Finlandia – A New Lesson Plan
November 20, 2014
I love to share Jean Sibelius’ “Finlandia” at this time of year. Sibelius wrote it to represent the struggles the Finnish people had as they fought for freedom from Russia and then during the World Wars. You can hear in his music the deep passion he had for freedom and the challenges to find it.
Students, today, have their own struggles in life. As they listen to the music (about 8 – 9 minutes), they can relate to challenges that they face. It also, reminds us of the freedoms that have been fought for in our behalf. The final hymn at the end of the piece helps us to reflect on what we have to be thankful for particularly at this time of year.
See the full lesson plan, including recordings, on my website.