The Bartered Bride

LESSON PLAN 1

INTRODUCINGTHE BARTERED BRIDE
Lesson by Dr. Joseph Piro, District Arts Coordinator, District #24, Queens

LESSON PREVIEW
A discussion of character, plot, and setting for Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride and how to introduce them to students are the major components of this lesson.

NYS LEARNING STANDARDS FOR THE ARTS:
3 - Responding to and analyzing works of art
4 - Understanding the cultural dimensions and contributions of the arts

NATIONAL MUSIC EDUCATION STANDARDS:
6 - Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
8 - Understanding relationships between music, the arts and disciplines outside the arts

INTERDISCIPLINARY AREAS:
Music, Music History
Folk Art
Social Studies

MATERIALS
a) a synopsis or storybook of The Bartered Bride
b) recording of the opera's overture and other music from the opera
c) illustration of period dress of mid-19th century Bohemia
d) examples of folk art from various cultures

WEB RESOURCE
home page of the Czech Republic

INTRODUCING THE LESSON
1. The teacher begins with a "K-W-L" strategy map on "opera." In this K-W-L, teachers should assess what students know about opera and what they wish to learn about it. The teacher should also create questions to help assess what students have learned about opera as the idea is being taught. This will help to explain the structural patterns of any new concepts and show how this relates to material already learned. Students are asked, "What do you know about opera?" Record all responses. The teacher then suggests that a good way to learn about opera is to study one. The teacher then introduces The Bartered Bride as a work that will help the class learn about opera.

DEVELOPING THE LESSON
1. Students either listen to or read along as the synopsis of The Bartered Bride is presented. The teacher next creates a "Rising Action Narrative Map" which includes then following components:

Events comprising the plot's rising action
The opera's turning point
Events comprising the plot's falling action
The opera's conclusion
References to opera's characters and its setting

2. The teacher and class then proceed to divide the story into its smaller narrative units using a narrative map. The narrative map is reviewed with students to insure their comprehension of the story.

3. The teacher plays the opera's overture for the class. Students listen to the overture and discuss what they heard. Teacher explains that one of the major roles of an overture is to prepare the audience, musically, for what they are about to experience in the opera. Based upon what they hear, ask students to predict what they expect to happen in the opera and if it reinforces what they already know about the story. Have them support their answers with examples from the music.

4. Divide the class into small learning groups of approximately 4-5 students. To help imprint the opera's story, have the students review the story's synopsis and retell it in their own words. Especially encourage students to compare and contrast characters. Have students simulate dramatic situations in which role- playing with improvised dialogue occurs.

5. Some theatre games may be played, for example, "Open a…". In this game, a student is asked to depict how a character in a book, opera etc. would open a door, letter, book, etc., by using only pantomime. In "Face Play," students are asked to communicate an emotion using only facial expressions. Ask a student to portray one of the opera's characters and communicate an emotion from a scene in the opera "in character." Have the class attempt to guess the emotion.

6. After the opera's story is mastered, have each group develop their own synopsis in which they select the story's most important components re-telling them using a variety of modalities, e.g. webbing diagram, book, puppet show, song, poem, playlet, story panels, story box, or narrated pantomime. Have students peer review these products.

EXTENDING THE LESSON
The following activities may be useful in extending the lesson:

1. Encourage students to design a set for the opera including scenes such as a country inn, rustic barn, and other villagescapes. Begin with sketches and then move into full-scale models.

2. Have students create an illustrated glossary with opera and related musical terms included in the glossary.

3. Create a glossary of theatre terms in the form of a theatre dictionary.

4. Train students to be "opera docents." Have them develop a presentation based upon the class mural of the characters in The Bartered Bride and share this with other classes and parents.

ASSESSING THE LESSON
Have students debate the following topic:
Resolved: An agreed upon contract must always be honored

Have students verbalize the concept of "opera" and ask them to identify and briefly describe its components. Ask them to identify all jobs in putting on an opera.

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