Lesson Plan # 4- The Dynamics of an Orchestra

Subject Area: Music

Grade Level: Grade 5

Unit Title: Orchestra

Lesson Title: The Dynamics of an Orchestra

Connection to State and National Standards:

From the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools

·         5.1.4: Analyze the use of music elements in aural examples from various genres and cultures.

·         5.1.6: Identify and describe music forms, including theme and variations and twelve-bar blues.

·         5.3.0: Students analyze the role of music in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting cultural diversity as it relates to music, musicians, and composers.

From the National Language Arts Standards:

·         Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

·         Standard 8: Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to...

·         Tell the different parts that make up an orchestra through visualization of the instruments and listening to music.

Materials:

·         Book

o   The Composer is Dead. Snicket, L. & Ellis, C. (2009). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 9780061236280

·         Classical music CDs

Preparation:

·         Instructor will collect some classic music CDs for students will listen to after the book is read in class.

Presentation:

·         Students will listen to the supplied CD for The Composer is Dead along with the illustrations from the book.

·         Students will then listen to the classical music selected by the instructor

Application:

·         Instructor will ask students to identify the different parts of the orchestra that are playing and what their role is in the song being performed.

·         Students will write a short paper about a certain section of the orchestra they like.

Evaluation:

Upon completion of:

·         Students will be evaluated on the paper written to see how well they understand the different sections of an orchestra.

Closure:

·         Students will give a short presentation on their paper about the dynamics of an orchestra.