#44 CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS & DANSE MACABRE - Updated 9/12/15
TOPICS (Just click on the title you want to view)
CARNIVAL GENERAL IDEAS
BY PIECE:
----Aquarium
----Cuckoo
----Persons with Long Ears
----Fossils
----Hens and Roosters
----Kangaroos
----Lion
----Mule
----Pianists
----Swans
----Tortoise
----Books, Videos, Recordings, CD's
----Websites
DANSE MACABRE IDEAS
-----Art
----Books
----Lessons, Curriculum, Powerpoint
----Listening, Call Chart
----Movement
----Poems, 'Parodies'
----General Ideas
----Powerpoint
----Websites
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General Ideas
LESSONS: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm---------------------------
01/16 http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm -- includes:
For Page of Characters (w/clip art) see L. Dearlove
For Powerpoint see L. Dearlove
For 'Identify the Character' (w/clip art) see A. Black
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BACKGROUND: Charles C. Saint-Saens was born in Paris in 1835 and died in 1921. He was educated in Paris, his musical education was attained at the Paris Conservatory--one of the ranking music institutions of the world. At a very early age, his musical talent was very apparent. He has achieved fame as a pianist, organist, conductor, composer and essayist.
08/15 DSO TEACHING GUIDE: http://www.dsokids.com/media/8466/2005-Carnival-of-the-Animals.pdf
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10/12 THE ELMO/BIG BIRD OSCAR version is also very good.....goes through all of the instruments with demonstration in a very interesting way, tied to the story. --- Jane Rivera
I absolutely LOVE the humor in this and it is one of my favorites - BUT – a word of warning too. The people playing the instruments are not professional musicians, but rather actors and - um - in some cases, it is very obvious. I remember that there was some criticism of this film when it came out because of this ---- Kathleen Bragle
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10/12 BINGO GAME We played my "Carnival of the Animals" Bingo game this week with my Ks and 1sts, but I forgot to think about prizes for the winners. I didn't have anything in my room like stickers or even a stamp! I didn't want to use candy. It occurred to me that this would be a cool time to have the winners pick an unusual instrument that they don't normally get to play...and play it! ---- D. Brian Weese
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10/12 SMARTBOARD: http://www.box.com/s/lzqmd34llai0oa7zvt17 D. Brian Weese
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I just posted a blog update about my Carnival of Animals workstations.
10/12 http://mrskingrocks.blogspot.com/2012/09/carnival-of-animals-workstations.html
Tracy---Bulletin Boards for the Music Classroom www.musicbulletinboards.net
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06/09 MOVEMENT: As I introduce them, I have them do some kind of "movement" in their chair (such as clapping, patting heads, patting laps, etc.) according to whatever poem I say. Then when I think they've got somewhat of an understanding, I have them move around the room as I play an agogo bell or some type of loud non-pitched percussion. And yes, when they get to presto, I allow them to "run" - more of a speedwalking which we discuss the boundaries beforehand. I will suddenly change tempos and they've got to hear it and walk or run or whatever in between according to what word I say and beat I play. Eventually, I will stop saying the word and just play the instrument. That's the assessment - you can see if they get it or not. Of course, you'll always have those little buggers who only want to do presto! Years later, these kids can remember those terms and remember the little poems and everything - very cool! Simple, but effective! --- Marcia Rothra Raleigh, North Carolina
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11/08 BOOK: Have you ever read/seen the book written by John Lithgow about COTA? I use this for the 3rd grade. We listen to the CD being read by John and I show the pictures as he reads. We listen to the song and discuss what you basically do--tempo, instruments heard, mood, meter. The kids love to see the pics and they are so attentive. (Got to watch one section where he refers to the donkeys as asses--always get a gasp and covered mouth here—I explain this is another term for the animal). -- Brenda in MO
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11/08 LISTENING GRID: Something I'd like to do this time around is create a "chart" of each of the songs from COTA (I don't use all of them) to use as a springboard to discuss various aspects of the music - I guess it would sort of be a listening graph. we'd listen to a particular piece from COTA and chart its mood, tempo, instruments, etc. Perhaps I'd create the chart/graph as a great big table listing the name of the piece, and a column for each characteristic. In the mood column, I'd write a couple of responses from kids such as "sad" or "excited". In the tempo column, we'd write fast or slow etc. In the instrument column, we'd write an instrument we heard such as "piano." --- Marcia Rothra
