Grades: 4-8

Audience Size: 40

Length of Program / Performance: 40-60 minutes

Description:

These lesson plans were originally created for two elementary schools on Binghamton’s West Side to explore the neighborhood’s “German Settlement,” with its streets named for German and Austrian composers. They were expanded for use by all Binghamton schools, designed to foster civic appreciation for local history and community heritage and to explore larger questions about evaluating information.

The lesson framework addresses Hayden Street, part of West Side’s “German Settlement” first populated in the 1870s. It was named after composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), known as “the Father of the Symphony” and also, because of his kindness and generosity to other musicians, as “Papa Haydn” -- but, if you look closely, you will see that Papa Haydn's name was spelled wrong!

The lesson plans integrate social studies, ELA, music, art, and community engagement. They can be presented in a very flexible format, with each lesson 20-40 minutes and adaptable for 4-12 weeks, culminating with a possible in-school assembly. They can be taught as a multi-unit curriculum or extracted as individual units as needed.

The curriculum can be administered as in-class field trips taught by Dr. Julia Grella O’Connell, award-winning music educator and Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lesson 1: Discovering Binghamton's Musical Streets (Social Studies/Local History Focus)

Objective: Students will understand the history of German settlement in Binghamton and how street names reflect cultural influences.

Materials: 1933 article “How the Streets Got Their Names,” 1989 article “What’s In A Name?”, map of Binghamton's West Side (print or digital), photos of street signs (e.g., from real estate sites showing Hayden St.), “What’s In a Name” slideshow, timeline handouts, markers.

Assessment: Summary paragraph: Why might Haydn’s name have been misspelled as Hayden? Do you think it’s important to spell street names correctly? Explain.

Activities:

1. Introduction (10 min): Discuss "What’s in a name?" Show a map highlighting the West Side streets named after German musicians and poets (can be found on Slides 2 and 4 of the “What’s In a Name” slideshow). Explain the German settlement of the area in the 1870s and the historical forces that spurred German immigration.

2. Group Exploration (15 min): In small groups, students do research (via teacher-provided articles, attached) on why streets were named after composers. Discuss German immigrants' role in Binghamton's 19th-century growth and development.

3. Wrap-Up (10 min): Create a class timeline of Binghamton history.

Extension: Discuss with students why the correct spelling matters and why accuracy matters in general. Draw analogies between correcting the street name and evaluating online and other received sources of information (for this extension activity, collaborate with school librarian).

Lesson 2: Who Was Franz Joseph Haydn? (ELA/Biography Focus)

Objective: Students will learn about Franz Joseph Haydn's life and contributions to music.

Materials: Video: Franz Joseph Haydn: Meet the Composer, The Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza, timeline templates, colored pencils.

Activities:

1. Introduction (5 min): watch Franz Joseph Haydn: Meet the Composer.

2. Read aloud (10 min): The Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza, a picture-book biography of Haydn.

3. Discussion (10 min): Connection to Hayden Street: "Do you think the street signs should be changed to correct the spelling of Haydn’s name? Why or why not? Has what you have learned about ‘Papa Haydn’ made you change your mind? Explain.”

Assessment: Summary paragraph: Write 3-5 sentences about Haydn and his Farewell Symphony. Why do you think the musicians he led at Esterhaza called him “Papa Haydn”?

Lesson 3-6: Listening to Haydn's “Farewell Symphony” (Music Appreciation and Interpretation Focus)

Objective: Students will explore classical music through Haydn's works, identifying the ways that music affects emotions to build auditory and social-emotional learning skills and strategies.

Materials: Farewell Symphony.

Activities:

1. Listening Session (5-10 min): Play one movement of the Farewell Symphony for each of these lessons. Each of the four movements last between 5 and 10 minutes.

2. Discuss (5-10 min): Even though the music doesn’t have words, it expresses emotions. How does the music make you feel? Can you identify why it makes you feel that way – what instruments are used, how fast or slow the music is, whether the rhythm is calm or energetic, etc.”

3. Assessment (15 min): Journal entries: Have students compare each movement to a favorite song. How does your favorite song express emotions? Compare and contrast it with how Haydn does this.

