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This lesson was written to follow an opening lesson on telling stories through music, a lesson on opera,
and a lesson on film music which were written in collaboration with other music education majors.
This lesson was written by me.
Unit Plan:
Big Idea: Music is communication.
Enduring Understanding: Music can be used to tell a story.
Essential questions:
How can music support emotion in a story?
How can music be used as a vehicle for storytelling?
How can music portray literary themes and symbols in a story?
Opera or Broadway
Film / Incidental
Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem
Telling a Story through Tone/Symphonic Poems
Connection to Previous Lesson:
-In the last lesson, student discovered how to portray a story chronologically through film music. In this
lesson, students will discover how to represent literary themes and characterization through music. They
will begin by summarizing a story and improvising sounds for actions, resembling film music. They will
then look at quotes from Romeo and Juliet and discover what this poetry offers that a summary doesnt.
This will inform their decisions about what poetic music would offer listeners.
Prior Skills/Knowledge:
-Understanding of the play Romeo and Juliet: High schoolers typically read this play freshman year. The
teacher would have collaborated with the English teachers to make sure all/most of the students are
familiar with the play. If there are a few students not familiar with it, the first part of the lesson will help
them catch up easily. High school English standards lead to usually teaching the play in terms of plot and
character development along with a very basic understanding of the literary themes of this play.
Therefore, these are the aspects of the text we will be focusing on in our unit.
-The ability to summarize a story
-A basic understanding of these dimensions of music: dynamics, tempo, texture, harmony, melodic
contour, timbre
-A basic understanding of the metadimension affective qualities
-Basic Improvisational Skills on Orff instruments and/or voice
-Ability to listen attentively to music for 3-4 minutes at a time
-Ability to respectfully listen to peers performances
School Resources:
-Orff instruments
-projector
-Mac computers
Specific Resources for this Lesson/Bibliography:
-a copy of Romeo and Juliet for every few students or access to the play on computers
-Romeo and Juliet JibJab Video (summarizes story in a humorous, concise way; can put pictures of
students faces in video for Romeo and Juliet):
http://www.jibjab.com/ecards/love
-Romeo and Juliet Tchaikovsky recording by London Symphony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxOtYNf-eWE
-Romeo and Juliet Tchaikovsky Score (Were using the final version, C)
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9b/IMSLP17106-Tchaikovsky_-_Romeo_and_Juliet_-
_Eulenburg.pdf
-Quotes for Composing Music that match each of the ideas in Tchaikovskys tone poem, Line numbers
match those in the Norton Oxford Edition:
#1 Romeo and Juliet 1.1.55-67
Benvolio and Tybalt (from each of the two families) fighting
#2 Romeo and Juliet 2.1.68-73
Balcony Scene: Romeo describing Juliet in poetic terms
#3 Romeo and Juliet 2.2.1-4, 2.2.88-92
Friar Laurence: His calm personality and his agreement to marry the couple in hopes of ending the
fighting
-Encyclopedia Britannica Online Article (Description of Tchaikovskys ideas for the piece):
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1833143/Romeo-and-Juliet
-Map of Romeo and Juliet Tchaikovsky for teacher use in guiding student listening (times match the
youtube video of the London Symphony performing the piece)
mm. 1-77 0:00-4:30
Friar Laurences church theme with underlying tones of danger
mm. 78-182 4:30-7:45
Fighting Families
mm. 183-271 7:45-11:05
Love Theme (First Statement)
mm. 272-387 11:05-14:10
Fighting Theme, Friar Laurence Theme
mm. 388-428 14:10-15:48
Love Theme (Second Statement, more intense)
mm. 429-483 15:48-17:07
Development of the Love Theme, Juxtaposition of Love theme and fighting theme which could now
represent the deaths of the two lovers and Friar Laurence theme
mm. 484-end 17:07-end
Love theme in minor then Friar Laurence theme, then final statement of love theme, then fighting theme
to close
Goals:
Meaning-Making:
-The students will demonstrate understanding of how literary themes and characterization in a story can
be represented in music through creating music for literary themes and characters and analyzing music
that represents literary themes and characters.
-The students will demonstrate understanding of how the dimensions of music are used to create a
desired sound in a piece of music through manipulating the dimensions of music to create a desired
sound and analyzing how a different composer used the dimensions of music to create a desired sound.