In all of my listening objectives with 1st grade, I focus on things like melodic direction with movement (scarves, body), rhythm patterns (using rhythm sticks or other un-pitched along with the recording), form (lots of ways....movement, instruments, etc.) and instrument families (modeling the instrument they hear....e.g. playing "air flute"!) -- Raeanna Goss
11/08 LISTENING: I do something similar, but with my 5ths. I call it What Do You Hear? I have a chart of elements - acapella, accompaniment, unison, harmony, the instrument families, descant, canon, and I can't remember what else. They sit with their teams (set up at the beginning of the year) and mark down what they hear. Each correct answer earns a point. Starting in January, there's an additional bonus if they get it exactly right. That seems to discourage random guessing. We generally listen to 6 selections when we do this, sometimes unrelated and sometimes 6 variations on the same piece. My classes seem to prefer listening to variations. Itunes is my best friend when I'm setting up a WDYH lesson. It's a great lesson for assessing how they're doing with vocab. If it looks like there are some members of a team sitting on the sidelines, they're who I call on to earn the point for their team. Instantly everyone sits up and pays attention. With the little guys, I'll sometimes have them sit with a buddy as we listen to a piece. Every time I ring my little hotel bell, they whisper one word to their buddy about the music. At the end we magically discover that pretty much everyone chose the same words. Then we listen again and figure out why. -- Andrea Cope
11/08 LISTENING: I'd call it a listening grid. I'd make several boxes (use the table icon) titled with categories (instruments, mood, dynamics, tempo, composer, title, etc.) in PPT and then I'd project it onto my marker board. And we'd fill it in together as a class. I could project the form over and over, and just fill it in on the board and erase for the next class.
I use things like this sometimes but with a twist. I write "tempo" and then list tempo words. Then I have a row for dynamics, tone color, form, etc. The kids listen and cover one answer in each row as they hear what's going on. They answer by putting a bottle cap on the correct words (or the words they hope are correct). I can scan the answer sheets and caps and see what's going on in their little brains. Be sure to use the adult vocabulary alongside the kid words (piano = soft) so the kids see both. – Martha Stanley
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01/07 ART ACTIVITY: I had students trace their shoe on plain white paper. I then told them they would have to be creative and use that shoe outline as a part of the animal and draw an animal from the music. I was really impressed with their creativity. The shoeprint became a donkey's nose, a bird's body, elephant nose, etc. Our school does not have an art class and I am not an artist, but the students had a ball. I put some of the pictures on the wall outside my room. So many of the faculty members have stopped to tell me how much they like the drawings.
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AQUARIUM
06/10 STREAMERS/HOOPS: How about green and blue streamers around hula hoops with kids weaving through as the hula hoop holders move in free style movement at different height levels? --- Artie Almeida---------------------
06/09 FISH: I bought those pretty, colorful fish at Party City (that you can use to decorate for Hawaiian themed parties) and stapled them to long paint sticks.? The students move with the fish to the melody of the music from Aquarium.? They love it!? I've done it with kindergarten through 2nd grade.? We've even added it to some of our ocean themed programs (Sounds a Little Fishy to Me!). --- Theresa in Al
John Feirabend has great moves for this in his Move It! DVD. --- Karen Stafford
06/09 In the mk8 archives someone suggested using scarves as coral and using finger cymbals, with the children NOT using scarves holding one finger cymbal and looking around for another child to play with. I adapted this using triangles and beaters, calling this the guppies looking for the mommies.
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06/09 SCARVES/FINGER CYMBALS: scarves as coral and using finger cymbals, with the children NOT using scarves holding one finger cymbal and looking around for another child to play with. I adapted this using triangles and beaters, calling this the guppies looking for the mommies.
