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Interdisciplinary Approaches to Learning (Music & Literacy)

Teachers Teaching Teachers

Bekka Jensen, 2025

rjensen@isyedu.org

Slideshow

Worksheet

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Interdisciplinary Approaches

  • Helps Students
  • Helps Thinking
  • Helps Engagement

Resources:

Why Teach with an Interdisciplinary Approach?

A Guide for Interdisciplinary Teaching and LEarning

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Why Combine Literature And Music:

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Connection 1:

Making a Story into Music

Connection 3:

Making Music into a Story (Program Music)

Connection 2:

Adding Music to a Story To Enhance the Story

Connection 4:

Using Literature as inspiration for music composition

Music / Literature Connections

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Connection 1:

Making the Story into Music

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La musique est la littérature du cœur ; elle commence là où le langage se perd.”

(Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.)

-Alphonse de Lamartine

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Examples:

Fox In Socks Rap

Llama Llama Rap

Wocket / Pocket Rap

Other Examples : Over In The Meadow

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We’re Going On a Bear Hunt

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Purpose: (elbow partner, discussion)

Music:

Literacy:

Other:

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Connection 2:

Adding Music to a Story To Enhance the Story

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After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”

― Aldous Huxley, Music at Night and Other Essays

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Examples:

The Magic of Making Sound (Foley)

Story from sounds

The Gruffalo

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My Many Colored Days

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Purpose: (elbow partner, discussion)

Music:

Literacy:

Other:

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Connection 3:

Making Music into a Story (Program Music)

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Where words fail, music speaks.”

― Hans Christian Andersen

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Examples:

Paul Dukas

Sergei Prokofiev

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Aaron Copland

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Purpose: (elbow partner, discussion)

Music:

Literacy:

Other:

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Connection 4:

Using Literature as inspiration for music composition

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La musique exprime ce qui ne peut pas être dit et sur quoi il est impossible de rester silencieux."

(Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.) – Victor Hugo

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Water Dance

Some people say that I am one thing. Others say that I am many. Ever since the world began I have been moving in an endless circle. Sometimes I fall from the sky.

I am the rain.

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Water Dance

Be inspired to create music from a book :)

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Purpose: (elbow partner, discussion)

Music:

Literacy:

Other:

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Thank you