Transfer:
-The students will demonstrate understanding of how aspects of one piece of art can be represented in a
completely different art form.
Objectives:
Skills: Compose music, improvise sounds/music, listen attentively and with engagement for dimensions
of music, aural skills, perform for peers, alter compositions to change the affective qualities, develop
musical themes
Knowledge: Know what a musical theme is and how it is developed in classical music, know what form
means in relation to music and how it changes the affective qualities of music, know what juxtaposition is
National Standards:
#3: Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
#4: Composing and arranging music with specified guidelines
#6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
#8: Understanding relationships between music, other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
State Standards:
S1.C2.PO1 (Grade 6): Playing expressively with appropriate dynamics, phrasing, interpretation,
articulation, and tempo.
S2.C1.PO1 (Grade 6): identifying/describing ways in which the principles and subject matter of other
disciplines are related to music (e.g., science, math, history).
S2.C1.PO3: Comparing in two or more arts how the basic elements of each art can be used to express
similar events, emotions, scenes, or ideas
S2.C1.PO4: Exploring and analyzing the relationship of music to langauge arts, visual arts, and literature
Outline of this lesson:
Day 1
Students summarize story of Romeo and Juliet and plan how they will act out their summary.
Day 2
Students finish up summarizing the story and planning how they will act it out.
Students present these to the class. The class improvises music to fit each event on Orff instruments
and/or voices while students perform.
Students watch the JibJab summary of Romeo and Juliet.
Students discuss what a summary is and how this influenced their improvisation.
Day 3
Students discuss the quotes from Romeo and Juliet and what they bring to the play that a summary of
events would not. Students compose music for one of the quotes (which represents a character or literary
theme) in groups using Orff instruments, voices, and any other way they can think of to create sound.
Day 4
Students continue composing music for the themes or characters in the story.
Day 5
Students continue composing music for the themes or characters in the story. They share these with the
class. The class explores how to put two of the themes together to represent a larger theme.
Day 6
The class finishes exploring how to put two of the themes together to represent develop their themes.
The class begins listening to Tchaikovskys Romeo and Juliet.
Day 7
The class finishes listening to Tchaikovskys Romeo and Juliet.
Day 8+
Extensions
Procedures:
Day One
1. The teacher will call students attention back to the essential question, How can music be used as a
vehicle for storytelling? The teacher will point out that we have explored several different ways of using
music to tell a story. The class will think-pair-share about the different ways we have explored. The
teacher will inform students that today well be exploring a new way of representing a story through music
using the play Romeo and Juliet.
2. The teacher will ask students to get into groups of 3-4 students. Each group will need to summarize
the play in 7-12 sentences, each sentence representing one event from the play. Teachers could use various
grouping structures for this part of the lesson taking into account the students language levels, IEPs, or
personalities. Sean E. will be appointed the leader of his group. The teacher will check on his group frequently to
break down steps and encourage appropriate behavior. Mark R.s group will receive support at the beginning of the
task to help them get started. The directions for this activity are already straight forward, so no modifications will
be needed in this area.
3. Each group will pair with one other group. They will compare their summaries, choosing the best
elements of each to create a new summary. This summary will still need to have 7-12 sentences, one
sentence per plot event. The group will decide how they will perform their summary for the class. Some
people can read the summary and some people can do movements to accompany the events. Every person
will need to have a role in the performance. This part of the lesson will be more open-ended, as students
could choose to assign each person a character or have the whole group generally acting out the events.
For this reason, both Sean E. and Mark R. may need clearer directions. If their groups are struggling, the teacher
will walk around to ask scaffolding questions to help them think of ways to present their summary. This activity will
probably continue into the next class period.
Day One Assessment: The teacher will note which students are participating in their groups and students
will be given a participation grade (out of 3 points) using the class participation rubric (which the class
created with the teacher at the beginning of the year).
3: Students are engaged all of the time by offering suggestions, listening to others ideas, and helping the
group stay on track.
2: Students are engaged most of the time by offering suggestions, listening to others ideas, and helping
the group stay on track.
1: Students are engaged little of the time by offering suggestions, listening to others ideas, and helping
the group stay on track.
0: Students are not engaged in the activity by offering suggestions, listening to others ideas, and helping
the group stay on track.
