The Curriculum Through ICT Program

Ideas Bank

The Planets Suite

THE TASK

Students listened to The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst, recorded the feelings and thoughts that the music generated and compared their responses to the characterisations that the composer envisioned.

In prior activities the class developed a list of the sorts of responses they wanted to gather as they listened to the music. These responses included colour associations, emotions, moods and associations to fictional characters. Groups of six students worked around each computer, listening to the music through headphones using media player software. As the music played they recorded their responses to the music by constructing shared brainstorms using concept mapping software on the computer they were using to play the music. Students connected their responses to the musical features of the piece.

In subsequent classes groups organised their responses into concept maps, compared and contrasted their responses with those of other groups and refined their concept maps. They located information about the mythological characters that Holst based this music on and compared their own responses to the traits of these characters.

ICT ENRICHMENT

• Playing the music using a media player allowed students the control to move quickly through the music and to listen repeatedly to sections, enabling in-depth reactions to the music.
• Concept mapping software allowed quick recording of ideas as the music played. These responses could be added to easily and reorganised as the concept map took shape.
• The computer provided a focus for group work; everyone felt their ideas were valued and discussion was encouraged.
• Concept maps were printed out and used in subsequent writing, drama and viewing activities.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

• Gustav Holst: The Planets Suite (web page)
• 'The Planets' by Gustav Holst (web page)

ASSESSMENT

• The group brainstorms were assessed. Students used different colours to enable the teacher to identify individual contributions.
• All three learning outcomes were monitored through questioning and observation.

LEARNING AREA OUTCOMES

The Arts
Arts Responses
Arts in Society

English
Reading

Based on a learning activity developed by Trish Da Millio.