U3 Video: Beethoven Teacher Notes

• Third play: Play the video again all the way

Suggested use: after Lessons 4 and 5 (but
can be used after any lesson in the unit,
too)
Time: 20 minutes (plus 10 minutes for
extension activities)
The children will:
• Think about how to research people from the
past, and learn about famous composer and
musician, Beethoven.
• Reinforce language for describing past ability
and learn some new vocabulary for types of
music.
through and have the children stand up whenever
they hear the words could or couldn’t.
• Show Interactivity 3. Elicit the first answer. Have
the children complete the rest of the interactivity.
After watching:
• Complete Interactivity 4.
Round Up:
• Have the children summarize the talents they
saw in the video. Encourage them to think about
Ally’s talents as well as Beethoven’s. Ask which
instrument they would most like to play.

Extension Activities
• Whole class: name the instruments. Have the
Warm Up: children listen to the pieces of music in the
• Have the children tell you everything they video again. Ask the children to write down
remember about the famous people from the past the names of the instruments they think they
in the unit. What did they do? Did they have any can hear.
special talents? • Pairs: interview. Have the children write down
a list of questions they would like to ask
Beethoven. They then pretend to be Ally and
Procedure: Beethoven and take turns interviewing each
Before watching: other.
• Write classical, jazz, pop, reggae on the board. • Teams: brainstorm. Have the children make a
Have children look at the types of music. Ask: list of as many different types of music as they
Which do you listen to/like? can. The team with the most types of music is
the winner.
• Complete Interactivity 1.
• Write Beethoven on the board, or show the video
title screen. Elicit from children what they know
about the famous composer and musician.
• Have children tell you which type of music and
words from Interactivity 1 they associate with
Beethoven. • Have the children research more information about
Beethoven. Encourage them to draw on different
While watching: sources of information, for example, asking family
and friends what they know about his music. They
• First play: Play the video all the way through and
then report their findings back to the class.
have the children raise their hands whenever they
hear a reference to musical instruments or types of
music.
• Second play: Play the video again all the way
through, pausing at [01:07], [01:57], and [03:42].
At each pause, elicit what happens next.
• Show Interactivity 2. Elicit which sentence comes
first. Complete the rest of the interactivity with
the children. Ask the children why Beethoven
disappears from the room. (He hears Ally’s mom
calling.)
Level
3 Photocopiable © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012
U3 Beethoven Video Script

Ally: My name is Ally and I love music. Ally: Whoa. Beethoven! (pause) Hi,
I play the keyboard. it’s nice to meet you! So how did
you learn to play all of that music
I’m always adding new music to
when you were so young?
my mp3 player.
Beethoven: It was pure talent.
I just got a guitar for my
birthday. I love playing music in Ally: Talent?
my room…
Beethoven: Plus a lot of lessons and practice.
…Yes, there’s nothing I love more
Ally: So did you record your own
than playing music, except maybe
music?
chocolate cake.
Beethoven: Ha. No, no, I couldn’t do that. I
But when our music teacher told
could only perform live music,
us to write a report on a classical
but I could do this when I was
musician, I wasn’t quite sure
eight.
what she was talking about.
Ally: But could you play reggae?
Maybe she meant the music that
my parents liked when they were Beethoven: No, but I could play this!
in school. All I know is that I can’t
Ally: But could you only play classical
write about anyone with a music
music? What about jazz?
video.
Beethoven: No, but listen to this!
(Sigh) So I went to the library and
checked out a couple of books. Ally: Ah, but I bet you couldn’t play
pop music!
Then I looked on my computer
and went to some websites. This [pause]
really didn’t look like much fun.
So a symphony is just a song?
I found lots of stuff on classical
Beethoven: Oh, no. I wrote symphonies for
music, but all of these people
many musicians to play at once.
were really old.
My 9th Symphony was over an
They all lived in Europe, and had hour long!
names that were impossible to
Ally: Whoa!
pronounce.
Ally’s Mom: Ally, time to turn out the lights
And look at that beard!
and go to bed.
Wait. Who’s this? Beethoven?
Ally: But mom, I’m studying.
Whoa. This guy played a big
Ally’s Mom: You can study tomorrow. Good
concert when he was only seven!
night. I love you.
He was making money when he
was really young. Ally: Okay. Goodnight.
People still play the music he Ally: So Beethoven it is. This report is
wrote? Whoa. going to be pretty cool after all.
And I need to start practicing.
Beethoven: Pretty cool, eh?
Level
3 Photocopiable © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012