Day Two
1. Students will have a short amount of time to finish up planning and rehearsing how they will present
their summary to the class.
2. Students will present their summaries to the class. While they do so, the class will improvise sounds
on Orff instruments or their voices to fit each of the actions. 3. Students will watch the Romeo and
Juliet JibJab video. This video summarizes the plot in a concise, humorous way. You can even put in
your own pictures for the faces. The teacher could choose two random students or two students who did an
exemplary job working in their groups to be Romeo and Juliet in the video. The teacher could even give students a
heads-up that there would be a special prize for students who are working especially well with their group to use this
as motivation.
4. Students will discuss what a summary does. They will reflect on their experience improvising music
for the summaries. What aspects of the story were they using in determining what kind of music to
create? (plot events) What type of music did they use to show certain things? Why did they use the type
of music they did to show what they wanted to show? As the class discusses these questions, the teacher
will write the dimensions of music that students mentioned on the board.
Day Two Assessment:
-Students will receive an effort grade for their participation in performing their summary and improvising
music. This will be a pass/fail grade based on whether or not the students did the activity (3 points). Sean
and Mark will be given non-verbal cues during the lesson to remind them to participate and stay on task.
-Students will complete a journal entry in their Music Can Tell Stories journal based on the closing class
discussion. They will respond to the questions: What aspects of the story did you use in determining
what kind of music to create? What type of music did you use to show certain things? Why did you use
the type of music you did to show what you wanted to show? They will be encouraged to use as many
labels for musical dimensions as possible. They will be give a grade out of 2 points for answering each of
the questions from the prompt fully. This type of assessment will work well for both Sean and Mark because it
includes specific directions. The class will have already discussed these things, so Sean and Mark will feel
comfortable writing about them.
Day Three-Four
1. The students will briefly review their last class discussion, reviewing how they composed music for
events that summarized a story.
2. The teacher will project quotes from Romeo and Juliet and give the class a context about where they
occur in the play and who is speaking to whom (quotes listed above). There are three quotes, one to
represent Friar Laurences calm disposition and desire to end the family feud by marrying Romeo and
Juliet, one to represent the fighting between the two families, and one to represent Romeo and Juliets
love for one another. These match the three literary themes that Tchaikovsky uses in his tone poem
Romeo and Juliet, but students will not know this yet.
3. The class will discuss what each of the quotes means (this will be review as students will have just done
this in their English classes). The class will then discuss what this offers the reader that the summary
didnt. The class should notice that it provides insight into the characters feelings and that they
represent bigger literary themes in the play than just events. If the class does not notice these things, the
teacher will scaffold students learning by asking questions about specific phrases in the text, asking if
those phrases would be included in a summary, and asking what they show the reader that a summary
wouldnt. The teacher will then ask students to think about what music for these quotes might sound like.
How would it be the same or different than music to show events? This discussion will include students
talking in groups to think-pair-share about the quotes. Sean E. may need to be given nonverbal cues throughout the
lesson to keep him on task. The teacher should also give him a list of the questions that will be discussed the day
before so that he can start gathering his thoughts for this lesson. As the students talk in pairs or groups, the teacher
should walk around to rephrase information for both Mark R. and Sean E. This will help them stay focused.
4. The teacher will present the next activity for the class, composing music to evoke the literary theme or
character represented in one of the quotes. The class will break into three groups (these will be large
groups). Each group will compose music for one of the quotes, representing one of the themes. The
teacher could let the students choose which one of the quotes they want to write music for to spark their
interest, but every group needs to write music for a different theme. The guidelines for this mini-project
will be:
-all musical content music be original
-the music must be at least 8 measures long
-all music must be performed live by the group members
-every group member does not need to participate in performing the music but all should play an active
role in composing the music
-every group member must be able to defend how the music conveys the literary theme or character of the
quotes
Students will have access to Orff instruments. They will be encouraged to use their voices and any other way of
creating sound they can think of. As the groups work, the teacher will walk around, providing clarification for
students with IEPs or langauge barriers. The teacher will also use questions to scaffold students learning. These
questions will call students attention to the dimensions of music. Examples of scaffolding questions might be What
are you trying to show with your music? How will you show that? More specific questions might be: Is your music
major or minor? Why did you choose that for your character or theme (literary)? What is the tempo of your music?
Why did you choose that?