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12/07 ART PROJECT: cut a fish shape out of construction paper and the kids glued on circles for scales. I used a circle punch and just old magazines so that they would be colorful. Lots of prep work on this one. -- Tracy http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/
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06/07 SHADOW SHOW I did a shadow show with "Aquarium". The kids made the fish and had them on a stick. Scarves are also great with this piece. My students used inflatable fish (like beach balls) from Oriental Traders. They 'swam' them around however they wanted until the descending passages when the fish gradually swam to the bottom to feed. -- Linda in NY
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06/07 BUBBLES! [This] is my favorite - we listen to the music while blowing bubbles. We also make fish to hang outside the music room. You can do something with water and light, too, if I remember someone on the list mentioning it. Also shadow puppets. - Marcia Rothra - Raleigh, North Carolina
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06/07 PROJECTOR/PUPPETS: Take a 9x12 pyrex dish and fill with water and add blue food coloring (a gallon ziploc would work). Put that on an overhead projector and project it from behind onto a shadow screen (a white sheet pinned between two music stands.) Students tear fish shapes out of construction paper then manipulate fish shadow puppets behind the screen to the music. Throw in "Swimmy" or "The Rainbow Fish"....Teresa in TN
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06/07 FINGER CYMBALS: Lynn Kleiner suggests each child having one half of a set of finger cymbals and as they "swim" past each other touching one another's cymbal. I used it with toddlers today with bright fish I got out my chimes and the fish swam by the chimes and played them. Mothers watching just loved it. Of course the kids did. The mothers provided some color and effects with scarves as the fish were swimming. - Ardie Roddy
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06/07 MUSICAL: "Sounds a Little Fishy to Me" is an adorable musical. One of my favorite songs in the musical is about "Olly the Octopus" and the other is "He's a Whopper". All the songs were easy to learn and very fun! I did it with 2nd graders years ago.
wwws.sheetmusicplus.com/-- Caryn Mears
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06/06 BUBBLES: I purchased those little bubble containers you get in the dollar store (like 8 for a buck!) and we filled the room with bubbles while listening to Aquarium (several times!). They loved it and still ask if we're using bubbles today... - Marcia Rothra Raleigh, North Carolina
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10/04 BLACKLIGHTS; I used black lights and my students painted glow in the dark fish. I then taught them a dance to the aquarium from Carnival of the Animals using the fish for props. The audience loved it.
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KINDERGARTEN: My kinders love this piece and the challenge of turning a whole class into a school of fish that glide in the same direction and then change direction all at once (without spoken directions)...this makes them really tune into each other's movement as any child can signal the change in direction. Older students have choreographed a dance with contrasting sections that follows the form of the form of the music (ie. sea weed waving, fish swimming among sea weed, repeat--this is just one solution they came up with).
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I'd love to get my hands on a video of Oksana Baul skating to "The Swan" to show them!
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I, too, have used "Rainbow Fish" with Aquarium. It's wonderful!!!!!! The music can play through two times completely if read correctly, and the book and the music fit almost perfectly. The kids love it!!
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Years ago when I was taking Orff Level II we used the "Aquarium" with this activity...... We divided into small groups and with construction paper, crepe paper and odds and ends of art supplies, glue, scissors and our hands, we came up with paper fish on sticks, sea weed from crepe paper, one group had a shark another group had an octopus, I'm sure you get the ideas... We then had a white sheet on a huge PVC pipe frame with a light behind it where we dramatized the music with our silly looking creations. When the music turned on we moved our fish etc. to movement that we created. At times we looked silly behind the sheet, but out in front looking at the screen with the moving fish aquarium we thought it was rather beautiful. I carried this out in a classroom and then to make it even better by taking a video of each groups aquarium and then played it back in class. It was fun and the older kids really enjoyed it Hope you can enjoy this activity
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I am using scarves with Aquarium from "Carnival of the Animals." We have learned to juggle them. To watch the scarves float to this music is to look at something very beautiful. The music is just perfect. If they can't juggle, just tossing them up with one hand and catching with the other if nice too. I only had 2 4th graders who could get the juggling down, but most of my 5th and 6th graders could do it after about 30 minutes of practice.
