GRADES K–6 (ADAPT AS GRADE APPROPRIATE)
LESSON #1: TAPPING TO THE BEAT
AND TEMPO OF “JUPITER” FROM
THE PLANETS BY GUSTAV HOLST
STANDARDS
2014 National Core Music Standard – Artistic Process #2:
CONCEPT AREAS:
Performing
• MU:Pr4.1.2a (Select, Grade 2): Demonstrate and explain
RHYTHM OR DURATION (STEADY BEAT;
personal interest in, knowledge about, and purpose of
TEMPO; MACRO- & MICRO-BEAT)
varied musical selections.
• MU:Pr4.2.1a (Analyze, Grade 1): With limited guidance,
demonstrate knowledge of music concepts (such as beat) in music from a variety of cultures
selected for performance.
• MU:Pr5.1.2b (Rehearse, Evaluate and Refine, Grade 2): Rehearse, identify and apply strategies to
address interpretive, performance, and technical challenges of music.
2014 National Core Music Standard – Artistic Process #3:
Responding
• MU:Re7.1.3a (Select, Grade 3): Demonstrate and describe how selected music connects to and
is influenced by specific interests, experiences, or purposes.
• MU:Re7.2.2a (Analyze, Grade 2): Describe how specific music concepts are used to support a
specific purpose in music.
• MU:Re8.1.1a (Interpret, Grade 2): Demonstrate knowledge of music concepts and how they
support creators’/performers’ expressive intent.
• MU:Re9.1.2a (Evaluate, Grade 2): Apply personal and expressive preferences in the evaluation
of music for specific purposes.
2014 National Core Music Standard – Artistic Process #4:
Connecting
• MU:Pr4.3.3a (Synthesize and Relate, Grade 3): Demonstrate and describe how intent is
conveyed through expressive qualities (such as dynamics and tempo).
• MU:Re7.2.6b (Contextualize, Grade 6): Identify the context of music from a variety of genres,
cultures, and historical periods.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
CONCEPT AREAS:
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS (MEASURABLE VERBS, BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
Recognize; express; demonstrate/practice/use; apply; relate;
analyze
CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS (LANGUAGE ARTS – CHOOSE TO FIT GRADE LEVEL)
Vocabulary for Word Wall:
composer – someone who writes music
(steady) beat – the (steady) pulse of the music
tempo – speed (of the beat)
accelerate – to go faster or “speed up”
non-locomotor) movement
Non-music Vocabulary:
jolly – fun, happy
nickname
influence
Progress Points, all grade levels
A. Demonstrate how musical
elements communicate
meaning and emotion by
[playing, singing or] moving
to music.
E. Use digital technology to
listen to and study music
recognizing instruments,
[voices, ensembles] and
musical forms.
F. Form and express opinions
about music they hear in
[formal and] informal [live
and] recorded performances.
CONCEPTUAL LEARNING – MUSICAL UNDERSTANDING
• Music can be composed to describe an object or thing; In this case, the composer thought
the planet Jupiter had a happy effect on human nature and was a jolly, happy, or fun
influence.
• We can tap to the speed of the beat (tempo) of some music about Jupiter. Music can be
fast or slow or medium. Music can get gradually faster or accelerate.
• The steady beat of music can be felt as a macro-beat (large beat or large subdivision of
the beat; notes that are longer), or, as micro-beats (smaller beats or smaller subdivisions
of the beat; notes that are shorter).
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES/LEARNING TARGETS/SKILLS: (“STUDENTS WILL…” &/OR “I CAN…”)
I can respond and perform actions to fit the music several ways, to the speed of the beat (tempo).
Grades 2-6: I can tap to the micro-beat or the macro-beat (subdivisions of the pulse).
I can compare two sections of a piece and see if they have the same tempo (have the same speed
of the beat in relation to one another).
I can analyze and describe (figure out and talk about) Musical Elements in “Jupiter” by Holst,
such as Steady Beat/Tempo.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
TEACHER’S RESOURCE:
MATERIALS:
• Recording of “Jupiter” from The Planets by
Gustav Holst
• Photo of Jupiter
• Photo of Gustav Holst
• Visual for “Jupiter” Tapping Page for Grades
K–5; Grades 1-5: hard copies for every student
• Animated Score: Holst, Jupiter, The Bringer of
Jollity
• Exit Slips
SEQUENCE:
1. Ask the class if they have heard of the planet
Jupiter before. (Share answers.) Show where
Jupiter is on a map of our solar system in
relation to Earth. Display the Photo of Jupiter.
2. Share that a composer (review/add Vocabulary)
from England named Gustav Holst (display
Photo of Gustav Holst) once wrote music for
every planet and used each planet’s nickname
(after a Roman god). He called Jupiter the
“bringer of jollity.” See if someone in the class
knows what the word jolly means (fun, happy,
has joy, etc.), “since jollity is similar to the
word jolly.”
EXAMPLES OF TEMPO
Use the Classics for Kids recording for the
timestamps of min:sec.
The examples are listed in “pedagogical order”
to provide the biggest contrasts of tempo
first (fast or slow); then medium tempo;
then examples of gradual changes of
tempo.
EXAMPLES OF TEMPO IN “JUPITER” BY HOLST
1. 1:00–1:22 steady beat, fast (using microbeat)
2. 1:40–2:16 steady beat, slow (using
macro-beat, a meter of 3 but felt ‘in
1’) [Note to Teacher: The tempo of this
particular recording is slower than most for
this section of the piece.]
3. 7:40–end steady beat, fast
4. 3:08–4:12 steady beat, medium walking
tempo (Andante maestoso)
5. 6:01–6:12 goes slower at first, then gets
faster
6. 7:23–7:40 medium slow, then gets faster
at 7:36–7:40
Connect to Culture: “Here in America, who or what do we usually think of when we hear
the word ‘jolly.’” (share answers; most will say Santa Claus and Christmastime) “In England,
a composer named Gustav Holst. “Knowing the title, “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity,” do you
think the music will be fast or slow or medium, or have fast parts and slow parts?” “Why?”
(share answers). Tell them they’ll get to hear the music and see if they are right.
3. a. Play the Recording of “Jupiter” from The Planets by Gustav Holst from 1:00–1:22, leading
the class in patting to the quick steady beat (micro-beat) lightly in the lap using “spider
fingers.” Stop the recording.
b. “Was the speed or tempo of the music the way you thought it would be (predicted)?”
(share answers; confirm that the tempo –the speed of the beat – was pretty fast; also point out
that the terms fast or slow are relative – that is, they are related and compared to one another)
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
4. Before playing the second example (b), ask, “Let’s listen to another section to see if it will be
fast, too.” After listening, ask, “Was this music also fast, or have the same tempo as the first
one we heard?” (no, it was slower than the first one we heard)
Grades 2–6: As age appropriate, discuss the difference between the micro-beat and the
macro-beat of both examples, (a) and (b). Experiment with each.
5. “Let’s light clap to the beat of this next section, using a two-finger clap (‘golf clap’) on beat
1, but lifts upward for two more beats, with a grouping of 1-2-3, 1-2-3.”
Play the Recording of “Jupiter” from The Planets by Gustav Holst from 1:40–2:16, clapping
lightly to the macro-beat of the dotted half note (Meter of 3, but felt ‘in 1’) or to the
individual micro-beats (Meter of 3, felt ‘in 3’).
Display the Visual for “Jupiter” Tapping Page
“What do you notice about this picture?” (It is a picture of the planet Jupiter; it has numbers
1-16 around it with an arrow starting at one and moving around clockwise; the numbers are
not the same as on a clock, though.) Demonstrate how the students will tap on each number
in a way that matches the main beat of every measure as they listen to the recording. (Note to
Teacher: This section of the music is in ¾. Each number is the pulse of a dotted half note on
beat 1 of each measure.) Have students tap in the air as you play the recording and model for
them, having them whisper the numbers along with you.
6. “Now you each get your own copy of the Tapping Page to tap on as we listen to the music
again.”
Play the recording again from 1:40–2:39 and call the numbers as the students tap to the beat
of the dotted half note pulse (macro-beat). Tapping to the entire section results in 3 times
around the planet visual, or, 3 groups of 16 measures. Guide the class through group practice
as they:
a. whisper and tap the numbers
b. think and tap the numbers
7. Group Formative Self Assessment*: “Give a thumbs up, sideways, or down if you think you
could do this without the teacher’s help?” Share responses.
8. Play the Recording of “Jupiter” from The Planets a third time from 1:40–2:39 and check
for independence, seeing if the students can tap to the macro-beat without your help. Have
students fill out an Exit Slips as a Self Assessment.
9. (Optional) “This music occurs again near the end of the piece. Let’s tap to the beat to this one,
too.) Play the recording from 6:00–6:24 and use the Tapping Page again.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
10.If time permits, use the Visual for “Jupiter” Tapping Page again, but with a section near the
end of the piece, from 6:42–7:20. “Is it at the same tempo as the section we used before?”
