Unit: Solar system. Musical focus: Listening Subject link: Science 9-10 AGE. Click here to view the plans:

Transcription

1 This unit embarks on a musical journey through the solar system, exploring how our universe inspired composers including Debussy, Holst and George Crumb. The children learn a song, and compose pieces linked to space. Click here to view the plans: Medium term plan 1st lesson plan 2nd lesson plan 3rd lesson plan 4TH LESSON PLAN 5TH LESSON PLAN 6TH LESSON PLAN Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 1

2 medium term Plan 1 Listening to music with focus and analysing using musical vocabulary Relating sound sequences to images Interpreting images to create descriptive sound sequences Sun blast Sing the chorus, verse and bridge of Sun blast Music of the starry night Listen to the first section of Music of the starry night by George Crumb Spiral galaxy Select instrumental timbres and dynamics to play a star sequence To help the children notice different details in Music of the starry night, listen several times, with discussion between each listening. 2 Developing the use of dynamics in a song Listening to music, focusing on dynamics and texture Learning a melodic ostinato using staff notation Loudometer graphs Sing the whole Sun blast song and highlight the use of dynamics The sky at night Listen to the second section of Music of the starry night Spinning stars Perform the ostinato from Music of the starry night To help those children who find it difficult to learn the ostinato, first ask them to play only the main beats with their left hand: A G D F G. When they have memorised this pattern, add the right hand (C) by alternating between each left hand main beat. 3 Developing techniques of performing rap using texture and rhythm Sun blast rap technique Explore rap techniques in the verses of Sun blast Solar system speeds Listen to the effect of different tempi in creating character in music Musical orrery Select instrumental sounds and melodies for six planets and play a musical orrery To help the children understand the staff notation and learn the rhythms of the Planets in orbit melodies, ask them what they notice about the time signature of each. (It is 6/4). Can any instrument learners explain to others what this means. (There are six crotchet beats in each bar.) Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 2

3 medium term Plan 4 Learning a song with a complex texture Learning about the sound of the whole tone scale Footprints on the moon ~ chorus and verse 1 Learn to sing Footprints on the moon Moonlight textures Watch a graphic representation of the texture of Debussy s Clair de lune To help less confident children improvise the Footprints on the moon lunar dance, select individual chime bars and place these in a row to play the notes of the whole tone scale. Alternatively, remove the unused notes from xylophones or metallophones. 5 Footprints on the moon ~ dance section Listen to the lunar dance section of Footprints on the moon Listening to music and describing its effects and use of the musical dimensions Performing a song with expression and with attention to tone and phrasing Creating a musical background to accompany a poem Moon horizon Recap Footprints on the moon and discuss and learn the second verse Earthrise from Apollo Listen to music by Richard Strauss, associated with space exploration Space shot Thinking about texture, use the poem Space shot by Gareth Owen as a framework to develop a launch pad piece Record a performance of the Space shot music and poem. Listen so that the children can check whether the balance between narrator and music allows the poem to be clearly heard. If necessary, players can adjust the volume where appropriate. 6 Creating and presenting a performance of song, music and poetry Footprints on the moon ~ moon gravity Recap singing the chorus, verses 1 and 2 and lunar dance sections of Footprints on the moon Space graphics quiz Learn that scoring is about choosing and arranging sounds Solar system package holiday Create a performance which takes a tour to the Sun, planets and Earth s moon When you have chosen the order of pieces for the performance, make a large wall plan to remind the players of the structure. Use some of the ideas for graphics and notations from the unit or create your own, to support the players as appropriate. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 3

4 1 Plan learning Listening to music with focus, and analysing its composition using musical vocabulary Relating sound sequences to images Interpreting images to create descriptive sound sequences A selection of percussion, eg triangle, cymbal, tone bar, Indian bell, chime bar Sun blast Sing the chorus, verse and bridge of Sun blast listen to a song and explore its structure; learn to sing a song by echo-singing; discuss the scientific facts in a song s lyrics. Music of the starry night Listen to the first section of Music of the starry night by George Crumb learn a stepping pattern in a metre of four; in two groups, perform a movement pattern with a verse to identify the metre; learn to conduct in a metre of four. Spiral galaxy Select instrumental timbres and dynamics to play a star sequence match a sound sequence with a graphic; individually interpret images using instruments in groups of three; perform and identify sound sequences; critically evaluate performances of sound sequences. Support: To help the children notice different details in Music of the starry night, listen several times, with discussion between each listening. Structure Verse Chorus Bridge Dynamics Timbre To extend the activity, ask the children to compose their own galaxy sequence of star dynamics. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 4

5 2 Plan learning Developing the use of dynamics in a song Listening to music, focusing on dynamics and texture Learning a melodic ostinato using staff notation Tuned percussion, eg xylphone, metallophone, glockenspiel notes D E F G A B C Loudometer graphs Sing the whole Sun blast song and highlight the use of dynamics revise a song, noticing and using dynamics; listen to music and explore the use of dynamics by matching to graphics; learn musical terms for dynamics. The sky at night Listen to the second section of Music of the starry night listen to music and discuss its descriptive nature and use of dynamics; notice the use of texture in a piece of music. Spinning stars Perform the ostinato from Music of the starry night watch a movie demonstration to learn a melodic ostinato on tuned percussion; read staff notation to learn a melodic ostinato; listen to an ostinato within music and discuss how it is descriptive. Support: To help those children who find it difficult to learn the ostinato, first ask them to play only the main beats with their left hand: A G D F G. When they have memorised this pattern, add the right hand (C) by alternating between each left hand main beat. Melodic ostinato Dynamics Diminuendo Crescendo The children compose their own spinning star pattern and use it as an accompaniment to the Spiral galaxy music of lesson 1 activity 3. The star sounds provide one element of the texture, while the ostinato provides an accompaniment. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 5