Day 3-4 Assessment:
-The students will receive an effort grade each day based on their participation in the composition
process. This will be a grade out of 3 points using the Class Composition Rubric. Students will know
about this rubric as they will have discussed or perhaps helped create a rubric for what it means to
participate in a composition project. Here is an example what this rubric might look like:
3: Student is actively engaged in the composition process by doing all of the following: offering
suggestions to peers, trying ideas out on instruments/voice, and listening to peers ideas for the
composition.
2: Student is engaged in the compositions process by doing two of the following: offering suggestions to
peers, trying ideas out on instruments/voice, and listening to peers ideas for the composition.
1: Student is somewhat engaged in the composition process by doing one of the following: offering
suggestions to peers, trying ideas out on instruments/voice, and listenint to peers ideas for the
composition.
0: Student does not engage in the compositions process at all. Student does not do any of the following:
offering suggestions to peers, trying ideas out on instruments/voice, and listening to peers ideas for the
composition.
Day 5 (and part of 6)
1. The class will have a few minutes to finish up their compositions and get ready to perform them for the
class.
2. The class will review their guidelines for respectfully listening to peers performances which they have
discussed previously. This will include norms such as We dont talk or make noise when other people
are performing. We applaud the performance when the performers have let us know that the piece is
over. Before each group performs, they will read their quote and tell what they were trying to create
through their music. The students will create signs for each of the dimensions of music they have talked
about (listed in the prior knowledge section). Every time they hear something in the music that creates
the desired mood, they will hold up one of their signs. This will serve as a type of informal assessment for
the teacher.
Students such as Sean E. and Mark R. may need some non-verbal cues from the teacher if they are disruptive during
the performance.
3. The class will discuss how each group created their desired mood through music. The class will
complete a journal entry answering the questions, What theme (literary) or character was my group trying
to show in our music? How did we use music to create this? How did the other groups use music to
create the desired affective quality? Here, they will be assessing their own groups composition and will
be evaluating other musical performances.
4. The teacher will ask questions to help students think about how the literary themes are presented in
the play. This will be used to help them explore how musical themes are developed. What caused the
fights between the families? How did the fighting families feel about Romeo and Juliets love? How do
you think the music that the fighting group composed would feel about the love group? The
fighting and love groups will show the class their compositions one more time, and the class will
decide how they would change these two themes to show how the fighting families felt about Romeo and
Juliets love. This could go in many different directions. The class might choose to play these themes at
the same time and manipulate the harmony or meter of one so that can be played at the same time. The
class might choose to alter the tempo, meter, dynamics, or tonality of one example to be in the style of
the other example. The class might choose to write an entirely new musical theme that uses aspects of
both of the previous themes. Whichever route the class takes, they will be exploring how to develop a
musical theme. As the class is doing this, the teacher will require the students to explain what and why
they are doing what they are, calling their attention to the objective, learning how to develop a theme.
5. The teacher will then ask how the fighting families feel about this friar who is trying to help the couple
get married and participate in a similar activity.
6. Finally, the teacher will ask how Romeo and Juliet feel about the friar who is trying to help them get
married.
7. The teacher will give the students the terms musical theme and development, concepts they have
already been exploring. The students will complete a journal entry about how they combined two musical
themes to develop them. What did we do to the music to combine the fighting/love themes, the
fighting/friar laurence themes, the love/friar laurence themes?
Day 5 Assessment (and part of 6):
-The students will complete a journal entry (step 3) about their experience composing their own music.
They will be give a grade out of 2 points for answering each of the questions from the prompt fully.
-The students will complete a journal entry (step 7) about their experience developing the themes. They
will be give a grade out of 2 points for answering each of the questions from the prompt fully.
Day 6
1. The students will complete any parts of the Day 5 lesson plan not already completed.
2. The class will now participate in an attentive and engaged listening activity for the musical example of
this lesson, Romeo and Juliet. The teacher will inform students that this is a tone poem. Students will
think-pair-share about what those two words mean individually and what they might mean when put
together. This will help all students use prior knowledge to understand a new label. It will also help ELLs who
may be unfamiliar with those two words by getting a chance to clarify this with their peers.
3. After students share, the teacher will use their answers to help them think about what music for a tone
poem might include. Since the students have just created music for poetry which showed its themes
(literary) and characterization, they will probably recognize what they have done is created a tone poem.
The teacher will ask students to think about the three themes (literary)/characters that they created music
for and some of the themes (literary) and characters we did not create music for in the play. Our musical
listening problem will be to decide which of these themes (literary) or characters Tchaikovsky is
composing music for in each section.
4. The teacher will play one section of the music for students (listed on the music map under resources).
The students will stand up and move to the mood of the music. They will probably each pick out
different dimensions to move to. The teacher will then make the activity more specific, asking students to
listen for a specific dimensions, such as melodic contour, dynamics, or tempo, and move in this way. If
any of the students are already moving in one of these ways at the beginning, the teacher could ask why
they are moving the way they are. Since the students already understand basic dimensions of music, they
will probably give an answer using one of these labels. The teacher will ask the entire class to move in a
way that represents this dimension.
5. After the first section of the music (listed on the listening map), the teacher will pause and ask
students to think about which theme (literary) or character this part of the music sounds like and why.
The students will move about the room, talking with 4-5 different partners about what they heard in the
music and what they think it represents.
6. The teacher will ask several people to share their responses aloud. The teacher will then share
Tchaikovskys idea of what theme or character he was trying to represent through the music. The class
will discuss how he shows this in that section of the music. The students will complete a journal entry
based on the following prompt: What literary theme or character did you think was being portrayed in
this section? Why did you think this? What interesting ideas did you hear from your classmates about
what they thought the music was supposed to represent? What was Tchaikovsky trying to portray? How
did he do this?
7. The class will repeat steps 4-6 for the next two sections of music. Each of these first three sections
portrays one literary theme or character. The teacher will relate this piece to the piece the class
composed, telling the students that these are like the musical themes we created for each of the quotes.
Day 6 Assessment:
-The journal entries after each session will be used for assessment. Students will be given a score out of 3
points for how thoroughly they answer the questions.
-The teacher will informally assess the students learning about the dimensions of music as they are
moving to the music.
-Students will be given a participation grade on their participation during the lesson out of 3 points.
Day 7
1. Students will listen to a small portion (about 20-30 seconds) of each musical theme from the day before
and call out which musical theme it is as a way to review what each theme sounds like. The teacher will
use and encourage the students to use new vocabulary, musical theme.
2. Students will listen to the remaining sections in the same fashion as the last listening activity. They
will move to the mood of the music and then choose one dimension to move to. They will then think
about which of the previous musical themes were present in that section and how they were different this
time. The teacher will ask scaffolding questions such as What is the dynamic level? Tonality? How many
instrument are playing? to get students to notice how the themes are being developed. The teacher will
relate what Tchaikovsky does to what we did together in class when we developed our musical themes.
3. The students will discuss some final questions about the listening activity and then complete a final
journal entry based on the following questions: Do you think Tchaikovskys piece is in chronological
order following the plot of the story? Why or why not? How did Tchaikovsky show the literary themes or
characters in his music? How did Tchaikovsky develop his musical themes? What similar things did we do
when we developed our themes?
Day 7 Assessment:
-Journal entry (step 3): Students can earn up to 3 points for the final journal entry based on the depth in
which they answer the questions and demonstrate understanding.
-Students will be given an effort grade out of 3 points on their participation in the listening activity.
Extensions:
A perfect extension for this project would be for the class to compose a tone poem for a different narrative
to illustrate the literary themes and practice developing musical themes. We will not be doing this
because for our whole projects final activity, students will choose their favorite way of representing a
story with music, and this is one they could choose.
Here are some other ideas for extensions:
- The class could listen to other symphonic/tone poems and talk about how the composer showed literary
themes.
-The class could learn about sonata form and various other techniques composers use to develop a theme.
-The class could analyze/compose other pieces in sonata form, working on their skill of developing a
musical theme.
-The class could choose some other aspect of a story, such as setting, to portray using music (we have
already talked about plot, emotion, literary themes, and characterization thus far in the unit).
-Students could remediate film trailers to represent the literary themes of the movie.
-Students could use their knowledge of developing a theme to figure out how to create a mash-up of two
songs.
Connection to next lesson
Students will use the things they have learned in the previous three lessons to do a closing lesson,
composing a piece of music that tells a story. Their piece might use aspects of the various types of music
they have explored in all three lessons.