Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.

Students will then create a “film-strip”

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