Kelly Riley's Online Classroom

KELLY RILEY'S ONLINE CLASSROOM

Learner, teacher, reader, writer, gifted coordinator, ed tech geek, music ed evangelist

Second Grade Mozart Study

July 09, 2014

In the Hilliard City Schools music course of study, students in grades 1-6 study a different master composer each year. Second grade's composer is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We spent many music classes learning about Mozart's life and times, as well as watching performance videos, listening to, and moving to selected works.

The culminating project of our Mozart study was to identify the form of Rondo Alla Turca and use the form to create an original dance. We used the SMART Board to organize our listening into the form sections and to select words that describe each section of the form. To choose both the descriptive words and the dance movements, students brainstormed and shared ideas while I jotted notes on paper. Then I selected 3-5 that I felt best matched the music, and the students then voted for their favorites. This was a time consuming process, but it was well worth the time spent. First, it allowed all of the students to have a voice in the dance creation, either through coming up with a word, a dance idea, or voting on their favorite ideas. Additionally, the students were very thoughtful in their creation and revision of the dances. We had authentic and mature conversations about how artists use criticism to refine a performance.

Below is each class's organizing chart and a video of their dance. I hope you enjoy their creative masterpieces!

Mrs. Ehlerding's Class

2E Mozart chart

Mrs. Thurston's Class

2T Mozart chart

Ms. Whitaker's Class

2W Mozart chart

Through this project, the students worked on the following Ohio Music Standards (standards marked with an asterisk are specific to the Hilliard City Schools course of study).

  • 1CE Identify patterns of same and different phrases in simple poems and songs.
  • 3CE Listen to and identify music of various styles, composers, periods, and cultures.
  • 4CE Identify elements of music using developmentally appropriate vocabulary (e.g., rhythm, syllables, and solfege).
  • *CE Listen to music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
  • 2RE Discuss music of various composers, periods, cultures, and contrasting styles.
  • 3RE Discuss how music communicates feelings, moods, images, and meaning.
  • 4RE Interpret music through dance, drama, and visual art.
  • 5RE Respond to patterns of same and different phrases in simple poems and songs.