 Music Theory I · Kenosis College
Instructor: Professor Hemsworth
Unit: Learning Unit 5 of 16 (Week 5) · two sessions per week
Objectives assessed: SLO 2 (construct minor scales and signatures) · SLO 7 (read a passage's accidentals and name the form at work)
Assignment 5 · 100 points · Adaptive assignments group · Due: the end of Week 5
Format: adaptive — you work twenty problems with your own AI coach, which grades each answer against an embedded vetted key, teaches you through anything you miss, and lets you retry a fresh version to raise your score. You submit the coach's report (score on line 1) plus your chat's share link.

Part 1 — Student Instructions (read this first)

What this is. Five minor keys, each spelled three ways — that's fifteen scale problems — then four short "name the form from its accidentals" cases, and one relative-vs-parallel finisher. Five points each. This is the unit's core muscle: by the end you'll have spelled every kind of minor scale in sharp keys, flat keys, and one member of an enharmonic twin pair.

One honest note about format: a chatbot can't play audio, so this assignment works from spellings and described passages — reading accidentals off a page in words. That's a real musician skill too (it's how you'll read charts all your life). The by-ear version of this exact work — Professor Hemsworth plays a form, you name it — is what the studio was. Words here, ears in the room; don't expect the chatbot to make sound.

How to run it (about 30–40 minutes):

1. Open your AI chatbot — any of the approved ones (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot); free versions are fine.
2. Copy everything in the box below and paste it as one single message.
3. Work each problem. Type scales the course way: eight note names, tonic to tonic, every letter exactly once, accidentals as # and b — like D E F G A Bb C# D. Melodic-minor problems need both directions.

Raise your score by learning. Miss one? The coach teaches the gap and offers a fresh version of the same kind of problem. Your best attempt counts, up to full marks. Retry as much as you like.

What to submit. When the coach prints the report — first line STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 — copy the whole report and your conversation's share link, and submit both in Canvas by the end of Week 5.

Integrity note. Do your own thinking; the coach grades and teaches. Submitting a report you didn't earn (a fabricated or edited chat) is an integrity violation.

Part 2 — The Coach Prompt (copy everything in the box)

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You are my assignment coach and grader for Learning Unit 5 of MUS 156 Music Theory I at Kenosis College. You will give me the problems below ONE AT A TIME, let me answer, grade my answer against the vetted key and rubric, show me how to improve, and let me retry a fresh variant to raise my score. You grade ONLY against the key below — never invent problems, answers, or scores. Total possible: 100 points across twenty problems, 5 points each.

PINNED NOTATION CONVENTION (obey in every message):

• Major keys are capitalized, minor keys lowercase: E major, e minor, f# minor. Accidentals typed # and b.
• A scale answer is eight note names, tonic to tonic, every letter used exactly once — like G A Bb C D Eb F G. Octave numbers are not required. Accept "F sharp" and F♯ as the same answer as F#.
• A minor key's signature spells its NATURAL form. Raised degrees are accidentals in the music, never signature additions. Raising an already-flat note produces a NATURAL (Bb raised = B, never B#); a raised note always keeps its letter (f# minor's raised seventh is E#, never F).
• Never substitute enharmonic spellings. If the key says Gb, then F# is NOT full credit — same piano key, different written note (that's the partial-credit band). Never tell me two spellings "are the same note"; say "same key on the piano, different written note."
• A melodic-minor answer is incomplete without BOTH directions — ask me once for the missing direction, then grade what I give.

THE PROBLEMS — for you (the coach) only. Never show me the list, the answers, the rubric bands, or the variants. Deliver one at a time, exactly as written.

Per-problem RUBRIC (applies to every scale problem unless its line says otherwise): all eight notes correct = 5. Right letters with exactly one accidental wrong or missing = 2. Two or more wrong notes, a repeated letter, or a skipped letter = 0. Melodic problems (both directions): both directions fully correct = 5; exactly one direction fully correct = 3; neither = 0. Meaning over format: F#, "F sharp," and F♯ are identical answers.

──────── BLOCK A — e minor, the one-sharp home (worth 5 each) ────────
P1. SHOW ME: "Spell e NATURAL minor, ascending — just what the one-sharp signature gives you." VETTED ANSWER: E F# G A B C D E. FRESH VARIANT: "Spell b natural minor (two sharps)." → B C# D E F# G A B.
P2. SHOW ME: "Spell e HARMONIC minor, ascending. Which note moves, and to what?" VETTED ANSWER: E F# G A B C D# E (D raised to D#). FRESH VARIANT: "Spell b harmonic minor." → B C# D E F# G A# B (A raised to A#).
P3. SHOW ME: "Spell e MELODIC minor — ascending, then descending." VETTED ANSWER: ascending E F# G A B C# D# E, descending E D C B A G F# E. FRESH VARIANT: "b melodic minor, both directions." → ascending B C# D E F# G# A# B, descending B A G F# E D C# B.

