Students gain both music and academic skills through this type of curriculum unit. Music skills can be acquired for basic musical symbols, notation and musical concepts. Music symbols such as the staff , treble and bass clefs and bar lines are fun to put into context of a film , literature or a game. Students also learn the notes of the staff when the treble clef is in use, what a time signature is ( like 4/4 3/4, and 6/8 ),along with very basic dynamics markings: Forte, Mezzoforte, and Piano. With the interdisciplinary approach, more abstract concepts such as (foreshadowing ) with music either by means of the same film clip or a series of short musical sections shown on film.
In teaching music in its relationship to history, I would like to use the following films; “Amadeus,” which focuses on the late Eighteenth Century. “Immortal Beloved,” a movie about Beethoven which focuses on the early Nineteenth Century made by Bernard Rose. “2001 A Space Odyssey” by Stanley Kubrick is a movie that uses both Johann and Richard Strauss and contemporary music of the mid twentieth Century composed by Ligeti Gyorgy. “Apollo 13” by William Broyles is a movie which deals with mid twentieth century events in science and the beginning of the space age. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, which was the basis for Spike Lee’s film “Malcom X.” I also make reference the movie “West Side Story” , made in 1961 by Ernest Lehman, because it is based on Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, score written by Leonard Bernstein.
In addition to the above mentioned films, I will also use the following books; The Independent Film and Videomakers Guide, by Michael Wiese. The Beethoven Companion, Edited by Thomas K. Scherman and Louis Biancolli. Mozart Speaks; Views on Music, Musicians, and the World, by Robert Marshall.
The films and books listed above shall hopefully support students to explore the “truth” in terms of musical history.
In order to have students gain an experience that will guide them in their search of performance practices and the study of composers explored during this curriculum unit, they will need other sources that convey an understanding of different time periods as they relate to the present times, how our personal views can either obscure or provide insight as to understanding the past.
With regards to high school students understanding the unique challenges met through the study of music history, teachers might ask them the following questions: what is the impact of our present day access to records, tapes , video tapes, LP’s, CD’s, T.V., radio, computer music programs, sheet music, and the printing press of present day musicians and composers?
How does the fact that we do not have a personal recording of J.S. Bach playing the clavichord with his own compositions impact our ability to get a historical account of how his music should be played
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Does “music notation” provide an accurate means of hearing music from differing time periods where we do not have recordings of composers playing their music ?
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Is it possible that a performer could play or perform a work of music just as well or better than the composer of his or her own music ?
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In order to track differing cultures, their changing background and their inter-relationship to each other over time, one might ask the question, how does musical forms develop over time ?
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What is the role of folk songs and music compositions ? Does each nationality have its’ own music form ? Do composers borrow from other nationalities ? What impact does media and advanced technologies have on musicians and their audiences ?
The format for each lesson to be presented in them following way:
Introduction:
The goal of the introduction is to prepare the students for the procedure and contents of each unit. The Introduction might briefly present the movie, book , or materials needed in order to start work on each lesson. The introduction will also give the approximate length of each lesson. Some lessons may only take one class while other lessons may take a week to two weeks to complete. This shall be explained in detail later.
Goal for each lesson:
Each section will have a central goal and possibly a set of sub goals. The goals presented in this unit are not carved in stone. Teachers can use this section in order to define his or her own needs as it relates to their class. The format is what’s important. If you are team teaching, this section can be useful in terms of organizing your lesson plans
The Objective for each lesson:
The objective for each lesson shall include the teaching strategies for each section. The objective will relate to the goal in terms of how each goal shall be either approached or met.
Vocabulary List:
Each lesson should have a vocabulary list of both musical, historical, and academic terms. I have found that vocabulary lists help to map out, draw out , define, identify, or clarify the context of and abstract idea or concept presented in more than one discipline. For example, if you wanted to introduce the concept of theme, one could use the film “Star Wars” by George Lukas, with the following word list: Theme, Leitmotif, Plot, Film Plot, and Character.
Materials Needed for each class or lesson
This section shall include the equipment or other things that a teacher might need to teach a particular lesson. In some cases this might be just a CD player, or a combination of VCR, CD, and book information .
Summary and Evaluation:
The summary and evaluation shall be accomplished through the use of a student journal. Each student shall keep a journal of progress to be used both during class for some homework assignments. This is the section where students develop the concept of “theme” while viewing the introduction of the film clip of “Star Wars”.
