Exploring Form - Working With Pictures and Sound

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

7

Overview

Similarity and contrast are essential to the aesthetic experience. In this lesson, students will create a digital slideshow with a soundtrack that contains contrasting themes.  The students will experience the aesthetic impact of AB, ABA, and ABACABA (rondo) form. First, the students will collect and organize pictures into contrasting themes. (For example, a student would download pictures from the Internet of dogs that are sitting and dogs that are running.) Then, they will find and download two music pieces to be used as soundtracks for the pictures. The students will use the pictures and music to create a digital slideshow in an AB form and also in an ABA form. (PC users can use free software such as Shotcut and Mac users can use a similar software such as iMovie). Finally, the students will add an additional set of pictures and music track that are different from the other two themes to create a third theme. (For example, a student would add pictures of cats.) With these three themes, the student will create a slideshow in ABACABA (rondo) form.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit2.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 7 - Music

AE17.MU.7.2

Select, organize, develop, and document personal musical ideas for arrangements, songs, and compositions within AB, ABA, or theme and variation forms that demonstrate unity and variety and convey expressive intent.

UP:AE17.MU.7.2

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Phrase
  • Notation (standard, invented, or technological)
Melody
  • Phrase
  • Notation (standard, invented, or technological)
Harmony
  • Phrase
  • Accompaniment
  • Progression
Form
  • Binary form (AB)
  • Ternary form (ABA)
  • Style
  • Genre
  • Structure (melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic)
Expression
  • Tempo
  • Dynamics
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Essential Questions

EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians' work emerge from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Perform rhythmic, melodic, and/or harmonic phrases that are self-created or created by peers.
  • Perform on instruments or using technology harmonic accompaniments consisting of more than two chords.
  • Perform harmonic accompaniment to a simple melody using I, IV, and V chords.
  • Perform middle level literature on a variety of classroom instruments.
  • Sing alone and with others middle level literature with proper technique.
Creating
  • Improvise melodic and/or rhythmic phrases vocally, with instruments, or technology.
  • Compose melodic and/or rhythmic phrases.
  • Compose accompaniments using I, IV, and V chords.
  • Compose, using standard notation, iconic notation, and/or technology, pieces in AB or ABA form.
  • Create musical compositions in AB form using instruments or technology.
  • Examine, with guidance, how musical compositions are arranged for various ensembles.
Reading/ Writing
  • Compose melodic, rhythmic, and/or harmonic phrases using standard, iconic notation, and/or technology.
  • Sight read melodic, rhythmic, and/or harmonic phrases that are self-created or created by peers.
  • Using notation (standard, invented, and/or through technology) record musical ideas.
  • Cite specific example from music performed or composed that demonstrate the composer's musical intent.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Develop, with the guidance of teacher, a plan to document the composition process including craftsmanship, originality, refinement of ideas, and final presentation and/or performance.
  • Respond, using appropriate vocabulary, to personal musical creations.
  • Respond, using appropriate vocabulary, to questions about expressive intent of personal music creations.
  • Develop, with peers and teacher, a rubric for the refinement of personal musical creations.
  • Create, with teacher guidance, rubrics to evaluate students' personal compositions, songs, and/or arrangements.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 7 - Music

AE17.MU.7.6

Present the final version of their documented personal composition, song, or arrangement, using craftsmanship and originality to demonstrate unity and variety while conveying expressive intent.

UP:AE17.MU.7.6

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Phrase
  • Notation (standard, invented, or technological)
Melody
  • Phrase
  • Notation (standard, invented, or technological)
Harmony
  • Phrase
  • Accompaniment
  • Progression
Form
  • Binary form (AB)
  • Ternary form (ABA)
  • Style
  • Genre
  • Structure (melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic)
Expression
  • Tempo
  • Dynamics
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Essential Questions

EU: Musicians' presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication.
EQ: When is creative work ready to share?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Perform rhythmic, melodic, and/or harmonic phrases that are self-created or created by peers.
  • Perform on instruments or using technology harmonic accompaniments consisting of more than two chords.
  • Perform harmonic accompaniment to a simple melody using I, IV, and V chords.
  • Perform middle level literature on a variety of classroom instruments.
  • Sing alone and with others middle level literature with proper technique.
Creating
  • Improvise melodic and/or rhythmic phrases vocally, with instruments, or technology.
  • Compose melodic and/or rhythmic phrases.
  • Compose accompaniments using I, IV, and V chords.
  • Compose, using standard notation, iconic notation, and/or technology, pieces in AB or ABA form.
  • Create musical compositions in AB form using instruments or technology.
  • Examine, with guidance, how musical compositions are arranged for various ensembles.
Reading/ Writing
  • Compose melodic, rhythmic, and/or harmonic phrases using standard, iconic notation, and/or technology.
  • Sight read melodic, rhythmic, and/or harmonic phrases that are self-created or created by peers.
  • Using notation (standard, invented, and/or through technology) record musical ideas.
  • Cite specific example from music performed or composed that demonstrate the composer's musical intent.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Develop, with the guidance of teacher, a plan to document the composition process including craftsmanship, originality, refinement of ideas, and final presentation and/or performance.
  • Respond, using appropriate vocabulary, to personal musical creations.
  • Respond, using appropriate vocabulary, to questions about expressive intent of personal music creations.
  • Develop, with peers and teacher, a rubric for the refinement of personal musical creations.
  • Create, with teacher guidance, rubrics to evaluate students' personal compositions, songs, and/or arrangements.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.

