Year 12 Impressionism Lesson

1. RUTHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HIGH
Class 12 MUS Stage Stage 6
Curriculum Area Music Period Period 4
Topic Impressionism Date 15/08/2016
Teacher Miss C. Davis
Desired Results
Syllabus Outcomes:
H.2 Reads, interprets, discusses and analyses simple musical scores that are characteristic of the topics studied
H.4 Articulates an aural understanding of musical concepts and their relationships in a wide variety of musical
styles
H.6 Critically evaluates and discusses the use of the concepts of music in works representative of the topics
studied and through wide listening
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• Impressionism was a movement of music and
art in the early 20th
Century
• Claude Debussy was a pioneer of
Impressionism in music, while Monet was a
pioneer of Impressionism in art
• Impressionist works evoke a time and a place
• Impressionism uses many different and
unique techniques such as whole tone scales,
modes, polyrhythm etc.
Essential Questions:
• What is the definition of Impressionism?
• What features of Impressionism do you think
composers used the most in this movement?
• In Voiles, what scale is Debussy primarily
basing his melody around?
• What is meant by the term Ambiguous?
• Describe the metre of this piece
• List all the rhythm patterns/devices you can
hear/observe in the piece?
• What expressive techniques are used, and can
you give a definition of them?
Students will know…
• The definition of Impressionism: “a literary
or artistic style that seeks to capture a feeling
or experience, rather than to achieve
accurate depiction”
• How to identify the scale being used in the
piece – Voiles
• The correct terminology to describe the
concepts of music
Students will be able to…
• Give a definition of Impressionism
• Identify the features of Impressionism
• Play the whole tone scale and explain what
notes make it up
• Use the correct terminology to identify the
features of Voiles
Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):
• Worksheet on Voiles – Concept Analysis
• Aural Identification
Other Evidence:
• Class discussion
Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
1. Open the lesson with the question: “What is Impressionism?” à Students should have already studied
early 20th
Century music, and this question is to get them thinking about what they already know. Have
a quick class discussion on Impressionism, focusing on Art and Music. Show some artworks so they
may gain a basic idea (10mins)
2. Discuss the features of Impressionism – what scales were used, what tonalities were favoured, famous
composers, melodic/rhythmic patterns etc. Having this discussion will aid in the listening activity
(10mins)
3. Hand out worksheet and play the piece ‘Voiles’ – students are to be writing down their thoughts/ideas
while listening. Each section of the worksheet has been split up into concepts of music to make it
easier to navigate and organise their thoughts. (25mins, multiple listening’s will be required)
4. Remainder of the lesson will be spent going through all their answers and having a general discussion
on Impressionism. (15mins)