Students could develop any number of academic skills from any form of discipline, such as, their powers of observation as in the study of science. If the subject taught in your class room is math, use a film clip for students to gain a historical perspective on how math was used in the past and how it might be used in the future.
Ask the question, shall we discover a new form of math in the next ten to one hundred years, if so, what might this new form of math look like or accomplish ? The study of music, math, language, history, social studies, and science together might spark the imagination of the students in ways that just the study and evaluation of each subject in isolation with a class discussion alone might not.
The process of analysis and critical thinking skills grow in the fertile ground of the student’s journal. The end of the class might be a good time to have students complete this very important part of the lesson. This section can also be the homework segment where learning continues beyond the classroom.
While the imaginations of the students you teach might be sparked, and their world view expanded through the process of all the other sections listed above, without use of this section, those skills such as the ability to read with comprehension, to think, analyze, and process information critically and express ones personal view and discoveries in writing might go undeveloped .
FIRST LESSON
Introduction:
The first section of this unit shall focus upon the concept of “Specious Present” and how it relates to the study of music, history, and its’ function in film and video. Please note that the duration of this lesson is in part due to the age group and level of the students that you are teaching.
Each lesson should be adapted to the needs of each type of class that you are teaching. For example, if you are teaching a kindergarten class, each section should be simplified and broken into smaller units of shorter duration.
The student journal section (Summary and Evaluation) might contain a section for drawing the movies segment shown in class. The Vocabulary list might contain basic concepts i.e. Time Line, Prehistoric Man, Latin root of the word “Pre” and the stem “Historic”, and “History”; or Film Score, Movie, Sound Recording. The Goal of the lesson might be to have students make a sound track of their own with drums, sticks, whistles, and the classroom piano. The objective might be to have students learn basic notation such as quarter rests and quarter notes. Each student can write an film score using just drum beats and drum rests. the score might look like :
Score for Film “2001”:
Drums: Fast drumming no meter for 7 seconds when the tiger enters the movie.
Piano: Piano rests until the drums stop .
Drums: Fast drumming no meter when the prehistoric man throws the stick in the air as the stick comes down the drums get softer and fade out to nothing as it stick turns into a space ship.
Piano: Piano rests while the drums play; as the drums get softer the piano becomes louder and plays in the meter of a Waltz 3/4 time.
High School Students one might do the following:
The materials used are a VCR, possibly a CD player if you want to extend the lesson for a longer period of time. The Film “2001 a Space Odyssey”, made in 1968, based on Arthur C. Clark’s book 2001 a Space Odyssey, the Screen Play Written By Both Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark. (For those of you who are not musicians, you could use the sound track from the movie “2001” for extended concentration on this film clip ).
One might also use the film “Apollo 13” made in 1995, written by William Broyles to be used as an example of the recent past or present reenactment of the 1970’s space mission to the moon. The addition of this film might be useful for levels Fifth through Eight grade. The Film Score was written by James Horner who won an Academy Award for “Best Score
The class is first presented with a film clip from “2001 a Space Odyssey”.
Explain to the Class that they are about to encounter the experience of learning music and history together with the help of a special tool or device that is used in both film and video called “Specious Present”. Also explain before that experience can be understood for the purposes of the this class that it is vital that procedure, map or system be shown first. Pass out an outline of each section.
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Introduction
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Goal for lesson:
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The Objective for lesson:
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Vocabulary List
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Materials Needed for each class or lesson
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Summary and Evaluation:
As you explain each section for your class have them write down what they will need to know and the purpose of each section . For example, you might say that for materials needed for each class or lesson: to bring pencils, pens, vocabulary lists, homework assignments and journals each day.
In the Objective section you might break down each days activities such as, Sept. 7, class room activity film clip, home work student journal on 2001. Sept 9 , Class room activity, vocabulary words, class discussion of use of film score, or for homework write in journal your favorite music film score clip , tell why; Sept, 11, Vocabulary list test and journals due for review, and so on
After the showing of the film clip of “2001” and class discussion, you might want to take a day for the discussion of the use of film and how it portrays prehistoric human beings. (Please note that human beings don’t have a form or style of music for prehistoric times, so Kubrick uses modern music. ) You could plan a day’s class on the subject of Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss and romanticism. Also note that Kubrick uses this style for his presentation of the our future in space, why ?
The film clip used should consist of the beginning of the film up to the point where the space station is shown, docked with the space shuttle.
Goals for this lesson:
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1 . to have students understand to concept of “Specious Present”.