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MYLAR STREAMERS: When I used that piece for an integrated unit, we used students standing still with mylar streamers waving them to the music, in an up/down fashion. I trimmed the streamers so they weren't too long; creating the idea of water and plant life. Then I had a school of fish with bright colored fish on the end of a dowel swim through the children. I think the piece is ABA form, so when they got to the B section, they stood in one place and turned in place. One fish was the leader and they followed her through the water.
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SCARVES: Hold 2 scarves in 1 hand and 1 in the other.... Throw 1 scarf from the hand holding 2 scarves...it floats a little...
Throw the scarf from the other hand...it floats a little... Catch the 1st scarf with that hand...while you are throwing the last scarf... Now...it's the basic juggling thing...only this is much easier than juggling with balls or bean bags if you have never juggled before. I ONLY juggle scarves...but I am GOOD at it and the kids can learn this and it is fun to put it to music...like------>"Aquarium" from "Carnival of theAnimals."
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PROJECTOR: Another idea with "Aquarium" and the "Dancing" sea creatures behind the sheet is to use an overhead projector, projecting through a clear glass bowl of water with blue food color dying it- makes the sheet look like blue water. 2nd idea I got was from Artie Almeida- Use long rolls of black paper for waves of the ocean, use florescent paint to paint on it for a sea floor, use flourescent painted sea creature stick puppets and a black light or 2, or 3. I did this and it came out really great! The kids sat behind the black paper and held the stick puppets up in the black light. We had 3 levels using risers. Actually we came on stage, making the fish swim to the music "Aquarium" and then performed the "Underwater ballet" to the Nutcracker "Troika"- Was great! It made a good sea creature study in music! The kids had a blast and we did it with an "Inclusion class" It was easy for all to participate in together.
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05/21 ZOO PLATES: I just did a successful lesson on form with my 1/2s. I used Aquarium from "Carnival of the Animals" and a bunch of fish from the Hefty Zoo Plates. I hot glued a paint stick to the back of each fish and handed them out to all the kids. I told them that in the music sometimes the fish swim, and sometimes they rest (descending pattern on piano), then we listened and made our fish swim and rest at the proper times. After that I diagramed it on the board---swim, rest, swim, rest. etc. The kids followed me but next time I will choose one of them to be the leader. They picked it up very quickly. At the end (coda) we held our fish still and used our other hand to make the sun shine down through the water onto the fish.
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At a workshop I saw the use of shadow puppets with the fish song from Carnival of the Animals. Kids made their own sea creatures to move to the music.
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FISH FROM CONSTRUCTION PAPER: I have them make small torn paper fish out of construction paper & glue them to a stir stick or popsicle stick. We play the music & pretend the room is full of water & they move their fish up & down to the melody. I have them "sculpt" a fish from a rectangle, but they end up with a little skinny eel sometimes. I demonstrate a couple, how you just make tiny tears to make a tail & mouth, I don't bother with fins.
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Sometimes I have drawn on the about 4x6 in. rectangle shaped construction paper a VERY simple fish shape for them to tear. (That's a lot of fish to draw for 6 classes!) I tell them it's art & doesn't have to be realistic. Some kids get really uptight about not having scissors to "make it perfect". I think this year I'll find pictures of torn-paper art to show them. Fun! Oh, I use glue sticks so it's quick & not messy. It's lovely to watch & they love doing it.-- Contributed by Mary Duren
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10/02 CARDSTOCK FISH: Materials: blank index cards or white card-stock paper cut into fish shapes (one per kid), crayons, hole punch, pipe cleaners (one per), opt. glue and craft eyes.
~Before class, cut fish shapes, punch two vertical holes in fish toward the tail (this is where the pipe cleaner will be threaded through to make a long handle/wand).
~Begin with silent listening to spark imaginations about various fish, plants, other creatures that live in the sea/ocean/aquarium. Discuss after: what did you imagine? what did your fish look like? how about yours?
~Listen again (repeat as needed) while kids color their fish on both sides. Glue on eyes (opt.) and thread one end of the pipe cleaner through the holes.