6 3 Plan learning Developing techniques of performing rap using texture and rhythm Sun blast rap technique Explore rap technique in the verses of Sun blast perform a rap as a call and response; experiment with the rhythm of a rap and explore accenting selected words in a rap; perform a rap, incorporating selected techniques. Solar system speeds Listen to the effect of different tempi in creating character in music listen to music and discuss how it is descriptive; carry out a quiz, matching the tempo of music to different scenes; identify the beat in music. Musical orrery Select instrumental sounds and melodies for six planets and play a musical orrery read staff notation to play rhythms, and match six note patterns to planets; learn to play a melody in six groups; select an order and combine melodies in six groups with changes in texture and dynamics. Support: To help the children understand the staff notation and learn the rhythms of the Planets in orbit melodies, ask them what they notice about the time signature of each. (It is 6/4). Can any instrument learners explain to others what this means. (There are six crotchet beats in each bar.) Six tuned instruments high to low pitches, eg high pitched glockenspiel to low bass bars (use untuned instruments if necessary) Tempo/tempi Find sounds and make up rhythms that fit the character of the planets Uranus and Neptune, eg as both planets move slowly and are quite large, a slow-moving rhythm played on suspended cymbal or Indian bells may be suitable. Add them to the musical texture. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 6

7 4 Plan learning Learning a song with a complex texture Learning about the sound of the whole tone scale Two tuned instruments, eg keyboard, metallophone, glockenspiel, notes C D E F # G # Bb C Footprints on the moon ~ chorus and verse 1 Learn to sing Footprints on the moon listen to a song and learn the chorus; learn a verse by echo-singing; discuss the recorded dialogue in a section of a song. Moonlight textures Watch a graphic representation of Debussy s Clair de lune watch a movie of a graphic representation of music; listen to music, identifying use of the musical dimensions; sing and play a whole tone scale; improvise music on the whole tone scale in ABABA structure. Footprints on the moon ~ dance section Listen to the lunar dance section of Footprints on the moon listen to music and count to measure the gaps between phrases; use voices to whisper and sing a section of a song. Support: To help children less confident improvise the Footprints on the moon lunar dance, select individual chime bars and place these in a row to play the notes of the whole tone scale. Alternatively, remove the unused notes from xylophones or metallophones. Duration Rhythm Pitch Structure Compare the mostly synthesised version of Clair de Lune song with that of Debussy s original piano piece. What do the electronic sounds add? (eg more mystery, other worldliness). Play the moon walking music on electronic keyboards and experiment with different sound settings. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 7

8 5 Plan learning Listening to music and describing its use of the musical dimensions Performing a song with expression and with attention to tone and phrasing Creating a musical background to accompany a poem A selection of instruments, including cymbal, keyboard, tuned percussion Moon horizon Recap Footprints on the moon and discuss and learn the second verse revise singing sections of a song and discuss the lyrics, learn to sing the second verse. Earthrise from Apollo Listen to music by Richard Strauss, associated with space exploration listen to an orchestral piece and think of words and phrases to describe aspects of the music; read notation to perform three musical ideas with voices and body percussion; listen with focus as they follow a score, noticing the use of musical dimensions. Space shot Thinking about texture, use the poem Space shot by Gareth Owen as a framework to develop a launch pad piece read and discuss the imagery of a poem narrated to music; follow a score to notice changing textures in music; use a score to create a musical background for a poem; rehearse and perform a poem with music. Support: Record the performance of the Space shot music and poem. Listen so that the children can check whether the balance between narrator and music allows the poem to be clearly heard. If necessary, players can adjust the volume where appropriate. Timbre Pitch Dynamics Explore relationships between the poem Space shot and the audio Sunrise, eg they both have a climax and a reflective ending; they both have sections which gradually build; images in the text are reflected in the music the beginning of the music is calm and slow, and the poem captures this by using the word slowness and the phrase sorry to be rid of earth. As a class, narrate the poem Space shot to the Sunrise audio, matching the emotive flow of the poem with that of the music. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 8

9 6 Plan learning Creating and presenting a performance of song, music and poetry A selection of tuned and untuned instruments Footprints on the moon ~ moon gravity Recap singing the chorus, verse 1 and 2 and lunar dance sections of Footprints on the moon revise a song and learn a third verse; develop a song performance with awareness of tone and expression. Space graphics quiz Learn that scoring is about choosing and arranging sounds understand how graphic scores can describe musical texture; play a quiz to match four graphic scores with the texture of music. Solar system package holiday Create a performance which takes a tour to the Sun, planets and Earth s moon revise a performance of a poem with music; develop a performance comprising a song, music and poetry, using other media if appropriate; write a script that links different sections of a performance; perform to an audience. Support: When you have chosen the order of pieces to include in the performance, make a large wall plan to remind the players of the structure. Use some of the ideas for graphics and notations from the unit, or create your own, to support the players as appropriate. Listen to the music used in this unit again and ask the children to think of a space image that goes with each piece of music, eg cold barren alien world, travelling spaceship. Discuss the reasons for their choices. Music Age 2014 A&C Black (an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) 9