A Web Quest Upper Elementary General Music

Introduction  | Task |  Process  | Evaluation |  Conclusion  | Teacher Page

Introduction

You have just completed an in-depth study of the Life and Works of Aaron Copland.  Anyone can listen to a lecture about Aaron Copland's life.  Anyone can turn on a CD player and listen to some of his music.  Anyone can sit back and let this information slip to the back of their mind or even completely forget about it.  Your music teacher has place a challenge in front of you.  Will you forget what you have learned?  Will you let the work of Aaron Copland go unnoticed?  Will you let his music go unheard?  Imagine you are a young composer, choreographer, or artist.  Walk back in time to about 1944.  Instead of reading about Aaron Copland, you are working with him on an exciting project.

TASK

You have dreamed of being a musician, choreographer, and a sculptor for most of your life.  You have been given the opportunity to work with a group artists to write an accompaniment, choreograph the dance movements, and design a sculpture that is inspired by  Aaron Copland's Shaker Variations.

Process

Step 1

• First you must take yourselves back in time to discover what other things were going on during Aaron Copland's life.
• Print out a copy of the Group Activity Worksheet
• Explore the following websites from the American Memory Collection to answer these questions from American History.

Step 2

• Print out a copy of the lyrics to Shaker melody "Simple Gifts."
• Study the lyrics.
• Discuss the meaning of the lyrics with your group members.
• Write a brief reflection describing the meaning of the song.

• Next, your group must do a bit or research into the history and traditions of the Shaker culture.

• Take a look at where the Shakers lived and worked!

• Take a look at some items designed and built by members of the Shaker culture!

Step 4
As musicians, your group will arrange accompainiment patterns to perform while listening to Aaron Copland's "Shaker Variations."

Step 5
As choreographers,  your group will choreograph a dance sequence based on Aaron Copland's "Shaker Variations."

Step 6
As sculptors, your group will form and human sculpture inspired by Aaron Copland's "Shaker Variations."

Step 7

• Your group will perform an accompainiment pattern for the rest of the class.
• Your group will perform a dance sequence for the rest of the class.
• Your group will also model their human sculpture for the rest of the class (one representative from the group may explain your human sculpture).

Click here to print a copy of your scoring guide

Conclusion

You are now a world-renowned composer, choreographer and sculptor.  You have accomplished your goal.  You are now ready to travel the world and work with composers from all over the world.

Teacher Page

Lesson plan
Teachnology