(no, it’s somewhat faster this time)
11. Use other Examples of Tempo from the Teacher’s Resource, having students determine where
the steady beat is, tap to it, and determine whether its tempo is relatively fast, slow, medium
(walking speed), or gets gradually faster.
12.Have students summarize the tempo (speed of the beat) of all the excerpts in today’s lesson
and what it says about music in general (see Teacher’s Resource and Conceptual Learning).
13.Select words from the Vocabulary listed at the beginning of this lesson; go over the meaning
of these words and how they are used when describing music; use academic language related
to music; describe language function (add to Word Wall).
14.As a Special Reward, share all or part of the Video Clip (youtube) for Holst, Jupiter, The
Bringer of Jollity (animated score) and discuss the iconographic representation of various
musical elements in this piece: melody, rhythm, texture, expression, tone quality or tone
color.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
CLOSURE/QUESTIONS:
1. Return to Step 2. “At the beginning of the lesson you predicted whether or not music about a
jolly planet would be fast or slow, and whether it would use a steady beat. “Were you right?”
(share answers) “What did we learn about the how the tempo to describe something can be?”
(Music – even music to describe something that brings joy – can be fast, slow, medium, or
change tempo; it can also get gradually faster [or even get slower])
2. “Why do you think so many people like this piece of music? What do you like about it?”
(share answers)
3. “What parts of music did our movements show or emphasize?” (the steady beat and the speed
of the beat)
4. “What is the name of this piece?” (“Jupiter”)
5. “Who composed this piece and what country was he from?” (Gustav Holst, England)
Identify England on a world map.
6. Refer to the Vocabulary listed for this lesson and see if students know what the words or
terms mean (such as beat and tempo, etc.). “What words have been added to our Word Wall
today? What does each word mean, and how do we use it to describe music?” Share answers,
and elaborate on the language function and academic language of each word in relation to
music and other connections.
7. Refer to the Conceptual Learning, Objectives, and Standards listed at the beginning of the
lesson plan and guide the class in understanding and application for the following:
“I can” statements:
“I can use musical terms such as beat and tempo …” or
“I can identify whether the steady beat of music is fast or slow, or medium tempo,
or gets gradually faster…”
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION:
Formative and Summative, and Student Self Evaluations.
*See Steps 7 & 8 above.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016
EXTENSIONS, CONNECTIONS, AND FOLLOW-UP LESSONS:
• Science & Music: Learn more about the planet Jupiter; learn more about the solar system.
Listen to another movement of Holst’s The Planets. Listening to each of the 7 movements
can occur after students learn scientific facts about each planet and can possibly make
connections to the musical elements (although this was not the composer’s intention).
• K-2, Language Arts: Share a children’s storybook about our solar system or space.
• 3-6: Astronomy compared to Astrology: Share with students that during the time the
composer Gustav Holst composed this music, there was a rise of interest in astrology, and that
The Planets is more about astrology than it is astronomy – however, the order of the planets
in the solar system and the order of Holst’s movements in the suite do match. Ascribing to
one of the leading astrologists of Holst’s day, Holst titled each movement (individual standalone piece) using the Roman mythological gods. Mars was called The Bringer of War, and
Jupiter was The Bringer of Jollity. That is, he thought that Jupiter had a jolly or fun influence
when it was “in the stars”for you – similar to what a horoscope is based upon.
• Music History & Science: Share that in 1916, Gustav Holst, an English composer,
completed a suite of seven movements which he called The Planets.
“Seven movements? How many planets are there in our solar system?” (9, if Pluto is
counted). “Which two do you think he left out? Why?” (Earth, because it was his own planet;
Pluto, because it hadn’t been discovered yet. Recently, Pluto is considered not to be a planet
anyway!)
• Gifted/”Stretch”: Invite students to research where and when Pluto was discovered (Lowell
Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ, 1930); when it was declared to no longer be a planet; its present
status within the scientific community.
[Above paragraph adapted from Barbara Andress, The Explorer, p. 2].
• Music: Connect this piece of music and lesson with other Classics for Kids lesson plans and
Music Concept Areas:
1. “Overture” from William Tell by Rossini (steady beat/tempo – fast, in 2’s) Grades
K–2: “Overture” from William Tell by Rossini, Bonus Lesson #4, “Sing an Opera”
for the story of the Tortoise and the Hare (steady beat/tempo – fast and slow)
2. “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov (steady beat/tempo/meter – fast,
in 2’s)
3. “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt by Grieg (steady beat/tempo
can get gradually faster)
• History: Learn more about Holst’s life by sharing Holst’s biography from the Classics for
Kids website.
©Classics for Kids® 2016 - ©Dr. Kay Edwards 2016