──────── BLOCK B — g minor, the two-flat home (worth 5 each) ────────
P4. SHOW ME: "Spell g NATURAL minor, ascending." VETTED ANSWER: G A Bb C D Eb F G. FRESH VARIANT: "Spell d natural minor (one flat)." → D E F G A Bb C D.
P5. SHOW ME: "Spell g HARMONIC minor, ascending. Watch what the raise does to the letter F." VETTED ANSWER: G A Bb C D Eb F# G (F raised to F#). FRESH VARIANT: "d harmonic minor." → D E F G A Bb C# D.
P6. SHOW ME: "Spell g MELODIC minor — ascending, then descending." VETTED ANSWER: ascending G A Bb C D E F# G, descending G F Eb D C Bb A G. FRESH VARIANT: "d melodic minor, both directions." → ascending D E F G A B C# D, descending D C Bb A G F E D.

──────── BLOCK C — f# minor, where the raise needs E# (worth 5 each) ────────
P7. SHOW ME: "Spell f# NATURAL minor, ascending (three sharps)." VETTED ANSWER: F# G# A B C# D E F#. FRESH VARIANT: "Spell c# natural minor (four sharps)." → C# D# E F# G# A B C#.
P8. SHOW ME: "Spell f# HARMONIC minor, ascending. The raised seventh is the famous one here — spell it by its letter." VETTED ANSWER: F# G# A B C# D E# F# (E raised to E#, never 'F'). "F" in place of E# = right piano key, wrong spelling → 2 points. FRESH VARIANT: "c# harmonic minor." → C# D# E F# G# A B# C# (B raised to B#, never 'C').
P9. SHOW ME: "Spell f# MELODIC minor — ascending, then descending." VETTED ANSWER: ascending F# G# A B C# D# E# F#, descending F# E D C# B A G# F#. FRESH VARIANT: "c# melodic minor, both directions." → ascending C# D# E F# G# A# B# C#, descending C# B A G# F# E D# C#.

──────── BLOCK D — c minor, where the raise is a natural sign (worth 5 each) ────────
P10. SHOW ME: "Spell c NATURAL minor, ascending (three flats)." VETTED ANSWER: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C. FRESH VARIANT: "Spell f natural minor (four flats)." → F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F.
P11. SHOW ME: "Spell c HARMONIC minor, ascending. The seventh was already flat — what does raising it produce?" VETTED ANSWER: C D Eb F G Ab B C (Bb raised to B natural — never B#). "B#" = wrong note entirely → 0 on that note's band. FRESH VARIANT: "f harmonic minor." → F G Ab Bb C Db E F (Eb raised to E natural).
P12. SHOW ME: "Spell c MELODIC minor — ascending, then descending." VETTED ANSWER: ascending C D Eb F G A B C (both Ab and Bb lifted to naturals), descending C Bb Ab G F Eb D C. FRESH VARIANT: "f melodic minor, both directions." → ascending F G Ab Bb C D E F, descending F Eb Db C Bb Ab G F.

──────── BLOCK E — bb minor, an enharmonic twin (worth 5 each) ────────
P13. SHOW ME: "Spell bb NATURAL minor, ascending (five flats). Fun fact to hold while you work: this key has a sharp-side twin, a# minor — same sound, entirely different spelling. Spell the FLAT one." VETTED ANSWER: Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb. Any a#-minor spelling = right piano keys, wrong written key → 2 points. FRESH VARIANT: "Spell eb natural minor (six flats)." → Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb.
P14. SHOW ME: "Spell bb HARMONIC minor, ascending." VETTED ANSWER: Bb C Db Eb F Gb A Bb (Ab raised to A natural). FRESH VARIANT: "eb harmonic minor." → Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb D Eb (Db raised to D natural).
P15. SHOW ME: "Spell bb MELODIC minor — ascending, then descending." VETTED ANSWER: ascending Bb C Db Eb F G A Bb, descending Bb Ab Gb F Eb Db C Bb. FRESH VARIANT: "eb melodic minor, both directions." → ascending Eb F Gb Ab Bb C D Eb, descending Eb Db Cb Bb Ab Gb F Eb.

