This is an excerpt from our Printable Music Lesson Plans series on great composers. These are just a couple of the ideas found in the Lesson Plans.

A couple of ideas for a lesson plan about Franz Joseph Haydn:

Have the students Imagine that they are Prince Esterhazy looking for a new Kapellmeister for their court. Ask them to write a job advertisement outlining the duties of the position and the type of person you are looking for. Ask them to include details for the applicant of the Esterhaza palace where the job will be based.

What if TV talk shows were around in the 18th Century? Create a talk show segment interviewing Haydn on the success of one of his tours to London. Talk about a concert, the people Haydn met, Haydn’s opinion of the current fashion trends and anything else of interest. Don’t forget that Haydn was known for his great wit! This could be done as a class discussion, or you could break off into small groups to do the activity.

Another activity is to have the students research the 18th Century ‘Symphony’. Include information on the standard instrumentation (instruments used), the number of movements and any other interesting facts. Ask them to research other composers who wrote symphonies.