Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use
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LU Title: Who Wants To Be A Mini Maestro? |
Author(s): Ellen McCann |
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Grade Level: Kindergarten |
School : Stockbridge Valley Central School |
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Topic/Subject Area: Music |
Address: Williams Rd., Munnsville, N.Y. 13409 |
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Email: |
Phone/Fax: (315) 495-4509 |
The purpose of this unit is to introduce classical music to Kindergarten students. It can be used at any grade level to enhance an appreciation of classical music along with recognition of composers and their works. This unit can take from 3 to 4 weeks or it can be used in conjunction with content areas throughout the school year. In order to become familiar with the composers, the instruments and the symphonies presented in this unit log onto http://www.looksmart.com and find Prokofiev, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky.
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Declarative |
Procedural |
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Classical music enhances our lives. |
Identify music composed by Prokofiev, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. |
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Classical music may tell a story, express an idea, or describe a mood. |
Classify instruments into the four groups, woodwind, brass, percussion and string. |
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Instruments are categorized into four groups, woodwinds, brass, percussion and string. |
Express their feelings or tell a story from the music through their words, dance, drawings and actions. |
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Demonstrate proper etiquette for the theater. |
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How does classical music influence our daily lives?
How does classical music serve as a form of communication?
CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key
Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)
Standard #2 Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation is the arts in various roles.
Key Ideas: Use classroom and nontraditional instruments in performing and creating music.
Identify the various settings in which they hear music and the various resources that are used to produce music during a typical week; explain why the particular type of music was used.
Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior, including attentive listening, in a variety of musical settings in and out of school.
Discuss how music is used by various members of the community.
Standard #3 Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.
Key Ideas: Describe the music's context in terms related to its social and psychological functions and settings (e.g., roles of participants, effects of music, uses of music with other events of objects, etc.)
Describe their understandings of particular pieces of music and how they relate to their surroundings.
Standard #4 Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.
Key Idea: Identify the titles and composers of well-known examples of classical concert music and blues/jazz selections.
Prior to this lesson, give each student a ticket to enter the theater, your classroom. To set the mood, use props. For women, wear long white gloves, a long dress and sparkling jewelry. Add in theater glasses and a fan. Men, wear a suit with a tie and vest. Dim the lights and set the desk and chairs so that it resembles a theater. Have soft classical music playing in the background. Welcome the students into the theater just as an usher would and escort them to their chair.
Explain that they are getting ready to hear a symphony play classical music. Explain the meaning of the word symphony. Describe the ambiance of the theater and have pictures displayed of historic theaters, locally and nationally. Emphasize the lighting, sounds, mood, and the behavior of the guest (audience).
Explain that they will hear an example of classical music. Play the music from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas. Note that many will move and conduct as they listen to the music. Discuss how the music made them feel, what they thought of and where they might hear this music. Write down all responses on chart paper.
Make a K-W-L chart of classical music.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order
including acquisition experiences and extending/refining
experiences for
all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.
* Note: Prior to Day 2 lesson, send an invitation out to all musicians of the school and local community to be guest speaker to demonstrate their musical instrument. You will want to have at least one instrument from the woodwinds, the string, brass and percussion. It is more effective if the students know the speaker, someone such as the principal, a custodian or another student.
Experience 1-- Initiating Activity and KWL chart.
Experience 2-- Introduce the four families of instruments: woodwind, brass, strings, and percussion.
Introduce the guest speakers and their instrument.
Have the class predict: How to play the instrument.
What sound it might make.
Ask the speaker to tell a little about themselves and their instrument. Video tape them playing a song for the class. The students will use it as a reference later. Also, take a digital picture of each instrument discussed.
Divide the class into small cooperative groups. Give each group a set of pictures of instruments cut from magazines. Have them sort the pictures of the instruments into groups. Discuss how they sorted their pictures. Label the group woodwind, brass, percussion or string.
Place the grouped pictures in the orchestra pit (bulletin board) according to an actual orchestra. Strings are in front, woodwinds behind the strings, percussion to the left and the brass to the right.
Students will draw a picture of the instrument they enjoyed the most and dictate a sentence to you telling why.
Assessment: Students will place their drawing in the orchestra on the bulletin board in the corresponding family.
Experience 3-- Reinforce the sound of the instruments and their families through "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev.
For your information: There are many web sights on "Peter and the Wolf". I found the following to be helpful with a brief biography, story synopses, and music. If your computer will not let you down load the music, remember your local library has all of the music in this unit available.
Not Just For Kids - http://www.bayweekly.com
Peter and the Wolf - http://www.worldvillage.com
Peter and the Wolf - http://www.vanduyne.com
Introduce the students to the composer, Sergei Prokofiev, by showing his picture and giving a few biographical highlights.
Using finger puppets, tell the story of "Peter and the Wolf".
Display the pictures of the characters.
Introduce the instruments used in the symphony by logging onto http://www.vanduyne.com, by showing the instrument and playing it or by using pictures of the instruments and having a recording of someone playing the instrument.
Listen to the music from "Peter and the Wolf" pausing the music to allow the students to retell and act out the story. They will determine that each instrument represents a character and that the characters' actions and feelings are told through the music.
Match the instrument to the character.
