Tchaikovsky's Symphony 4 - Movement 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83F2cK4gG0M&feature=youtu.be&t=18s

I currently teach Pre-K through 6^th grades.  I see my 6^th grade students but once a week.  When they enter my classroom, I have a piece of music playing.  On the board are three questions that I intend to ask them when the piece is over.  The questions usually range from, “What emotion did you feel when listening to this piece of music?” and “What in this piece was interesting to you?” 

The students know they must support their answers to me with information from the piece of music.  They cannot simply tell me that Tchaikovsky’s Symphony 4, movement 2 was “sad.”  They must tell me something like Tchaikovsky’s Symphony 4, movement 2 felt said because of the instruments that were used in the piece – violins, oboe, and flute.  Or they could tell me something along the lines of “I felt that the dynamic changes in the piece were what really made the piece interesting.” 

I usually let 3-8 students share their answers (depending on how long they speak) and we then list ideas such as what dynamics were heard, what the tempo was, what instruments were heard, etc., on the board.  That way we can see the list together and really identify what made the song aesthetic as a class.