THE ROBIN HOOD PROJECT: RESIDENCY ACTIVITIES

Here are some examples of Robin Hood Residency Activities that can be enjoyed by children of every age.

50-MINUTE SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES AND WORKSHOPS (Elementary through College)

Assembly/Classroom Lecture-Demo #1—Will the real Robin Hood please stand up? (all ages)
            Hesperus presents an introduction to the world of Robin Hood—or should we say, the many worlds? Although Robin is one of the best-known outlaws throughout the globe, we’re not sure whether he really lived. Topics discussed in this program (adjusted for audience age) include:
            Outlaws and comic book heroes
            How do we document a life?
            The possible histories of Robin Hood
            The making of Douglas Fairbanks’ Robin Hood film
            How Hesperus chose and set the music for the film
            Instrument demonstration
            A showing of the film’s first 12-minute scene with live accompaniment
           
Assembly/Classroom Lecture Demo #2—Music & instruments of Robin Hood’s time (all ages)
            This program presents a more detailed introduction to the medieval and renaissance instruments we use. Ancestors of our modern wind instruments, plucked and bowed strings, and percussion are discussed and demonstrated. Music from the Robin Hood film is used in demonstration. This assembly can also include a showing of the first scene of the film.

Classroom Workshop—Singing the News: Creating a Broadside ballad (5th–12th grade)
            Designed for middle school and up, this one hour classroom workshop teaches children how to share the news the way that renaissance ‘patterers’ did; by taking a current event, making a poem out of it, and setting it to a common tune that everyone knew. After a short introduction to the historical context and the process, students choose a story from their weekly reader or a local newspaper, discover the salient points, choose a tune, create a poem to fit the tune, and then sing it together. A good project for schools without a regular music teacher; no written music is necessary.