Lesson Plan: Star Wars and Leitmotifs

Content and Achievement Standards

Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. N.S. 1.
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. N.S. 4.
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. N.S. 7.

Class Goals and Objectives
Reinforce students knowledge of leitmotifs and their existence in movie music.
Enable students to create their own leitmotifs in small groups.

Materials
Recordings of excerpts from Lukes Theme, Leias Theme, Imperial March, and the Star
Wars Theme, (all by John Williams).
Perception chart
Percussion instruments

Procedure
1. 2 instructors will tell the basic story of star wars without the characters names, while
the leitmotifs of each character mentioned plays.
2. Instructor will ask students to raise hand if they recognize the story but do not tell the
answer. The student will explain what enables him/her to know what story is being told
even though the names of the characters are not mentioned. (The music identifies the
different characters because each character has their own music that describes their
personality and role in the movie).
3. Students will listen to recording of Star Wars Theme, and fill out the perception chart.
4. Instructor will go over answers with students.
5. Students will discuss what they think a musical theme is called with the guidance of the
instructor. The discussion will introduce the concept of a leitmotif and its exact function
in movies and other musical works.
6. Students will be split up into 5 groups, one instructor monitoring each group. They will
create their own rhythmic leitmotifs that represent their teacher, Mrs. Jenkins with
percussion instruments, and one student from each group will present their motive to
the class.
7. The students will then explain why their leitmotif represents Mrs. Jenkins and if its
meant to be happy, sad, angry, etc.
8. An instructor will explain once more what a leitmotif is and tell students to listen for
them in movies that they watch, or in any music that they hear.

Assessment of Goals and Objectives
Assessment will be informal and achieved by the students creating their own leitmotifs and
being able to explain theme in a comprehensive way. The students should all be able to answer
the question what is a leitmotif? by the end of the lesson.

Follow up Lessons
Future lessons would focus on themes that arent exactly leitmotifs, but are well known, from
different movies, plays, operas, etc. Eventually, discussions of tonality and rhythm related to
these themes and their emotions would be discussed and taught.