RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT DAY TWO OF FIVE
6TH GRADE GENERAL MUSIC

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOME 2: Historical, cultural, and social contexts

The student will demonstrate an understanding of music as an essential aspect of history and human experience.

EXPECTATION 3:

The student will identify the relationship of music to dance, theatre, the visual arts and other disciplines.

INDICATOR:

2.3.1 the student will discuss common elements in music, poetry, dance, theatre and visual art. Or 2.3.2 The student will discuss the fine arts as a unique means of individual creative expression.

DAY TWO:

OBJECTIVE:

Students will identify the importance of music as a descriptive term by reading 100 lines from Shakespeare’s, “The Merchant of Venice” and identify how many times the word music or words related to music are used and what it means.

OBJECTIVE:

Students will identify instruments of the Renaissance period and perform a catche(round) to understand the music of the time period.

ACTIVITIES

1. journal opener-List three events that occurred during the Renaissance period (reviewing knowledge from previous class).
2. Discuss opener and what events the students feel were probably the most important.
3. Distribute 100 lines of play-students underline or highlight music or words related to music.
4. Discuss how many times they found these words. Discuss why Shakespeare would choose music to convey some type of feelings, ideas etc…
5. Using notes from text of Shakespeare, discuss the meaning of the 100 lines and point out the huge poster with the quote on my wall that has an important idea about music.
6. Move on to the song from the time period. Explain how a song like this was a form of entertainment just like Shakespeare’s plays.
7. 8th grade textbook-Read information on pages about the Renaissance and discuss this.
8. Play the recording of the song, “Sing out.” Have students follow song with finger. Play again.
9. Have students echo sing the song-me first, then them. Sing along with CD once it is learned.
10. When students feel comfortable, split into two groups and see if they can figure out the joke.

ASSESSMENTS

verbal questioning and discussion

MATERIALS

copies of 100 lines, 8th grade textbook, Music Connection CD

THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT-DAY ONE OF FIVE
6TH GRADE GENERAL MUSIC

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOME 2:

Historical, cultural, and social contexts. The student will demonstrate an understanding of music as an essential aspect of history and human experiences.

EXPECTATION 4:

The student will identify and classify significant styles and genres in music history.

INDICATORS:

2.4.2 the student will compare and contrast musical examples representing various genres, styles, and cultures.

DAY ONE:

OBJECTIVE:

Students will identify dates, characteristics, and events of the Renaissance period by reading and discussing the timeline and comparing a piece of Renaissance music to a Gregorian chant.

ACTIVITIES:

1. journal opener-“What things come to mind when you hear the word Renaissance?”
2. discuss what the students think of and even what I think of.
3. Distribution of timeline and discuss the different areas, art, literature, music, world events
4. In their journals-listening comparison-play Gregorian chant and a motet-they write down similarities and differences
5. Discuss this information and why they think music changed from one time to the next
6. Give basic background – what renaissance means, who were important composers and why they were important. Who was funding the music, etc…whatever is not covered, finish second class
7. assessment-in journals-describe the feelings they have while listening to another renaissance piece of music-what do they feel and what was the composer trying to convey

ASSESSMENT

journal entries

MATERIALS

copies of timeline, Chant CD and Renaissance CD(song to be determined),post-cards of Renaissance art, art book with pictures, Music encyclopedia for pictures

RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT
DAY THREE OF FIVE

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOME 2:

Historical, cultural, and social contexts. The student will demonstrate an understanding of music as and essential aspect of history and human experience.

EXPECTATION 3:

The student will identify the relationship of music to dance, theatre, the visual arts and other disciplines.

INDICATOR:

2.3.1 The students will discuss common elements in music, poetry, dance, theatre, and visual art.

OBJECTIVE:

The students will identify important characteristics of composers, authors, and artists of the Renaissance period by completing a treasure hunt in the library.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Journal opener-name three different types of songs during the Renaissance period and explain what they are.
2. Discuss the opener.
3. Distribute handout for the treasure hunt and explain what the directions are. Put students into partners for library. The treasure hunt is on the computer and I will distribute copies of the questions to the students to be collected. www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/huntrenaissaca.html
4. Collect treasure hunt as a summative assessment.

MATERIALS

treasure hunt handout, copies of articles for library

RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT
DAY FOUR OF FIVE

MARYLAND LEARING OUTCOME 1:

Perceiving, performing, and responding-aesthetic education. The student will demonstrate the ability to perceive, perform, and respond to music.

EXPECTATION 3:

the student will respond to music through movement.

