MPR

Model Lesson by Kim Kroetsch

Minnesota Music Standards Primary Music (K-3)
Strand 1. Artistic Foundations
Standard 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of the arts area.
Benchmark 1. Identify the elements of music including melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, tone color,
texture, form and their related concepts.

Grade 2 Lesson
Elements Focus: Dynamics, Articulation & Form

Opening Song: Knock No More (CIRCLE)
Review Dynamics: piano, forte, crescendo & decrescendo with conducting gestures
Students practice conducting gestures
Students lead conducting of dynamics

Listening Response: Dvok Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8 in g minor (GROUP SHAPE)
1x- what do you notice?
Present Dvok Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8 in g minor (Dvok was from a country that was called
Czechoslovakia; now it is two nations called Slovakia and Czech Republic. Back in the 1800s, Dvok
loved to write music in the style of folk melodies from his homeland. This piece is a great example of
that.)
2x- conduct together dynamics
3x- Students conduct independently
4x- mapping: Students create listening map of their responses on board using symbolic notation (see
page 3 of this document)

Song: Kaeru No Uta Ga (Japan) (GROUP SHAPE)
Review: Articulation: staccato, marcato & legato
Students practice conducting gestures

Movement: Walk & Stop (MOVEMENT AROUND ROOM)
tiptoe, march & turn: Are we moving staccato, legato or marcato?

Listening Response: Dvok Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8 in g minor (GROUP SHAPE)
1x- what do you notice?
2x- conduct together articulation
3x- Students conduct independently
4x- mapping: Students create listening map of their responses on board using symbolic notation (see
page 3)


Lesson Summary: (GROUP SHAPE)
As you look at our work-what do you notice about our listening map? Do you see a pattern?
What element are we talking about if we are describing the design of a piece of music? Form
Looking at the map- how would we label the form of this piece? Students label form on listening map.
Now that youve heard this piece what do you wonder?



Teaching Reflective Listening by Kim Kroetsch

This lesson highlights a number of strategies that encourage children to listen deeply and responsively to
music. Ive chosen to share this lesson because it has universal application to just about any piece of music. In
this lesson, we are focusing on dynamics, articulation and form. Students are first engaged kinesthetically and
use those kinesthetic responses to map what they hear in writing. I really like teaching this Slavonic Dance No.
8 by Dvok because it is musically rich. This richness is noticed and enjoyed by children who learn the skills to
become reflective listeners.

(See Listening Map for Dvok Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8 in g minor next page)

Kim Kroetsch
Linwood Monroe Arts Plus
Linwood Campus
1023 Osceola Avenue
St Paul, MN 55105
651-744-2818
kim.kroetsch@spps.org

Minnesota Public Radio thanks The Sunup Foundation for generous support of this
music education initiative.





Listening Map for Dvok Slavonic Dance Op. 46, No. 8 in g minor

Dynamics
f
p
f
P

Articulation & marcato-
legato
marcato
staccato


staccato

Form

fpfpfpfp

crescendo

marcato
staccato

staccato
legato
marcato

marcato-