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2. to have students understand the idea that history, music and most art or academic subjects can be put on a time line into eras or periods such as Renaissance, Baroque, and so on. If you are reading this Unit either on the year 2001 or beyond, the concept should still be the same with a few minor adjustments.
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3. to have students understand how the film score in “2001” was divided up into three main sections representing a particular time period(s):
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I (the presentation of eternity) , music from the romantic era Richard Strauss
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II ( the presentation of Pre-Historic Man), with use of modern music of Gyorgy Ligeti
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III ( the presentation of the birth of humans’ ability to think and the transitional change from that point of our past to our future in space ), done with the use of the Romantic music of Johann Strauss [ The Blue Danube ].
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4. to have students become familiar with new vocabulary words and how to study them in context of each lesson
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5. have students develop observation skills through the use of their journals.
The Objective for this lesson:
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1. to have the film clip presented in three sections
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a. the introduction music segment with music from Richard Strauss [Also Sprach Zurathustra] (timeless or eternal)
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b. the prehistoric segment with the use of music from Ligeti’s composition ( represents the past )
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c. the bone that changes into a space ship and the music of Johann Strauss
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( represents the future )
Note that the Richard Strauss’s [Also Sprach Zurathustra] music returns at the moment that the prehistoric man turns bones into a tool.
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2. to have students understand that this film was made in 1968.
a. questions to present students might be; Were there any computers in 1968, if so, did they look like the ones in the film ?
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b. we are approaching the year 2001, Does the film accurately present our present times , and if so, What items are or are not on track in the movie ?
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c. ask students; If they even for a small moment felt like they were in the prehistoric times with the Cave People ? What details in the film helped you feel that way ?
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ask students , Did Mr. Kubrick ever see space , were there pictures of space and
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planets for him to use, if not, how did he come up with the pictures of space and are they close to actual pictures of space that we have today ?
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e. What events took place in 1969 that relate to space and the moon ?
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f. Were there any other events taking place in the year 1969 in the USA that relate to this film ?
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3. to have students use their journals both in class and for homework
Vocabulary List:
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Specious Present: is a term that in this class means an event that bends space and time as that a human being may gain insight of experiences, events and occurrences from different time periods.
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Eternal: the quality of time without beginning or end .
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Time Line
: is a list of historical events which are placed according to the time, place, and date that they took place. Such events are then sometimes placed into what are called eras or periods.
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Romantic Music Era
: is a period of music events that took place during 1825-1900. Both Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss composed music in this period of time. If you feel comfortable with music terms you could add basic music concepts such as , Major Key, Minor Key, Three Note Triads, Major and Minor Triads, Chromaticism, and Meter
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Theme
: is a main idea or central thought expressed in music, art, or film.
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The Waltz
: is a dance that was very popular in the Romantic Music Era which is in a very fast 3/4 time felt in one. The first beat is the strong beat 1. The 2nd and 3rd beat are weaker beats. Count 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3, then say just one in the time span of the three beats.
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Film Score
: is the music written by a composer especially a film. It is the music one hears while the film is in progress.
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Monolith
: A large block of stone used in architecture or sculpture.
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Symbol
: something that represents something else by association, especially a material object used to represent something that is invisible.
Materials Needed for each class or lesson:
VCR , ( CD if you are going to break this unit up into smaller units ). Students should have journals to write in each day. The Sound Score of “2001”, and The Film “2001”.
Note: if you are teaching 5th Grade - 8th Grade you might consider the use of “Apollo 13”.
Use the film clip where the tank blows apart in space with Tom Hank’s Famous Line “ Houston we have a problem “. The questions to ask might include:
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1. Did this event really happen, if so, did the film clip make it look real?
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2. When was this film made ? have students find out for homework.
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3. How does this film clip relate to the year 2001, computers, etc. ?
Summary and Evaluation:
Each lesson unit and/or class should end with the summary and evaluation of what was presented in class or segment. A student journal is one way that might be a process useful to bring together ideas or concepts presented. A journal might look like the following example:
Student Journal of Lesson One: “2001” Film Clip and “Apollo 13”
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Date:
Today’s Homework Assignment :
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What I Learned About History Today:
This section can have more detailed information as the teacher sees fit. Another possibility is to have each section of the journal relate to each discipline such as , What I Learned About Music in Today’s Class or What I Learned About Science Today. Good documentation skills grow out of students developing good observation skills and listening skills. This type of process also helps students to summarize and evaluate their own learning