LISTEN, THINK, WRITE!

LISTEN, THINK, WRITE!

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will incorporate the elements of a story to create an engaging narrative inspired by a musical piece. Students will use temporal words and descriptive details to improve their writing.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 4-5
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA
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"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use music to write narratives about real or imagined experiences.

  • I can listen and respond to music.

  • I can use sensory language and descriptive details to develop events, setting, and characters.

Essential Questions

  • How can listening to music encourage creative writing?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4: 

ELAGSE4W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 

  1. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

 

Grade 5: 

ELAGSE5W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 

  1. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

 

 

Arts Standards

Grade 4: 

ESGM4.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music. 

ESGM4.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances. 

ESGM4.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

Grade 5: 

ESGM5.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

ESGM5.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

ESGM5.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4: 

ELA.4.C.3.1 Write narratives developing real or imagined experiences. When writing: 

  1. establish a situation and setting; b. introduce a narrator and/or characters; c. organize a plot structure; d. use narrative techniques such as dialogue, descriptive language, and sensory details to develop events, setting, and characters; e. use a variety of transitional words and phrases to sequence events; and f. provide an ending that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

 

Grade 5: 

ELA.5.C.3.1 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing: 

  1. establish a situation and setting; b. introduce a narrator and characters; c. establish a plot structure; d. use narrative techniques such as dialogue, precise words, descriptive language, and sensory details to develop events, setting, and characters; e. use a variety of transitional words and phrases to sequence the events; and f. provide an ending that follows logically from the narrated experiences or events.

 

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

Anchor Standard 9: I can relate music to other arts disciplines, other subjects, and career paths.

 

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Narrative writing - A form of writing that tells a story or recounts a series of events

  • Exposition - Explaining or describing something in a detailed and systematic manner

  • Rising action - The series of events, conflicts, and complications that build tension and lead to the climax of the story

  • Climax - The point at which the central conflict or problem reaches its peak

  • Falling action - The part of a story's plot that occurs after the climax and leads to the resolution or conclusion

  • Conclusion - The part where the story's conflicts are resolved

  • Setting - The time, place, and environment in which the story takes place

  • Character - A person, animal, or entity depicted in a story

  • Mood - The overall emotional atmosphere or tone that a piece of writing evokes in the reader

  • Sensory language - Descriptive language that engages the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell

  • Transitional words - Terms that help to guide readers through a piece of writing, ensuring that ideas flow smoothly from one to the next

Arts Vocabulary

  • Pitch - High/low sounds

  • Rhythm - Long/slow sounds

  • Tempo - Fast/slow sounds

  • Dynamics - Loud/soft sounds

  • Timbre - Instrument sounds

  • Form - Same/different sounds
  • Articulation - Smooth/detached

 

Materials

  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Teacher access to computer and Internet

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Engage students in “Listening: Ten Times Two” thinking routine (modified to “Five Times Two”).
    • Prepare students for the listening activity by telling students they are going to listen to a musical composition and list five words or phrases that come to mind while they are listening. (See “Additional Resources” section for musical suggestions. Use a listening excerpt about 45-60 seconds in length. The excerpt can start and end at any point during the composition.) 
    • Wait until the end of the listening activity to tell students the title and composer. Revealing the title and composer before the activity may influence the listener.
    • During the first time listening to the music, students listen without talking and generate their first list of five words and phrases.
    • Students listen a second time without talking and add five additional words to their list.
    • Students listen a third time without talking and write the sounds they heard that inspired their list. Musical sounds can include: pitch (high/low sounds), rhythm (long/short), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), timbre (instruments), form (same [repetition], different), and articulation (smooth/detached).
    • After the listening activity: 
      • Students turn and talk to a neighbor, share their words/phrases, and discuss the musical sounds and music vocabulary they heard that inspired their list. 
      • Ask students what the mood of the music is.
      • Students share out to the class. Validate the answers students give; there are no right or wrong responses.
  • Facilitate a discussion with students about how musical sounds can inspire and enhance writing and storytelling. Ask students if there is any music that they associate with stories. 
    • Remind students that songs have a structure–beginning, middle, and end, and that some songs have lyrics that tell a story that accompanies the melody of the song.
  • Transition into the lesson about narrative writing.

 

Work Session

COLLABORATIVE NARRATIVE WRITING

    • Introduce or review a lesson about narrative writing. Use modeling, visual representations, and hands-on manipulatives to help students understand the concept of narrative writing.
    • Tell the students they are going to practice writing a narrative as a whole class using the opening activity as inspiration.
      • Remind students that narratives have a setting, characters, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. The narrative should fit the mood of the music.
      • Emphasize the use of descriptive details and sensory language to develop events, setting, and characters.
    • Tell students to refresh their memories of the opening music and review their list of words while the teacher plays the music again.
    • Provide students with a graphic organizer such as the Student Friendly Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer PDF to guide the students in writing a whole class story. 
    • Teacher and students read the final product and discuss possible edits.
    • Option: Students can act out the story.

    INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE WRITING

    • Tell students they are going to do another “Five Times Two” with a different composition and write their own narrative based on that composition. (See “Additional Resources” section for musical suggestions. Use a listening excerpt about 45-60 seconds in length. The excerpt can start and end at any point during the composition.) 
    • Students complete another round of “Five Times Two”. Remind students to think about the mood of the music. 
    • Provide students with a graphic organizer to structure their narrative. 
      • Their narrative should fit the mood of the music.
      • Remind students to:
        • Include a setting, characters, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. 
        • Use descriptive language and sensory details to develop the characters and setting.
        • Use transitional words and phrases to move the reader smoothly through the story.
    • Allow students to develop their graphic organizer into a written narrative.
    • Circulate the classroom, observe student progress, and offer constructive feedback or conferencing during the writing process.
    • Allow time for students to engage in the peer review process. Provide time for students to revise their narratives.

     

     

     

    Closing Reflection

    • Allow students to volunteer to read their narratives to the class.
    • Review the concept of narrative writing facilitating a conversation around the connection between music and storytelling.

     

    Assessments

    Formative

    Teacher will assess students by:

    • Observing and listening to students’ discussions and answers.
    • Conferencing with students during the writing process.
    • Listening to students’ responses to the activity, Five Times Two.

     

     

     

    Summative

    CHECKLIST

    • Students can effectively use storytelling elements, descriptive details, sensory language, and transitional words and phrases to write a narrative.
    • Students can use music to inspire a narrative that has a beginning, middle, and end.
    • Students can use music elements to analyze and evaluate music.

     

     

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Acceleration: 

    • Students create their own music then write a narrative.
    • Students can incorporate theatre by writing their narratives as a script with dialogue. Students can then rehearse and perform their work for the class.

    Remediation:

    • Have students work with a partner to write their narrative.
    • Use a simpler graphic organizer such as the Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer.
    • Use scribing or speech-to-text technology.

     

     ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

    Ideas contributed by: Rue Lee-Holmes. Updated by: Katy Betts.

    Revised and copyright:  July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

     

     

     

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