Provide a metaview, lifting students into a wider view of the concept. Use another medium (not reading or writing) to connect students' personal knowing to the concept (i.e. visual arts, music, movement, metaphor, etc.) Involve learners in reflective production that blends the emotional and the cognitive.

Transcriptions and Color

Objective: Students will be introduced to the basics of “transcription” and will ‘translate’ one instrumental color into another.

Activity: The teacher will hand each students a copy of the opening bars to Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5”. The teacher will then play (at least twice) the portion of recording that corresponds to those bars. Then, using Finale or Finale Notepad, the students will make an SATB transcription of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. (The text can be a simple, reiterated “doo”) Students can also decide to work individually or in groups. Students should be reminded that their compositions should reflect some semblance of understanding color in relation to music and instrumentation. Students can then perform their transcriptions or play them on Finale or Finale Notepad.

Assessment: Are students selecting specific lines for SATB based on Beethoven’s instrumentation? Students should also be thinking independently or discussing in a high-level manner the effect of having one vocal part sing a line as opposed to another vocal part singing the same line.