A Classical Music Webquest

for the Students

of  Ms. Brown

at Morton Middle School

Organizer

Classical music has been divided into six different periods. Each period has characteristic features that set it apart from the other periods. Most of our well-known composers belong to one of these six periods and helped to define that particular era of music. These periods were also shaped by many historical events which must be understood in order to truly gain an understanding of these different periods of music. The goal of this webquest is to familiarize you with these six periods so that you can understand them and discuss them among yourselves. 

Standards

1.1 Students use reference tools such as computer reference programs to find the information they need to meet specific demands or solve specific problems

1.2 Students make sense of the variety of materials they read

1.16 Students use computers and other kinds of technology to collect and organize information and ideas.

2.23 Students analyze their own and others' artistic products and performances

2.24 Students appreciate creativity and the values of the arts and the humanities.

Essential Questions

1. What are the classical music periods?

2. Who are the important composers from each period?

3. What musical instruments were created and/or important during each period?

4. What important historical events were associated with each period?

5. What are some important examples of music from each period?

Culminating Activity

For this assignment you will complete a timeline that will indicate the following: 

1. label all periods and indicate dates with brackets

2. place three important composers from each period on the timeline

3. place three characteristic instruments on each period

4. include all instruments and historical events from lists below on the timeline

5. on the back of the timeline divide the paper into six blocks and list three characteristics of the music from each period

6. listen to a sample of music from each period, list it in the appropriate block and describe why it fits into the period  

When your timeline is complete make a color coded key and then shade the items on the front and back of your paper with the appropriate colors.                             

Resources

http://www.bartleby.com/65/re/Renaisnc.html

http://www.bartleby.com/65/ro/romantic.html

http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/

http://library.thinkquest.org/C005356/index2.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/22673/

http://voyager.physics.unlv.edu/webpages2/picgalr2.html - go to this site and open the archives, then click on Classical Masters

http://www.lib.duke.edu/music/resources/composers.html

http://satellite-one.net/musicology/

http://www.classicalmus.hispeed.com/links.html

http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/epochs.html

http://sunsite.univie.ac.at/Classmidi/index.html

Process

Click on each of the resources listed above. Search through the Internet site to find whatever information is available to help complete your timeline. When you are finished with that one Internet site, move on to the next resource. Many historical events can best be researched through an encyclopedia. To use Encyclopedia Britannica or Encarta, click on the following website, and then click on the tab in the upper right corner for the appropriate encyclopedia:  http://intranet.fayette.k12.ky.us  (this site can only be accessed while in a Fayette County school building.

Content Knowledge

Renaissance

Baroque

Classical

Romantic

20th Century

Skills

Create a Timeline

Scoring Guide