COSC 231, FA14, PP#2

COSC 231 FALL 2014
Project #2: CSS-ing an American (British) folksong

Date distributed: 9/18/2014 Date due: 9/25/2014

Assignment

Style the folksong Green Grow the Rushes O!, to emphasize the green color references, and numerical, religious, and folk allusions.

Background

One of the folk etymologies for the term gringo is that the U.S. Army sang the folk song Green Grow the Rushes O! while riding from place to place during the Mexican American War (1846 - 48). It is a song with a nice walking cadence, and being cumulative, is a little more interesting to sing than many other folk songs. The campesinos, hearing 'green grow' over and over again, came up with 'gringo' to refer to Americans.

At least that's what I learned in school.

The lyric

Here is the version of the lyrics that you will use:

I'll sing you twelve, Ho
Green grow the rushes, Ho
What are your twelve, Ho?
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven,
Ten for the ten commandments,
Nine for the nine bright shiners,
Eight for the April Rainers,
Seven for the seven stars in the sky,
Six for the six proud walkers,
Five for the symbols at your door,
Four for the Gospel makers,
Three, three, the rivals,
Two, two, the lily-white boys,
Clothèd all in green, Ho Ho
One is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so.

It is an interesting song, and worthy of your attention, for its New Testament, Old Testament, astronomical, classical, and pagan references.

This assignment will use this song, that is, its final verse, as an object for styling.

Styling instructions

"green" is styled with text color green (two usages)
All number words ("one", "two", etc) are styled with italic face and background color white
New Testament references (12, 11, 4) have background color tan (entire line)
Old Testament references (10, 6, 5) have background color grey (entire line)
Astronomical references (9, 8, 7) have background color taupe (entire line)
Pagan and classical references (3, 2) have background pink (entire line)
Note, both the lines "Two, two the lily-white boys, Clothèd all in green, Ho Ho", will have the background pink
One (God) has background color blue (both lines)

Other visual cues, e.g., white space, horizontal rule, may be used to improve readability as you desire.

All lines should have background color, except for the first three "I'll sing you twelve, Ho; Green grow the rushes, Ho. What are your twelve, Ho?". The final line, "And evermore shall be so", is styled with background blue.

Deliverables

You will make TWO versions:

Inline only
External style sheet (no inline, no internal)

Make TWO versions of the HTML file (for simplicity in grading): one uses the external CSS file, one uses the internal style.

Upload the files to your /Project/PP2 directory

Turn in

Color copy of the displayed styled (inline) page with source code (HTML + CSS).
Color copy of the displayed styled (external) page with source code (HTML + CSS).

Printed source must have have excellent readability: appropriate header (name, emich account, course, semester, assignment, date), good alignment, consistent html formatting, etc.

All pages must be stapled in upper left corner, with your name, etc on the top page.

Grade based on

Satisfying spec: 50%
Readability (white space, header, etc.) 25%
Following remaining instructions : 25%
(including must display on Firefox)

Final comment

You may disagree with my (arbitrary) assignment of, e.g., classical for 3 rather than New Testament. But, use my assignment of references for this assignment to make grading easier. You can take up your own preferred interpretation when you need a subject in a writing class.

COSC 231 FALL 2014 Project #2: CSS-ing an American (British) folksong