~Now the fish are stick puppets that can be used to play a song/game about fishes swimming (we did "At the Bottom of the Sea" from MUSICBOOK O) or to listen once more to Aquarium and play follow the leader around the room like a school of fish. ----Contributed by Sandra Elder
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CUCKOO
Song Ideas: Cuckoo in the Woods - Cuckoo, Where Are You?Birds - Little Bird, Carnival of the Animals, Margi Van Gunten; Share the Music grade 2 "Here Comes a Bluebird" or "Bluebird, Bluebird"
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I had students hold a scarf in front of their faces and then peek out every time they heard the clarinet play the cuckoo pattern. We just did the first part of the piece, not the entire thing. I demonstrated the idea first and asked students to identify the specific bird they heard. (Surprisingly, they can't identify the cuckoo readily. Must not be as many people with cuckoo clocks around these days!) They had a great time and really focused on the clarinet sound. They liked the idea of peeking out. This followed our listening to the Aviary where we used scarves also. Students hold the scarf in the middle of its length so their hand becomes the bird's body and the scarf becomes both wings. We then move the scarf around as the flute plays. -- Contributed by D'Anne Ibarra
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I have done the cuckoo where they raise their hands every time they hear the cuckoo and then I went to standing and sitting at the cuckoo. It's also fun to do on the bells.-- Contributed by Cheryl Elder
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PERSONS WITH LONG EARS
Mules - roll hands (like kum ba yah) quickly to symbolize the running mules, move them up and down with the contour of the melody, like mules running up and down hills.--- Sally UtleyBACK to Saint Saens topics
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FOSSIL
06/10 HAND MOTIONS: I use the hand motions suggested in Making Music grade 4 for the A section. I reworded the rhyme to more closely match the title of the piece: going on a dig, going on a dig, going on a dig just to see the fossils, going on a dig, going on a dig, going on a dig just to see the bones. Twiddle thumbs during B and C sections.---Sally Utley--------------------
12/07 ART PROJECT: I traced a dinosaur shape onto black construction paper and cut it out. Then the kids glued q-tips to it to look like bones. -- Tracy http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/
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Song Ideas: Fossils - T-Rex In The Neighborhood MK8 (Plank Road Publishing)
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07/05 BODY PERCUSSION WITH K'S: Started with body percussion: A--tap knees with hands crossed --right hand to left knee; left hand to right knee. (Like bones that are crossed) B--twinkle hands C-make a box with hands---with the beat---first left and right parallel l l beat2 the top and bottom beat three repeats one and 4 repeats 2. Then transfer A section to rhythm sticks. I stopped there, but you could have them pick instruments for b and c. -- Deanna Peters
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07/05 Q-TIPS: Although not exactly a musical activity I did the following craft activity while listening to Fossils. I cut dinosaur shapes out of black construction paper and then the kids glued q-tips to it. They turned out pretty cool. http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/other2.htm has a picture. Tracy http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/
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FOSSILS RONDO For grades 5/6
A SECTION:
Students set up xylophones in F pentatonic and choose two bars to play the following rhythm Pattern:
(I have it printed on rhythm strips in stick notation)
ti-ri-ti-ri ta, ti-ri-ti-ri ta,
ti-ri-ti-ri ti--ti-ri, ti--ti-- ta (4 times)
B SECTION:
Another group of students play this on the Hand Drums 16 steady beats played with two fingers
ti--ti ti--ti ti--ti ta ( played 4times forte)
C SECTION:
Clarinet solo students play this on tambourines
ta/ tah-m ti ta ta / tah-m ti tah-m ti/ta ta ta ta / dotted half 7 ti/
shake-2-3 ti ti ti / shake-2-3- ti ti ti / ta ti-ti ti-ti ti-ti- /ta//
*** tah-m = dotted quarter note
shake-2-3 =half note tied to eighth note/tambourinnes are shaken
Students play this as a Rondo. Then they listen to Fossils and we discussed what was the same and what was different. Then everyone swiched parts and played our rondo again. We even tried playing along with the recording. That was FUN!!
For grades 3/4
A section Students say the following:
"Listen to the bones, Listen to the bones,
Listen to the funny beat of the bones"
Then they match the stick notation
ti-ri-ti-ri ta/ti-ri-ti-ri ta/ti-ri-ti-ri ti--ti/ti ta ti ta
They play this on xylophones set up in F pentatonic I let them hear Fossils at this time and we try to figure out a way we can create our own rondo.
