Star Wars Saga Assessment | Music & Leitmotifs Focus (9 Weeks for Grades 9-12)

A stand-alone, 9-week assessment focused on leitmotifs and scoring choices across all nine Star Wars films. Students keep brief listening logs during each screening, then—after the last film—write one focused analysis that follows a single motif across three films, explaining how orchestration, tempo/feel, texture, and placement reshape meaning.

Motifs & cues students may track (examples used in the materials):

• “Force Theme” / “Binary Sunset,” “Jedi Steps”
• “The Imperial March” (Darth Vader)
• “Duel of the Fates” (TPM finale)
• “Across the Stars” (Anakin/Padmé)
• “Battle of the Heroes” (ROTS)
• “Rey’s Theme,” “The Rebellion is Reborn,” Kylo Ren motif / Ben Solo material
• Exegol Emperor textures (choir/low brass)
  

NOTE: Light curriculum to pair with teacher-provided screenings—no lesson plans or weekly movie guides included.

What’s Included

• Teacher PDF (overview, pacing tips, example cue list)
• Student Copy (listening log + final prompt)
• Answer Key/Exemplar (sample logs + model analysis)
• Parent Guide (ratings snapshot for all 9 films)
• Permission Slip (editable)
• Formats: PDF + editable Google Docs (uploadable to Google Drive)
  

How It Works (at a glance)

• Week 1: Issue listening log; demo one entry (film/scene, motif name, 2–3 musical details, 1-sentence meaning).
• Weeks 1–9: Students capture quick notes after each viewing segment.
• Week 9: Submit One Motif, Many Meanings (trace a motif through three films; explain how orchestration/tempo/placement shift its narrative role).
  

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Who/What Subjects This Targets

• General Music, Band/Choir/Orchestra, AP Music Theory, Media Studies
• Grades 9–12 (music theory depth adjustable)
  

Standards Alignment

• CCSS ELA: CCRA.R.1, R.2, R.7; CCRA.W.1, W.2, W.9; CCRA.SL.1; CCRA.L.4
• Arts/Listening: Analyze how musical elements convey meaning in media (discipline-specific listening & analysis)