Assessment: Begin to make a class scrap book entitled, "Classical Music Review" by The Mini Maestros. Glue the pictures of characters in "Peter and the Wolf" on a piece of construction paper. Interview each student as to whether they liked or disliked this symphony and to tell why. Help the students to be specific about their feelings. They may use words like, loud, low, scary, sad, fast, slow, etc.. Record their answers in the scrapbook along with any extra pictures.
Centers this week: 1. Have some instruments available for children to play. 2. Have the videotape of the guest speakers available so they may sing, dance or enjoy it again. 3. Visit the web site Not Just For Kids.
Experience 4 to Experience 5 - Introduce Beethoven
Prior to this lesson, make videotape of familiar commercials, parts of movies, cartoons and video games which use classical music. At the end, add in the movie "Beethoven".
Introduce this lesson by playing the first part of the video, but without the sound. Ask the children if they can identify what they are watching. Ask them if they think anything is missing. Now, play the first part of the video through again, but this time with the music. Identify the classical music they hear. Elicit from the students that classical music is used in our daily lives and how it also enhances it.
Pause the video on the picture of the St. Bernard dog, Beethoven. Have the class identify whom they see. Play the video and the music.
Play the CD or tape of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Allow the students to conduct, move or dance as they listen.
Introduce the composer Ludwig van Beethoven by displaying a picture of him. Explain that this is the real Beethoven and that the dog was named after him. Give a brief biography of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Highlights of Beethoven
Put the class into small cooperative groups. Each group will need a hand held tape recorder. Take them on a walk inside and outside the building. Their job is to listen to the sounds of their environment and record. Upon your return to the classroom, listen to each groups recordings. Elicit from the group how they might make music from what they have heard. Record the parts of their recordings that they would like to be used and viola! They have made their first song.
Quiet time - During a quiet time, transition time or rest play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, so the students become familiar with the symphony.
Centers this week: Have a keyboard, bells, and/or xylophone out for the students to play a portion of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Copy the letters for each note of the symphony on tag board. Have the corresponding keys marked on the instrument.
Experience 6 - Painting to Beethoven
Play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony softly as you read All I See by Cynthia Rylant.
Discuss the story.
Take out the paint supplies. Provide the students with a variety of colors and large painting paper. Let them know that they will be painting their impression of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Play the music as they paint.
Display their work.
Assessment: Add a page to the "Classical Music Review" scrapbook regarding Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This time have the students interview each other in regards to their feelings about the music and their paintings. You can write down their responses or tape the interview.
Experience 7 - "The Nutcracker" Tchaikovsky Suites
The Nutcracker (1977) Mikhail Baryshnikov VHS
Explain that The Nutcracker is a ballet.
Play the music to The Nutcracker by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as you read the story to the class.
Demonstrate or have an older student demonstrate some simple ballet moves, such as a turn, a plier (to bend or squat), a relever (to rise up on your toes), to enhance their appreciation of the skill and talent needed to be a ballerina.
Have the students try some of the moves. Play some of the pieces from the symphony and have the children make their own moves.
Assessment: Observe whether children are participating or not. If not, ask them to give a specific reason why not. Not every student will feel comfortable with ballet. That is fine, but encourage them to give a specific reason why they don't like it. Elicit from them how the music makes them feel and when they might like to listen to this.
Centers this week: Have the materials available to make their own nutcracker out of the core to a paper towel roll. Have felt, paint and other art supplies available.
Experience 8 - The Nutcracker Ballet
Discuss and practice proper theater behavior.
Take a field trip to a local performance, watch it in a Distance Learning facility if that is available to you or watch the video of the performance.
Assessment: Add The Nutcracker review to the class "Classical Music Review" scrapbook.
CULMINATING
PERFORMANCE
Include
rubric(s)
Symphony Day Invite a local symphony or small quartet to perform for the students in the school auditorium. Let the performers know what you have been studying so they can play some familiar pieces.
Students and teachers will be dressed for the occasion. The event will be videotaped to help with student assessment. The musicians will perform. Then the Kindergarten students will perform a very elementary rendition of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the bells. A reception with the performers will follow. Allowing the students and musicians to interact and ask questions.
Each child will be interviewed. They will be asked;
Know how to use a tape recorder.
Know how to use a remote control for the VCR.
Know how to color, cut, paste and paint.
Know how to use a computer and the mouse.
Recognize the letters of the alphabet.
Know how to work in co-operative groups.
If a student is unable to participate in some of the activities, give them a partner.
If you have a hearing impaired student, get large speakers and turn the volume up so they can feel the music.
UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN
This unit can be completed in 3 to 4 weeks. However, allow for more time so the students can become familiar with the symphonies and the composers.
Tape recorders.
Cameras
Computers
Video Cameras
Distance Learning Facility
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Elements
Scale |
Audience etiquette |
Review of Classical Music Symphony Performance |
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3 |
Listens attentively and follows audience etiquette rules. |
Student gives reason for like or dislike of music, and can make references to fast, slow or loud or soft. Identifies at least one of the musical pieces. They compare the music to other pieces. |
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Listens for a portion of the performance, but then gets distracted. Follows most of the audience etiquette rules. |
Student gives a reason for like or dislike of music, such as it was too fast or slow. Didn't recognize or identify any musical pieces. |
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Falls asleep or is very disruptive. Does not follow any of the audience etiquette rules. |
Student can not give a reason for their opinion of the music. |