B section All sing Twinkle twinkle little star
C section 32 beats of xylophone improvisation Once again we share what is the same and different
For grades1/2 I just let them move how the music makes them feel making sure they have a different movement for the B and C section.
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I think Fossils from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens would be neat for Halloween. The music is in rondo form - ABACA. In a music education class (in Graz, Austria) with Sandra Stauffer, we did body percussion on the A section. We did other movements with a partner on the B section and the C section. It was a lot of fun.
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HENS AND ROOSTERS
INSTRUMENTS: For chickens/hens/roosters, we add instruments to a "chicken" story of some kind such as The Little Red Hen. I have a group play their instrument for each character in the story. They love it. -- Marcia Rothra - Raleigh, North CarolinaSONGS: Hens and Roosters - Who Stole My Chickens?, Carnival of the Animals, Margi Van Gunten; "Chicken" Nancy Cassidy's Kids Songs Jubilee and I'll Rise When the Rooster Crows from Share the Music grade 3 "Had a Little Rooster"(by the Barnyard Gate)
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KANGAROOS
06/09 KANGAROOS- I divide the class into 2 groups. One group is the trees, one group is the kangaroos. The kangaroos hop when the music sounds like it's hopping, and then they stop and look and listen behind one of the trees when the music pauses. Then we switch and the trees are now kangaroos and vice versa. They would do this all day if I let them. I've also done Kangaroo Hop from Music K-8, but that's kind of a conga line kind of song. They get a little carried away. Oh, and I do this with first graders, so the peeking behind the trees thing is a big hit with that age. --- Marcia Rothra-------------------------------------------------
06/07 I have a simple listening map for Kangaroo that has dots going up and down for the "jump" sound and a smooth curvy line for the "smooth" parts. It also has a repeat sign. I give 1 copy to every child and have them trace their finger over the dots/lines. -- Gwen I. Fitzgerald
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LION
06/07 ROAR: For the lion music I get a lion puppet and make it roar when the piano makes the roar sound. I ask them what instrument makes the roar sound. I have the Ks do it with me as a SILENT roar, so they can hear the music. Doing a SILENT roar takes practice!! Some K students don't have enough self-control to do a silent roar. Then we make a circle and march like lions in a circle until the roar part comes. We stop to roar, then march again. They love it so much they request it over and over again. They even request it a year later in the 1st grade!! -- Meredith Harley Inserra--------------------------------
06/07 CRESCENDO: I teach crescendo/decrescendo with the lion roar. Perhaps too sophisticated words for K's, but they'd get the idea. It's funny when light bulbs turn on at the word "crescendo" because so many kids say "I've heard that on Little Einsteins!!" We also play the humming game where we hide a lion beanie baby and one person goes out while it's being hidden. Then when the person comes back in, the class hums (humming is with your lips CLOSED!) crescendo-ing as the "finding person" gets closer to the hiding spot, and decrescendo-ing when they get farther away. It's your classic hot/cold game. This game does take some patience, though, and even 1st graders get bored with it fast. By about the 5th person, the interest fades, so I only do it at the end of class until we "run out of time"... Marcia Rothra - Raleigh, North Carolina
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SONGS: Royal March of the Lion - The Lion Sleeps Tonight or “I am a Tiger (Lion)
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A real cute idea for the "lions" is have the kids holding felt hand "mitts" that look like the face of the lion and have them likt the lions up and ''wiggle" each time they hear the lion roars. You could use paper plate faces too.
