Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' on YouTube

I was in a classical music mood today. Instead of relying on my mp3 player, which only has snippets of longer pieces, I decided to venture into the scary world of YouTube. I found some real gems and enjoyed listening to them.

One in particular was Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." I have always loved listening to this piece. What I like about this particular clip on YouTube, is that all four of the seasons are represented. All 42 minutes of music are present. The poster has included the times where each movement begins, should you want to focus on a particular season. Pictures from each season are in the background as its part is performed. You could easily leave this playing in the background. I am considering it on my laptop for the kids to listen to and view. Or, it could even go on that evil SmartBoard that is in my room. I would be okay with using it for that.

You could use this as a springboard for classroom discussions about the seasons, focusing on one at a time or all four. Have the kids listen to each part and draw pictures. Get creative.

Check out the video here:



How would you use it in your clasroom?