I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Interpretation

Essential Question:

How can Music be used to tell a story about what has happened in History?

Bridge:

Characteristics of Super Heroes

Content:

Symphonic Poetry: Ein Heldenleben

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: Students will be able to define their own idea of a hero through visualization and drawing.

Activity: Teacher will ask for all students to close their eyes and think about what characteristics their ideal hero would have. Then, students would draw a picture of their hero and give it a name.

Assessment: Students can creatively articulate their image of a superhero

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Students will be able to communicate their idea of a hero.

Activity: Students will share with the class their drawings and the story behind their hero.

Assessment: Students can verbally communicate to the class what characteristics their heroes have and can come up with a story about those heroes.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: Students will be able to find common characteristics in comic book “heroes” and compare how these relate to their own “ideal heroes”.

Activity: Using the comics given to them in class, students will find the similarities between the characters that are identifies as “heroes”. The characters will be Superman, He-Man, She-Ra and Spiderman. Students will then get into groups and compare how these comic book heroes are similar and different from their own ideal heroes.

Assessment:Students can make connections between familiar heroes and their own image of a hero.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Students will be able to identify what a symphonic poem is, characteristics of Strauss’ music, the history on the critique of Strauss’ music and the story of Ein Heldenleben. Students will also be able to actively listen to a movement of Ein Heldenleben.

Activity: Teachers will ask students what they know about Strauss, what was going on in history when Strauss was alive what “heroes” were in Strauss’ time and what his influences were when he was writing. The teacher will then present a lecture on the storyline of Ein Heldenleben, defining a symphonic poem and why this piece fits into that category. Afterwards, students will listen to the fifth movement of the piece, Des Helden Friedenswerke, which is 6:20 to hear what the composer’s idea of a hero’s job is for “peace work”

Assessment: Students can absorb the material presented by taking notes and through active class participation.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Students will be able to identify what they heard in the recording of Ein Heldenleben.

Activity: Students will describe what form the piece was in, what orchestration was used, whether the piece was in Classical, Romantic style or both, and how the idea of a hero was depicted using these things.

Assessment: Students can identify form, musical style and the storyline of Ein Heldenleben.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Students will be able to create a melody that accompanies a film-strip telling the story of heroes today.

Activity: Teacher will ask students to think about what is going on in the world today in light of September 11th. If the story of Ein Heldenleben is about an ‘everyday hero”, what type of people exemplify that today? Students will then create a “film-strip” in groups using paper and markers to tell the story of an everyday hero from today. After they have developed the film-strip, students will then develop a melody that tells the story of the film strip.

Assessment: Students can create their own melodies that tell a story, using any instrumentation at their disposal

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Students will be able to present their work to the class.

Activity: Students will present their melodies to the class. After each group has presented their melodies, they will ask the class what they thought the melody was about. The group will then play the melody through again, this time showing the film-strip that they created so that the students can assess to see if they were correct about the story.

Assessment:Students will be able to effectively communicate a story to the rest of the class about history’s heroes through music

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: Students will be able to understand the significance of Ein Heldenleben by going to see a live performance.

Activity: Students will have the opportunity to go on a field trip to see Ein Heldenleben live on June 2nd, 2002 at Tanglewood Music Festival at 8:30 pm with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Itzhak Perlman, violin. Students will need to have permission slips signed before going on the field trip.

Assessment: Students can listen and watch a famous orchestra play Ein Heldenleben

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: