Summary
Using excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Flight of the Bumblebee', students learn about 'bee havior' and link habits of bees to the musical selection
Materials
Classical Music Start-up Kit CD 2 and CD player; space for students to move around; copies or a transparency of the Bee Dance worksheet (W-8)
Background for Teachers
Composer Profile
- Composer
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (NEE-koe-lye RIM-skee
KORE-sa-kaav
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- Nationality
- Russian
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- Birth - Death
- 1844-1908
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- Excerpt
- 'Flight of the Bumblebee' from The Tsar Saltan opera
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- Era
- Nationalism
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Korsakov had a successful career as a naval officer, but the
music he composed as a hobby proved to be so popular that he was
invited to teach music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He
accepted the position, despite the fact that he knew very little
about musical notation and had never taught music or led an
orchestra before. He had to study furiously just to stay a few
days ahead of his students. Best known for his Operas,
Rimsky-Korsakov's love for the exotic helped breathe new life into
traditional Russian folktales. This piece is part of his opera,
The Tsar Soltaa which involves sibling rivalry, a magical island,
a Swan Princess, and the young hero, Prince Guidon (GEE-don).
'Flight of the Bumblebee' is the music that plays when Prince
Guidon, who has been turned into a bumblebee by his wicked aunts,
seeks unmerciful revenge by chasing and stinging his
enemies.
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Vocabulary
- musical notation - a visual representation of real or
imagined musical sound used to teach music or to instruct
performers. Usually understood in classical music to mean Western
staff notation, which consists of the familiar 5-line staff,
notes, rests, treble and bass clefs, etc.
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- opera - a drama that is primarily sung, accompanied by
instruments, and staged theatrically. choreography - the art of
creating and arranging dances.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Student's will learn about bee behavior and link habits of bees to the musical selection.
Instructional Procedures
Websites
- A portrait of Rimsky-Korsakov
This resource file contains an artist's depiction of Nikolai A. Rimsky-Korsakov to help students create a visual image of this great musician as they listen to some of his works.
- Bee Dances
This resource file (worksheet 8) helps students understand two common bee dances, the "round dance" and the "tail wagging dance." This shows how some creatures, like bees, communicate through dancing rather than talking.
- CMA Table of Contents
This file contains a complete overview of KUER's Classical Music Appreciation curriculum, which includes: grade level lessons, featured composers, instrument descriptions, a music history timeline along with many other related worksheets and visual aids.
- Introducing Rimsky-Korsakov
This biographical sketch of a "nationalist era" sailor, professor, composer and conductor introduces young students to the life and works of Russia's Nikolai A. Rimsky-Korsakov.
See CMA Table of Contents
See composer's profile and picture:
- Listen
- Ask the students to close their eyes as they listen to the
piece (selection 12). Tell them to imagine a bee as it flies. Does
a bee fly straight? Have the students share what they imagined as
the music played.
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- Activity
- Introduce the idea of how bees communicate. Instead of talking
to each other as people do, they dance to tell the other bees
important things, like where to find pollen. Use the Bee Dance
worksheet or transparency (W - 8) to show the students two common
bee dances, the 'round dance' and the 'tail-wagging dance.' In an
open space, lead the students through the two dances. Allow the
students to practice and have fun dancing around. You may want to
play the music again in the background.
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- Divide the class into small groups (three to five students).
Give each group a different 'bee message' to act or dance out.
Some possibilities might be 'the Queen is sick,' 'the eggs are
hatching, 'look out! here comes the beekeeper!,' 'the honey's
ready and it tastes great!,' or -'there's a mean little girl
throwing stones at the hive--let's get her!' Give them a few
minutes to choreograph their bee dance and then have them perform
in front of the class. See if the other students can guess the
'bee message' being communicated. Some of what they come up with
may be silly, but the idea is for the children to have fun and use
their imagination.
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- Close
- If time permits, have the students decide which 'bee message'
would go best with 'Flight of the Bumblebee,' and have that group
teach their dance to the rest of the class. Play the piece again
and let everyone dance with the music.
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Extensions
Beyond
Related topics
- animal communication
- social insects
- interpretive dance
- opera
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Extension Ideas
- Have the students map out the bee dance their group created
and write instructions on how it should be performed. Encourage
them to use descriptive language to explain what the motions in
the dance signify.
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- Break the students into large groups and help them to write
and perform their own operas based on a familiar story or fairy
tale.
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- Divide the students into groups and have them research and
report on other animals and how they communicate (for example:
whales and dolphins, wolves, songbirds, elephants, crickets, or
dogs and cats).
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Additional Resources
- Hawes, Judy. Bees and Beelines. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell Co., 1964.
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- Micucci, Charles. The Life and Times of the Honeybee.
New York: Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers, 1995.
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- Biscardi, Cyrus H. The Storybook of Opera, vols. I and
II. Holmes Beach, Florida: Learning Publications, Inc., 1987.
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- Englander, Roger. Opera, What's All the Screaming
About? New York: Walker and Co., 1983.
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- Kaplan, Carol and Becker, Sandi. Three Piggy Opera
(cassette and book). St. Louis: Milliken Publishing Co., 1987.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Singing Birds and Flashing
Fireflies. New York: Franklin Watts, 1989.
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Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. How Smart Are Animals. San
Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1990.
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Rimsky-Korsakov: Tsar Saltan Suite Philharmonic
Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkeknazy London 417301
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Created: 11/27/1998
Updated: 02/05/2018
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