Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture, "Finale"

Grades 3-5
Cross-Disciplinary Lesson Plans

Lesson: Mapping Rossini's Operas

Demonstrate map skills by:

1. Identifying various major reference points on the earth;
2. Locating major landforms and bodies of water; or
3. Using a number/letter grid system to locate places on a map, a map key to understand map symbols, a linear scale to measure distances on a map, and a direction indicator.

Objective
Students will map the locations of various Rossini operas took place.

Materials
World map or individual regions map for students to mark.

1. Many of Rossini's Opera's were in different geographical places. Have students locate theses places on the maps and create a unique symbol, which represents each place.

1. The Turk in Italy,
2. The Italian Girl in Algiers
3. Moses in Egypt
4. William Tell
5. The Journey to Riems.

2. Extension: Adding in other events or map locations from that time era

Lesson: Patterns in Music- Form or not

Use patterns to make generalizations and predictions by; a) Determining a rule and identifying missing numbers in a sequence.

Students will conclude that sometimes composers follow the rules about form and sometimes they do not.

Objectives

• Large form: Students will be able to identify the overall form of William Tell as ABA with an introduction and a coda.
  
• Small Form: Students will be able to identify the inner parts of the form to be in a freer form - but consistent with it's thematic material. They will use a listening map to help them grasp this concept.
  

Materials
Listening Map for William Tell Overture

1. Students listen to the beginning of "William Tell Overture"

• Is there any melody or theme that seems to repeat itself? - Yes, Call it A
• The Next theme call B and then C

2. Introduce the Listening Map and them follow it while listening to the music.

• Why is the second A and B different than the first?
• Why is the Third set of A and B back to Blue. (same as the first set)

3. Discuss conclusions: The overall form of the music is in the form A B A= a very normal musical form

• The inner form is not regular: it is designed the way the composer wanted it.
• Conclusion: Composers do have to follow the rules for musical form.

Lesson: Predict the number of seeds in one apple.

• Collect data, create a table, picture graph, bar graph, circle graph, or line graph and use them to solve application problems.
  
• Use patterns to make generalizations and predictions
  

Objective
Students will predict the number of seeds they find in an apple. They will then open several apples and chart their results.

Materials
Several Apples of various sizes and colors

1. Have students predict the number of seeds they will find in an apple.

• Does this prediction change depending on the size or color of the apple?

2. Chart the results.

Lesson: Sorting

Proficiency Goal
Collect data, create a table, picture graph, bar graph, circle graph, or line graph and use them to solve application problems.

Objectives
Students will sort a group of apples by size, color, and shape and chart the results.

Materials
A bushel or a large number of apples

Students will sort a group of apples by size, color, and shape and chart the results.

Lesson for Apple Survey

Collect data, create a table, picture graph, bar graph, circle graph, or line graph and use them to solve application problems.

Objectives
Students will collect data and graph the results.

Materials
Data Worksheet

1. Take as survey of the class's favorite apple foods and graph the results

2. Take a survey around the school and make a school population survey of favorite apple foods.

1. Students will need to determine how many students they will need to survey to make it valid statistically.
2. Graph your results.

3. Graph the apples according to color and/or size.

Lesson: Timeline of Rossini's Lifetime

Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to think about the relationship among events by identifying sequence of events in history. Students could be asked to examine a time line to locate needed information, or they could be asked to place historical development on a time line.

Objectives
Students will research to find out what other composers lived during Rossini's lifetime. And then plot them on a timeline.

Materials
Web access for students to research composer dates.

Extension
Research to find out what other events were going on in American and World history at the time of:

1. Rossini
2. William Tell

And plot on a timeline.

Lesson: The Legend of William Tell

• Differentiate between statements of fact and opinion in information about public issues and policies.
• Identify and assess the possibilities of group decision-making, cooperative activity, and personal involvement in the community.
  

Objective
Students will read the legend of William Tell and discuss what could be fact and fiction in this legend. Also discuss the influence one citizen could have on a nation.

Materials
Story of William Tell Book list
Story of William Tell - student sheet

1. Read the legend of William Tell.

2. Discuss how the William Tell influenced his town and therefore all of Switzerland.

3. How did group decision making cooperative activity and personal involvement come into play in the story?

Lesson : Music and Emotions - Writing Prompt

Objective
Students will listen to the music of William Tell Overture and write about how it makes them feel.

Materials
Pencil and Paper

Have students listen to the William Tell Overture and write about how the music makes them feel. Play the music several times so that they can use specific details to reinforce their writing.

Lesson: Music and story writing

Objective
Students will create a story that reflects the William Tell Overture - finale.

Materials
Pencil and Paper

Have students create a story that reflects the "William Tell Overture - finale"

They are directed not to use the original storyline - if they have been told it. Allow them to write the story as a prompt - or create the story using a cartoon storyboard. Students could then write their story into a script and act it out in small groups.

Lesson: Story writing and Language

Objective
Students will create or are given a vocabulary list in which they will incorporate into their own story about William Tell.

Materials
Pencil and Paper

Lesson: Poetry and William Tell

Objectives
Students will create poems using elements from the William Tell Story

Materials
Paper pencil, crayons, markers, etc.

Brainstorm apple words—colors, looks, places, etc. Ideas:

• Couplets-2 line rhyming poem
• Shape poem-write around apple shape
• Write APPLE down, then write words or phrases

heAlthful
  aPpetizing
    Pretty
    Luscious
to Eat

 

Gioachino Rossini Links