Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic…and then, Doctor Who

To continue with my Music History Unit…

I recently finished up the timelines up to the Romantic Era. Each week, the kids got involved and were given the opportunity to “joust” with hula hoops, create unique polyphonic songs, learn about some interesting instruments (like the sackbut), Harry Potter ostinato, and how music can provoke emotion.

Renaissance:

I spent some time getting the room ready for the “Renaissance Festival”. I went to the Dollar Store and found battery powered candles, decorations (streamers and the like), and hula hoops. It took about 30 minutes to decorate.

EDIT: I ended up getting more into decorating for this lesson. I did a hula hoop streamer setup on the ceiling, along with crazy awesome stain glass markers that I found a Walmart.

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Before class started, I turned out the lights in the class with renaissance music in the background. The kids were DYING to know what was about to happen (after seeing me dressed up in a medieval custom last week, they were ready). When class started, I put on some fun glasses and twirled around the hula hoops “welcoming them to the renaissance festival”. Then we had a jousting competition (AKA Hula Hoop Competition)  between the Kingdoms (as seen in the Slide Show) to see who could hula hoop the longest. I came up with goofy names, like “Sir Swagalot” and “Sir Duggie”.

Then, I go into the lesson. Each lesson I teach is broken down into Music Terms, Instruments, Dancing (optional) and Composers.

One of the fun things I incorporated into this lesson was the experiment with polyphony. We compared it to monophonic Gregorian Chant. As a class, we sang (rapped or spoke) “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in rounds, imitating polyphony. Then I picked two (outgoing) students that would sing it with me in front of the class (in 30 seconds we had to come up with dance moves, a group name, and how to sing it (rap, sing, country, “gansta”, etc)). It was entertaining and the kids got a kick out of it.

I continued to go through the lesson, in making sure the students understood the music terms, compared renaissance must to current music, and we even listened to a Katy Perry Madrigal (Dark Horse). The kids loved this lesson!

For Decoration:

• Streamers with a hula hoop hanging from the ceiling
• Glass Stain Markers 

Renaissance Prezi Presentation

Renaissance Handout

Lesson time: 45 Minutes

Baroque:

In the Baroque Era, we discussed ostinato and how it played a role in Baroque Era. We watched an instructional video and then we watched….wait for it….HARRY POTTER PALS video. If you are unfamiliar with it, its a puppet video of Harry Potter characters that use their names as ostinatos. It’s funny, light hearted, and a perfect example! I then had the kids come up with ostinatos using their names (groups of 3). They only had 2 minutes, but it worked out really well. I was impressed.

Then, we proceeded with the instruments, dancing, composers, and the Cello Guy videos at the end.

Baroque Prezi Presentation

Baroque Handout

Lesson Time: 45 minutes

Classical:

Classical Era I concentrated on mainly operas and musical forms. We discussed exposition, theme and variation, symphonies, etc.

For the exposition definition, I personified (which I had the class define- cross curriculum) the term where I introduced myself to someone in the class (shook their hand and said my name), then I talked about how it would be if we didn’t have the Exposition in a piece of music. I would walk up to someone and say “Be my best friend forever, right now). They class would laugh, but the point was made that we need to be eased into the melody rather than jumping straight into it.

For theme and variation, I sang Marry Had a Little Lamb normal and then did my variation (dramatic, various dynamics and different rhythms/ornaments, and dance moves that were ridiculous). Afterwards, the class discussed how the theme is an original idea and the variation elaborates that idea. There were some great responses!

We went into the instruments and composers. Bugs Bunny also took a part in exposing them to Classical Music.

After the lesson, I had a Photo Booth set up at the back of the class. I had paper glasses, top hats, boas, and bow ties readily available. The kids were ask to get in line (either with a group or by themselves) and pose as if they were going to walk into the opera (I was the paparazzi). The kids LOVED this! It took maybe 5 minutes to go through all the kids (I have about 30 in each class).

Classical Era Prezi Presentation 

Classical Handout

Lesson Time: 45 Minutes

Romantic:

In the Romantic Era, I ALWAYS started the class explaining that this lesson was NOT about love. Their eyes got big when they initially saw the Smartboard with the Prezi (haha).

This lessons was very simple and I really thought long and hard how to make this applicable to the students. I decided to really focus on the fact that the Romantic Era was about feeling and emotions.

The lesson itself is short but the discussions were driven and intelligent. The kids were able to apply this knowledge from the Romantic Era with the movies they watch – music provoking emotion in scenes. We talked about scary movie soundtracks, action movies, romantic movies, and comedy. They described each genre to perfection. We talked about how animated movies have a specific song that goes with each character, so the audience associates that music with the character (even without the character in the scene, so we can predict certain outcomes). At the end of the lesson, we watched several videos that altered music in the movies and how vital it is to have the music portray the emotion that needs to be felt.

Overall, the lesson was a blast to teach because the kids were so involved and they loved sharing their opinions about the music in movies. I was impressed.

Romantic Era Prezi Presentation 

Romantic Handout

Lesson Time: 45 Minutes

Doctor Who

What better way to have the students apply previous knowledge from the unit to go on a Music History Scavenger Hunt?

The mission: Find Doctor Who and the Gregorian Chant Sheet Music to save the world.

My front door is decorated as the Tardis (the time machine): The students walk into the classroom with this light in the classroom to give ambiance and the Mission Video will play on the Smartboard.

The students will break up into groups of 4 with iPads or phones (QR code scanner capabilities) and they will explore the different time periods with each location and hint. They will have to answer questions and riddles to get the next hint for the following location. These questions will range from composers, to instruments, to music terms. The teams must work together to get all the clues and to answer the BIG question at the end. 

It’s going to be epic. Pictures to come.

Also, I’ve been baiting them the whole 2 weeks leading up to it. I’m telling them I have something big planned and gave them a riddle, “It’s not here and now, but it is here and now.”

It’s killing them. Which makes this even sweeter.

I hope you have found the post helpful in creating Music History interesting and creative. I loved teaching it!

Any ideas that you have to share?