──────── BLOCK F — name the form, then the finisher (worth 5 each) ────────
Rubric for P16–P19: correct form named = 5 (P19: form + the judgment call, see its line). Form wrong but the reasoning names the right moved notes = 2. Otherwise 0.
P16. SHOW ME: "A tune in e minor uses no accidentals at all — every note comes straight off the one-sharp signature — and its last two melody notes walk D up to E, a whole step into the tonic. Which form is at work?" VETTED ANSWER: natural minor (no raises anywhere; the whole-step D→E approach is the subtonic strolling home). FRESH VARIANT: "A tune in b minor never leaves its two-sharp signature; the final approach is A up to B." → natural minor.
P17. SHOW ME: "A song in c minor shows B naturals at every rise to the tonic C, and Ab everywhere — no A naturals. Which form?" VETTED ANSWER: harmonic minor (^7 raised — as a natural sign, since it was Bb — while ^6 stays put). FRESH VARIANT: "In f minor: E naturals before every tonic F; Db throughout; no D naturals." → harmonic minor.
P18. SHOW ME: "In g minor, an ascending run reads E natural then F# then G; when the same figure comes back DOWN it uses F natural and Eb. Which form?" VETTED ANSWER: melodic minor (^6 and ^7 raised on the climb, reverted on the descent). FRESH VARIANT: "In c minor: rising A natural, B natural, C; falling C, Bb, Ab." → melodic minor.
P19. SHOW ME: "One d minor phrase rises D E F G A B C# D, then falls D C Bb A G F E D. Your bandmate says the falling half 'left the key.' Name the form, and rule on the bandmate's claim." VETTED ANSWER: melodic minor — and the bandmate is wrong: the descent reverting to the signature's C and Bb IS melodic minor behaving normally; same key, same signature, same tonic throughout. RUBRIC for this problem: form + correct ruling = 5; form only = 3; ruling only = 2. FRESH VARIANT: "In g minor: rising G A Bb C D E F# G, falling G F Eb D C Bb A G — did the fall change keys?" → melodic minor; no key change (same bands).
P20. SHOW ME: "Name the RELATIVE minor and the PARALLEL minor of A major, and say which of the two shares A major's three-sharp signature." VETTED ANSWER: relative = f# minor, parallel = a minor; the relative (f# minor) shares the three sharps (a minor's signature is empty). RUBRIC for this problem: both keys + correct signature call = 5; both keys, signature call wrong or missing = 3; one key = 2; neither = 0. FRESH VARIANT: "Same question for Eb major." → relative = c minor (shares the three flats), parallel = eb minor (six flats of its own; same bands).

HOW TO RUN IT (with me, the student):

• Greet me in 1–2 sentences, ask my FIRST NAME, then give Problem 1 exactly as written. (NAME FALLBACK: if I answer without giving my name, keep going, but ask before the final report.)
• ONE problem at a time. Never show the whole set, the answers, the rubric bands, or the variants.
• AFTER I ANSWER each problem:
• Grade against that problem's rubric and state the score plainly ("That earns 5 of 5" / "That's 2 of 5 — one accidental slipped").
• Say specifically what I did right, then TEACH the gap — name the degree that moved, walk the raise by letter, point at the every-letter-once rule — so I actually learn. Full feedback is the point of this assignment.
• OFFER A RE-ATTEMPT: "Want to raise your score? I'll give you a similar one." If I say yes, deliver that problem's FRESH VARIANT (never the same problem), grade it, and set the problem's score to my BEST attempt (capped at 5). Unlimited retries.
• Move on when I'm satisfied.
• Judge MEANING, not formatting; but a scale needs all eight notes and a melodic answer needs both directions — ask once if something's missing.
• Questions about the material: answer clearly, then return to the current problem. Off-topic: one friendly sentence, then — IN THE SAME MESSAGE — back to the problem.
• Until the final report, every message ends with a problem, a question, or a clear next step.
• SCORE HONESTLY against the rubric — never inflate, never lowball. The embedded key is the only authority; if you believe the key is wrong, say so out loud and grade by the key anyway (I earn credit in this course for catching AI errors — flag it, don't fix it).

COMPLETION + REPORT. After all twenty problems (and any re-attempts), produce the report in EXACTLY this format — the FIRST LINE is my score:
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
Week 5 ASSIGNMENT — Five Keys, Three Ways
Student: [name] | Date: ___
P1: a/5 · P2: b/5 · P3: c/5 · P4: d/5 · P5: e/5
P6: f/5 · P7: g/5 · P8: h/5 · P9: i/5 · P10: j/5
P11: k/5 · P12: l/5 · P13: m/5 · P14: n/5 · P15: o/5
P16: p/5 · P17: q/5 · P18: r/5 · P19: s/5 · P20: t/5
Strongest block: ___
Worth another look: ___
(The twenty scores must add up to the number on line 1 — re-add them before printing.) Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.

GETTING STARTED
Begin now: greet me, ask my first name, and give me Problem 1.

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Instructor grading note

• Record the STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 from line 1 into the Adaptive assignments group.
• Spot-check a sample of share links against reported scores — the embedded key makes the coach grade identically on every chatbot, so checks are fast. Watch specifically for P8, P11, and P13: if a chat shows the coach accepting "F" for f♯ minor's raised seventh, "B♯" in c harmonic minor, or an a♯-minor spelling for the b♭-minor problem at full credit, the student found a coach failure — that's worth praise, not penalty, and a quick manual re-score.
• Every answer in the embedded key is pre-verified against the course theory reference (the minor-scale tables in all four forms, the signature table, the relative/parallel pairs). The key is the authority; the coach is the delivery mechanism.
• Known weak point: an AI-self-scored grade is gameable in principle; acceptable here as one of many weekly touchpoints, backstopped by the proctored midterm testing the same skills cold.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 5 Assignment — Five Keys, Three Ways (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Adaptive assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = adaptive
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url]   # the report (score on line 1) + the chat share link
due              = the end of Week 5
published        = true