INDICATOR:

1.3.3. The student will move to music in simple and compound meters in order to communicate rhythmic and expressive intent.

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOME 2:

Historical, cultural, and contexts. The student will demonstrate an understanding of music as an essential aspect of history and human experience.

EXPECTATION 3:

The student will identify the relationship of music to dance, theatre, the visual arts and other disciplines.

INDICATOR:

2.3.2 The student will discuss the fine arts as a unique means of individual creative expression.

OBJECTIVE:

Students will identify creative and fine arts during the Renaissance period by holding a Renaissance Faire in the classroom.

THERE WILL BE RENAISSANCE MUSIC PLAYING DURING THE FAIRE
IT MAY EVEN BE SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS MAY DRESS ACCORDING TO THE TIME PERIOD.

FAIRE STATIONS

1. food
2. medallion making
3. jewelry making
4. building design
5. poetry writing

Students will learn the Pavan dance and how to bow

MATERIALS

Renaissance CDs, tables for stations, beads and string, foil, shoe polish, and newspaper, plain paper for drawings, notebook paper for poetry, napkins, plates, etc…

RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT
DAY FIVE OF FIVE

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOME 2:

Historical, cultural, and social contexts. The student will demonstrate an understanding of music as an essential aspect of history and human experience.

EXPECTATION 3:

The student will identify the relationship of music to dance, theatre, the visual arts and other disciplines.

INDICATOR:

2.3.1 the student will discuss common elements in music, poetry, dance, theatre, and visual art.

OBJECTIVE:

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the Renaissance period by creating a book to explain the important characteristics of the Renaissance period to someone that is not knowledgeable in this area.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students are given several sheets of paper(stiffer than normal paper)
2. Students are split up around the room with all of the information they have collected thus far.
3. Students create a book using markers, stencils, etc… they may draw pictures along with their words. They should have a page on art, literature, and two pages on music. (instruments and composers is a suggestion)
4. Students hook the book together by ribbon and submit for a grade.

MATERIALS

• markers
• crayons
• stencils
• colored pencils
• ribbon
• some type of heavy duty paper
• glue sticks

RENAISSANCE PERIOD UNIT
6TH GRADE GENERAL MUSIC
OVERVIEW OF LESSONS

Modified block schedule-80 minute classes every other day

MAIN UNIT OBJECTIVE

The main purpose of this unit is to have the students understand the development of music from the Medieval Period to the Renaissance Period. Part of the goal is enhancing their knowledge of how music, art, and literature are related.

DAY ONE- Introduction of timeline, basic music facts, comparison of Medieval to Renaissance
DAY TWO-Shakespeare lines-use of music in literature, singing of a Renaissance style song, instruments of time
DAY THREE-Library Treasure hunt-finding information on composers, artists, literature
DAY FOUR-Renaissance Faire in classroom- different stations to get an idea of things from the time
DAY FIVE-Final assessment-creating a book to explain to someone about the Renaissance period

SOURCES

• Elizabethan Music and Musical Criticism - Morrison Comegys Boyd
• A History of Western Music-Donald Grout and Claude Palisca
• http://classicalmus.hispeed.com/rena.html (excellent site-everything you always wanted to know and didn’t want to know about Renaissance music)

BASIC INFORMATION AND DEFINITIONS OF RENAISSANCE MUSIC

DEFINITIONS

• Motet-sacred song
• Madrigal-secular song, came out of Italy, usually for 2-8 voices
  • Important madrigal composers- William Byrd, John Wilbye, Orlando Gibbons,
• Ayre-Elizabethan song for a single voice, now the word has come to imply that the accompaniment was for lute.
• Masque-form closely related to the play and opera. The story was told in song and speaking, with dances by the characters and chorus.

IMPORTANT COMPOSERS

William Byrd, Palestrina, Josquin Des Prez, Giovanni Gabrielli, Andrea Gabrielli, Orlando Gibbons

John Dowland-composed both words and music for lute songs, court lutantist for King Christian IV of Denmark before returning to London to work for Charles I.

Thomas Morley-musician, publisher, composed religious and secular music, organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral, wrote a treatise-“A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musick”

Robert Johnson-Court lutanist, composed original settings for some of Shakespeare’s songs, notably, those from “The Tempest”

Thomas Campion-Lyricist, composer, wrote songs for lute, composed lyrics and music for court masques, wrote a treatise on counterpoint and poetry

No keyboard music was published before the reign of King James because they thought it wouldn’t be worth setting the printers for complicated type and they would lose money.

Well-educated Elizabethans were expected to be able to sing at sight