Description
“Mercury, the Winged Messenger” is the third movement of The Planets, Gustav Holst’s masterpiece. This lesson was designed specifically for distance learning.
Your students will:
- learn about Gustav Holst and his suite.
- see stunning images of the planets and learn interesting facts about the planet Mercury.
- visit two music elements illustrated in the music: Upward/downward pitch with notation, and crescendo/decrescendo.
- study how Holst manipulates music elements to create a mood.
- follow a listening map.
- listen to “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” and take a quiz.
- use higher-order thinking to analyze and evaluate this piece.
- watch an informative video about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger.”
- do a fun worksheet.
This lesson gives clarity to the meaning of The Planets suite, which is often misunderstood. Your students will benefit from researched facts, but will also be asked thought-promoting questions.
Google Account: A Google account for you and your students is required. Also needed is Google Classroom or another lesson management system that accepts Google files.
Editability: Slideshows, lesson plans, and quizzes are editable.
Differentiation: Incorporated in lesson. Two quiz versions are provided, varying in complexity.
Resource Contents / Page Breakdown / File Types:
- Slideshow about Gustav Holst and The Planets. 28 slides. Google Slides™
- Slideshow about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger.” 19 slides. Google Slides™
- Quizzes A & B, distance learning and homeschool types. 4 quizzes. Google Forms™
- Worksheet with answer sheet. 2 pages. PDF
- Listening map. 1 page. Google Docs™
- Lesson plan. 3 pages. Google Docs™
- Essential Questions and “I Can” statements
- Link to video about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” (4:32)
- Teacher’s Guide. 2 pages. PDF
- Credits. 2 pages. PDF
- Terms of Use. 1 page. PDF
- Total pages/slides: 61
U.S. National Standards Alignment (4th grade shown):
- MU:Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural)
- MU:Re8.1.4a: Demonstrate and explain how the expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre) are used in performers’ and personal interpretations to reflect expressive intent.
- MU:Re9.1.4a: Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and explain appropriateness to the context.
- MU:Pr4.2.4a: Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as rhythm, pitch, and form) in music selected for performance.
- MU:Pr4.2.4b: When analyzing selected music, read and perform using iconic and/or standard notation.
A ViewPure link of “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” is provided, though there are many online recordings from which to choose.
Some files are in PDF format. If you do not have the latest Adobe Acrobat, you can download it here.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger – A Music Analysis Lesson (Distance Learning)
Highlights
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Description
“Mercury, the Winged Messenger” is the third movement of The Planets, Gustav Holst’s masterpiece. This lesson was designed specifically for distance learning.
Your students will:
- learn about Gustav Holst and his suite.
- see stunning images of the planets and learn interesting facts about the planet Mercury.
- visit two music elements illustrated in the music: Upward/downward pitch with notation, and crescendo/decrescendo.
- study how Holst manipulates music elements to create a mood.
- follow a listening map.
- listen to “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” and take a quiz.
- use higher-order thinking to analyze and evaluate this piece.
- watch an informative video about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger.”
- do a fun worksheet.
This lesson gives clarity to the meaning of The Planets suite, which is often misunderstood. Your students will benefit from researched facts, but will also be asked thought-promoting questions.
Google Account: A Google account for you and your students is required. Also needed is Google Classroom or another lesson management system that accepts Google files.
Editability: Slideshows, lesson plans, and quizzes are editable.
Differentiation: Incorporated in lesson. Two quiz versions are provided, varying in complexity.
Resource Contents / Page Breakdown / File Types:
- Slideshow about Gustav Holst and The Planets. 28 slides. Google Slides™
- Slideshow about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger.” 19 slides. Google Slides™
- Quizzes A & B, distance learning and homeschool types. 4 quizzes. Google Forms™
- Worksheet with answer sheet. 2 pages. PDF
- Listening map. 1 page. Google Docs™
- Lesson plan. 3 pages. Google Docs™
- Essential Questions and “I Can” statements
- Link to video about “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” (4:32)
- Teacher’s Guide. 2 pages. PDF
- Credits. 2 pages. PDF
- Terms of Use. 1 page. PDF
- Total pages/slides: 61
U.S. National Standards Alignment (4th grade shown):
- MU:Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural)
- MU:Re8.1.4a: Demonstrate and explain how the expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre) are used in performers’ and personal interpretations to reflect expressive intent.
- MU:Re9.1.4a: Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and explain appropriateness to the context.
- MU:Pr4.2.4a: Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as rhythm, pitch, and form) in music selected for performance.
- MU:Pr4.2.4b: When analyzing selected music, read and perform using iconic and/or standard notation.
A ViewPure link of “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” is provided, though there are many online recordings from which to choose.
Some files are in PDF format. If you do not have the latest Adobe Acrobat, you can download it here.
