I use this composition to teach rondo form to my primary students.     •I will chin (sing on a neutral syllable) a melody written by Mr. Mozart. Later, we will use this melody to break a “secret code.”
•As you listen, try to determine what about this melody may cause it to be a little difficult to learn. I chin the first eight measures of the A theme and listen to their ideas about what might make it difficult. Fast tempo and so many notes always come to the fore in our discussions.
•Can you give me ideas of how we might make it easy to learn to sing this piece of music? They usually suggest slowing the tempo or singing only half of what I sang. We try their suggestions for learning the piece, singing and checking our memory until the piece becomes very familiar.

•Each time you hear the section that uses our melody, “walk” your hands gently on your lap. Freeze; do not move during the other parts of the composition. This, of course, takes more than one listening and creates many opportunities for them to describe what they hear. Next, we use our feet to walk Theme A and sit down during the other parts.
•When we have mastered the above, I begin collecting ideas for motions we can do during the sitting sections. This leads to discussion as to whether any of the sitting sections are the same. Other descriptions of what is happening in the music begin to emerge as we listen and check student comments. As the discussion continues, I draw a simple pictorial plan at the board which reflects student ideas. Following is an example of what they guided me to develop:

     

Breaking the Code    

At this point, they are ready to break the code but I tell them we must wait until the next music class. It’s like stopping right in the middle of a good read-aloud story!
During the next class period, we listen to the music and review our movements. As they perform their movement ideas, I redraw the diagram we had developed together. Then it is time to “break the code!” I draw an “A” over the first “walk” sign. Then I ask, “What should I draw over the next picture.” Someone always responds, “B” (which is lucky for me). I always ask, “Why?” After listening to several students respond, I see the “light bulbs start popping” as they urge me to fill in the whole “code” (ABACABA Coda). We pat ourselves on the back for our accomplishment.
    I conclude the lesson with a brief comparison of composers and homebuilders and how they use form in designing their products. We also label this as rondo form because of the “coming around” of the A theme again and again.
I gauge the success of this procedure by the number of students who, on occasional “choice” days, ask for the Rondo piece by Mozart.