Submitted by Karen Stafford
Idea posted November 26, 2001
What I usually (or intend to!) do is work with songs with the younger kids and introduce the composer's name. I have a bulletin board display so the picture is there. (My Monthly Highlights board includes Composer Of The Month, Culture Of The Month, and this year, Instrument Of The Month.) If possible, with the older grades (4-6), I try to tie in the instrument with the composer. With fourth, I use the Sony composer series or other short biographical videos that are available, and I have them answer questions while watching. With fifth, I use Meet The Composers and other worksheets. With sixth, I tie more into literature and correlative playing (a simple arrangment of one of the composer's works for recorder, for instance). A good example is the Gershwin segment on Fantasia 2000 that you might still be able to get the Teacher's Plans for on the Disney site.
Another idea: The older kids could do a report (you might want to do this towards the end of the year) on their favorite composer, but tell them to make it creative ("dressing up," acting a skit, slide show, PowerPoint, anything but reading a report).