Hi everyone! Today I’m going to show you what my World’s Greatest Composers Study Volume 1 curriculum looks like up close in a fun video review!
For more information on World’s Greatest Composers curriculum, click below!
Watch the video review of World’s Greatest Composers curriculum here!
What is the World’s Greatest Composers Curriculum?
In this series of studies, we will be taking a look at 8 of the world’s greatest composers through a study designed for elementary aged students.
The goal behind the World’s Greatest Composers curriculum is to immerse students in the work of each composer so that they are well familiar with their style, methods and music. Much of your time studying will be through open discussion with students and listening to compositions. Upon completion of this curriculum, your student should be able to easily recognize the pieces from each composer studied. They will also have learned several different styles of music, vocabulary, as well as have gained an appreciation for music in general.
Like the World’s Greatest Artists study, the composers study uses the World’s Greatest Composers
What is included in the study?
For each day of listening there is an activity for students to complete while listening. This will help them focus on the music, and think critically about what they are hearing. By the end of the study, your student will have a completed composers notebook along with an orchestra and music lap book.
- Introduction to Orchestra
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- George Handel
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Frederic Chopin
- Peter Tchaikovsky
- Igor Stravinsky
- George Gershwin
- Composer Reports
- Instrument Word Scrambles
- Music Bingo Cards
Here are some worksheet samples from the lessons for each composer:
Scheduling The Lessons:
Each composer unit has 10 lessons, I suggest scheduling 2-3 days per week for the composers study. The curriculum will take 1 full year to complete at this pace. However, the lessons can be easily adapted to fit your schedule as well.
Each lesson consists of a listening assignment along with an activity to help your student focus on what they are hearing. You will want to have your student materials ready prior to starting each lesson. An internet connection is required for the listening portion of the study, so I suggest setting up a laptop or computer near your student work area. An alternative would be to purchase CD’s or songs via iTunes from each composer.
Lap Book:
As you progress through each composer your student will be creating a fun lap book to help them remember what they’ve learned. You will need 2 file folders for each lap book you need to create. Instructions for assembling the lap book are included in the curriculum.
Students will learn about the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras of music, as well as create a composer timeline.
They will also learn about all of the different instruments, their sounds, roles, and seating positions within the orchestra.
As you progress through the composers, you will create mini-books for each composer along with notebook pages as well as a fun puzzle with a pocket to store your pieces in.
Get the World’s Greatest Composers Study!
Hi Erica,
I purchased your scientist series and had a difficult time finding all Venezia’s scientist books as most have now been discontinued. After a long search, I managed to purchase them all for a very reasonable price. Only because I have two kiddos to use the series with. One thing that is wonderful about our library system here in Wisconsin, is the benefit of finding Mike Venezia’s books through an interlibrary loan. These are great books for young readers. I highly recommend using them with your units if a family can. I believe these books were published by Scholastics? Hopefully they will bring them back!
Thanks for making these fun and engaging units.
Yes, we have found them at our library as well. I don’t know why they stopped publishing them, I think they’re great! Another good series is the “Who is…” series, and we’ve found several in our library as well.
Hi I can not contact you through your contact page because it want to go through Outlook and I don’t have my email set up through that program. So I am going to just contact through here. Thanks for understanding. 🙂
I had a question about your daily scheduling do your children work from 9-12am with no brakes? Does it typically take one hour for your son to do his Math lesson? When do you correct there work? or so they do it them selves. What classes do you do together as a group? thanks Hope to hear from you soon. You can email me directly if you wouldn’t mind. siobhan.gagliardo@gmail.com
Blessings,
Siobhan
Hi, yes, we usually work until lunch without an official break. They are free to run to the restroom, or get a drink if they need to though. I schedule what I think they will take for each subject, or if the curriculum itself suggests a certain amount of time then I’ll schedule that in as well. It doesn’t always take as long as I give them, but I’d rather give them too much time, than too little and rush them. I correct their work as they hand it in and I have time. They correct it, then turn it back in.
We typically do subjects like art, science, history together, however this year we’re only doing art together since everyone is doing something different for the other subjects. My older two are doing the same science together though. But it really depends on the ages of your kids and what works best for your family.
You can learn more about our curriculum choices here:
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/tag/our-curriculum
And our schedules here:
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/tag/our-schedule
I hope that helps.
My little one is in kindergarten. I have the kindergarten curriculum. How did you incorporate the art and music lessons? ( i have worlds greatest compossers and artizts study curriculum the first art lesson today he liked it but was a bit confused. Just wanted some tips.
Andrea Benton
Hi Andrea,
Follow the instructions on the teacher’s manual for the art and composer lessons and it will tell you what to discuss/do.