Quartal+Harmonies+in+Jupiter

 || Students will develop their skills with modal and quartal pitch sets skills to the piece Jupiter || || Warm-up 1. The students will begin with a G myxolydian scale 2. Next students will be asked to transpose this scale (without notation) to two additional keynotes 3. At this point, I will explain to the students how the opening string motive is a quartal harmony, they will demonstrate this by expanding and contracting these harmonies Jupiter 1. Attempt to play the first two sections of Jupiter, focusing on dynamics and tempo as we have been the last few days 2. Hopefully begin work on the 3rd theme, stopping to analyze some of the new challenges in myxolydian 3. Work the third theme in small chunks, focusing on a light feeling triple meter 4. Students will be assigned to write a short paper on how Holst’s writing style is painting the picture of Jupiter, they should do this in the form of comparison with painting a picture || || Students demonstrate improved skill in the piece Jupiter and are able to relate Holst’s style to the character he is setting in their papers ||
 * ** Subject/Grade: ** || High School orchestra ||
 * ** Focus Concepts/Skills: ** || Mixolydian Mode, modal cadences, and quartal harmonies ||
 * National Standards (put X before all that apply): **
 * || ** 1. Sing ** || x || ** 2. Play ** || || ** 3. Improvise ** || || ** 4. Compose/Arr. ** || ** x ** || ** 5. Read/Notate ** ||
 * || ** 6. Listen ** || ** x ** || ** 7. Evaluate ** || ** x ** || ** 8. Related Arts ** || |||||| ** 9. History/Culture ** ||
 * ** Learning **
 * Objectives: **
 * ** Sequence of **
 * Activities: **
 * ** Assessment: **

I think this lesson is well laid out and would fit well into a long term rehearsal plan. To fit this assignment better, I would expand the learning objectives to better explain the ideas of playing the opening passage in an unknown tonality. Also, I think that the paper assigned could include standards about other arts, culture and history.

Thanks Mark, I changed the wording in my objectives a little and that consequently caused me to expound upon some of my methods. I am trying to get the students to understand about the quasi-programmatic/visualization aspects of this piece, however, I left the writing assignment basically the same as I am trying to get them to speak intelligently about how certain musical elements accomplish this effect. I have posted a revision as Quartal and Myxolydian in Jupiter.