Extension: Can music make you change your mind? What songs or pieces of music have given you new ideas or made you see the world or yourself differently?

Lesson 7-8: Hayden Street or Haydn Street? Why does it matter? (Civics/Communication/Critical Thinking Focus)

Objective: Students hold a debate for and against renaming Hayden Street.

Class divides into two groups, for and against. Students do not need to support either side to argue for it!

Materials: Whiteboard or projector, debate timer or stopwatch, printed debate rubric, paper and pens or digital devices for note-taking

Activities:

Day 1 (Preparation Phase)

1. Warm-Up Discussion (10 mins)
    Ask students: What is a debate? Why are debates important in real life?
   
   
   

2. Introduce Debate Structure (10 mins)
    Explain rules of engagement (respectful discourse, no interruptions, time limits), debate roles (speaker, note-taker, researcher if applicable)
   
   
   

3. Present the Debate Topic (5 mins): "Should Hayden Street be renamed?"
   
   
   

4. Team Assignments & Role Division (5 mins)
   Split the class into two teams: Affirmative vs. Negative. Assign roles:

●       Speaker(s)

●       Researcher(s)

●       Rebuttal builder

●       Timekeeper (if peer will be in this role)

5. Research and Prep Time (15 mins+)
   Teams begin preparing their arguments using class time or homework. They should:

●       Identify 3 key points to support their side

●       Gather facts, statistics, examples

●       Anticipate counterarguments

●       Examples of arguments for and against: “It’s important to honor people by spelling their names correctly”; “The street already has a long history by its old name.”

Day 2 (Debate Day)

1. Quick Review & Setup (5 mins)
   Go over rules, roles, and timing again.
   
   
   

2. Conduct the Debate (30–45 mins)
   Follow the format. Encourage clarity, eye contact, and respectful tone.
   
   
   

3. Feedback & Reflection (10–15 mins)

●       Class votes on which team was more persuasive (optional).

●       Peer or teacher feedback using rubric.

●       Reflection questions (write or discuss): What did your team do well? What would you improve next time? Did your opinion change?

Assessment: use provided rubric or make your own.

Optional Lessons 9-12: Dig Deeper: How Well Do You Know Your Neighborhood? (Integrated Geography/Civics/Local History Focus)

Objective: Students will choose a street in the neighborhood of their school and research how it got its name. Research includes a field trip to the Broome County Historical Society. Students will present their findings in class or in an assembly, along with other activities, on a designated “How Well Do You Know Your Neighborhood?” Day.

Materials: In August of 1933, the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin published a series of articles called “How the Streets Got Their Names,” focusing on a different neighborhood each week and explaining its street-naming history. These articles can be accessed through the Broome County Historical Society, located at the Broome County Public Library. You can also find images of the articles in the appendix of this document.

Binghamton: Its Settlement, Growth, and Development (1900) by William S. Lawyer. This is a very long book in the public domain that gives a comprehensive overview of the area from its earliest days. Book can be excerpted.

Other books, articles, and resources at the Broome County Historical Society.

Paper, pencils, poster board, poster paint, crayons, markers, glue, printed images of street maps and of historical street scenes and buildings in Binghamton.

This performance supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

Music — Creating:

●        Imagine (generate & conceptualize artistic ideas & work)

●        Plan, Make (organize & develop artistic ideas & work)

●        Evaluate, Refine, Present (refine & complete artistic ideas & work)

Music — Performing:

●        Select, Analyze, Interpret (analyze, interpret & select artistic work for presentation)

●         Rehearse, Evaluate, Refine (develop & refine artistic techniques & work for presentation)

●        Present (convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work)

Music — Responding:

●        Select, Analyze (perceive and analyze artistic work)

●        Interpret (interpret intent and meaning in artistic work)

●        Evaluate (apply criteria to evaluate artistic work)

Music — Connecting:

●        Relate (synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art)

●        Interrelate (relate artistic ideas & works w/ societal, cultural & historical context to deepen understanding)

Program Categories: Music - Classical, Music - Instrumental, Performing Arts

Cost:

$65 per session