Learning Objectives

The student will

  • use a digital video editing software program to create a slideshow
  • demonstrate his/her ability to organize objects/concepts into common and contrasting themes
  • create a digital slideshow that follows traditional AB, ABA, and ABACABA forms

Activity Details

Opening Activity - Pictures

  • the teacher will present the idea that musical form is created through the repetition and contrast of musical ideas
  • the teacher will play a short repetitive piece of music and a piece filled with contrasts
  • the teacher will explain that repetition and contrast are not only a quality of music but can also be found in other artworks such as digital slideshows
  • the teacher will ask if the students can describe the differences between a digital slide show and an action movie
  • the teacher will provide an example of a digital slideshow (pictures and music)
  • the teacher will describe the following process for creating the visual part of the slideshow
  • first, the teacher imagines a general topic and then considers two contrasting perspectives (for example, dogs sitting and dogs running)
  • next, the teacher accesses the Pexels website (or other Creative Commons site) and demonstrates downloading the pictures
  • on a computer/tablet, the teacher organizes the downloaded pictures into two separate files based on their themes
  • the teacher demonstrates importing the pictures into ShotCut or another digital video program
  • the teacher shows the students how to adjust the time duration that each slide is shown and how to rearrange their order
  • finally, the teacher organizes the pictures into a slideshow with an AB form

Opening Activity - Soundtrack

  • the teacher accesses the Free Music Archive website (or other Creative Commons site)
  • the teacher demonstrates the process for reviewing and downloading music files
  • the teacher demonstrates the process for importing an mp3 file into Audacity or another audio editing program
  • the teacher shows the students how to edit the length of the file and how to copy and paste clips into the same audio track.
  • the teacher demonstrates how to organize the clips into an AB form
  • the teacher downloads the music file from Audacity and imports it into the digital video software so that the pictures and audio will play at the same time.

Core Activity - Pictures

  • the students will choose a general topic with two contrasting perspectives
  • the students will access the Pexels website (or other Creative Commons site) and download pictures
  • the students will organize the pictures into two separate files based on their themes
  • the students will import their pictures into ShotCut or another digital video program
  • the students will organize the pictures into a slideshow with an AB form
  • the students will complete any necessary editing (duration of slides, transitions, etc.)

Core Activity - Soundtrack

  • the students will access the Free Music Archive website (or other Creative Commons site) and search for two music selections with different characteristics
  • the students will download the mp3 files form the web and import them into Audacity (or other audio editing program)
  • the students will edit the sound files so that each is 30 seconds in length
  • the students will copy and past the clips into one audio track so that the music is in AB form and the track is no longer than one minute in length
  • After all of the previous steps have been completed, the students will use the same sound files to create a new audio track that is in ABA form and also one minute long

Closing Activity – Pictures

  • the students will download and import pictures that represent a third contrasting theme (for example, cats)
  • the students will organize all of the pictures into a slideshow with an ABACABA form

Closing Activity - Sound

  • the students will download and import a third sound file that is different from the first two
  • the students will edit and organize all three sound files so that they are with an audio track that is in ABACABA form and is 1.5 minutes in length

Conclusion

  • the students will import the audio track into the digital video software program
  • the students will write a one-page reflective paper describing their observations and opinions of the AB, ABA, and ABACABA forms.
  • the students will play their slideshow for the class
  • the students will share their thoughts with the class

Assessment Strategies

The students will send the teacher their slideshows as digital files either as email attachments, uploaded to Google Drive, or through the school’s Learning Management System.

 

The teacher will

  • evaluate the slide shows for evidence of repeating and contrasting elements
  • evaluate the slide shows for adherence to AB, ABA, and ABACABA forms
  • evaluate the students’ reflective paper for insights and understanding of the influence that form has on our perception of artistic works

Each criterion can be evaluated using Pass/Fail, a holistic rubric, or analytic rubric at the teacher's discretion.

Variation Tips

The students can work on their projects individually or with a partner.

Background / Preparation

The teacher should be familiar with the websites and software programs.

The students should be introduced to the software programs prior to this lesson. 

Music files can be retrieved from Free Music Archive at http://freemusicarchive.org or other Creative Commons site.

Audacity can be downloaded from https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Pexels
http://www.pexels.com

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

mzelenak
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