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MULE
SONG: Mules - The Mule song by Laura Freeman cd A Baker's Dozen, the lyrics are hilarious, haven't heard the music yet, but it's hillbilly!Tortoises -
The Elephant - Way Down South, Carnival of the Animals, Margi Van Gunten & Elephants Have Wrinkles, Movement Songs, Denise Gagne; "When I See an Elephant Fly" "One Elephant"
Kangaroos - Kangaroo Hop, MK8, 10/5; "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" Nancy Cassidy's Kids Songs Jubilee
Aquarium - Three Little Fishies, New Novelty Song Book
Animals With Long Ears (Donkeys) - The Donkey, Carnival of the Animals,
Margi Van Gunten; "Donkey, Donkey" and "Tinga Layo" Share the Music 2nd grade "Sweetly Sings the Donkey"
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PIANISTS
Pianists - I would just play "FurPianists - I would just play "Fur Elise" by Beethoven
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SWAN
05/03 For the swan I cut out round white circles then had the kids clue 4-5 feathers on it then gave them a white pipe cleaner to shape the neck. then took black markers and colored the end for the peak. Of course we all swam like swans after we finished them.This book has many ideas:
EARLY CHILDHOOD UNITS FOR MUSIC by Ruth Bergad, ISBN-1-55734-205-9, Teacher Created Materials,inc, www.teachercreated.com
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LESSON: http://www.wmea.com/proxy.php?filename=files/CMP/teaching_plans/TheSwan.pdf
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GENERAL LESSON UNITS
04/03 I do this with 2nd every year too. I start with an overhead that has drawings of the animals, i.e.. fish, birds, lion, copied from color books, etc, with a one word hint, like "piano", "flute", whatever. I tell them Saint Saens wrote a music about animals. Then I play a small bit of each animal & have them raise their hand when they think they know the animal. They love it, as it sort of becomes a game. -- Contributed by Mary Duren
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04/03 I teach the Carnival of the Animals every year to my 2nd graders. There are so many neat things that teachers on this list do for this unit! We start by singing Frere Jacques and learning it in round. This is to introduce the French composer Camille Saint Saens. We learn to speak a few French phrases and how to count to 10 in French and review these at the beginning of each class to reinforce this.
I give each child a beanie baby at the start of the lesson and have them tell and show me with great enthusiasm...what their animal sounds like. I then ask them what instrument could play the part of their animal the best. They are ready for this as in 1st grade we experienced Peter and the Wolf. This gets us thinking about what the instruments sound like.
I compiled a coloring packet for the Carnival of the Animals many years ago. I used to have the students color each animal but now I just choose a few and act out others. We keep a running list on the board as we listen in each class so we can review. I always have them close their eyes and guess what animal is being played before we have an activity.
We will use scarves and bubbles to move to the Aquarium this year. We will dance the Can-Can and listen to Offenbach's original music for the turtle. We will use Denise Gagne's wonderful music map for the Royal March of the Lion. We get out the xylophones and play the Cuckoo, and we will conclude our unit by watching Fins, Feathers and Fur, a video done with Gary Burghoff hosting by reciting verse by Ogden Nash. We will eat animal crackers while watching this.---- Contributed by Kristin Lukow
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Here are my plans for my C of A unit with my 2nds.
The resources I use are: Carnival of the Animals (book & cd) by Barrie Carson Turner, Ill. by Sue Williams (Can get in most music catalogs, and check your public libraries too).
STM 2000 Denise Gagne's Listening Kit 1 (a must have)
For each SQUILT (Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time), I play the excerpt from the accompanying cd. or the one from the book. I don't do the curriculum connections activities.
Session 1:
Intro song "Two By Two" and include the 1st animal (lion). This is a song I've adapted. Here are the words I use:
We're goin down to the ark with Noah 2x2, 2x2, 2x2
We're goin down to the ark with Noah 2x2,
Rise water rise. Let me see you make a (lion) motion 2x2, 2x2, 2x2
Let me see you make a (lion) motion 2x2, Rise water rise.
Intro: Carnival of Animals & Lion
-read the introductory pages from the book that tell about Saint-Saens as well as discuss the orchestra instruments used for the music. -show pictures of these instruments.
-I may also ask the students what kinds of animals they might expect to meet thru the music (I don't give any of the animals away, just say "we'll see").
SQUILT: Royal March of the Lion (List. Kit 1 p. 22) I follow the kit's sequence of activities pretty closely, except I will read the page about each animal from the book at some point. I also have the students try to id the instruments they hear depicting the animal and show the instrument pictures as well. Additional: for mvmt. activity #5, I will choose a leader to hold the piano picture who will lead the class (or small group) in a procession of lions around the room. Each time the lion roars (glissando), leader raises the picture up high and all pantomime roaring.
Song: Lion Sleeps Tonight (CD: Singalong Songs tr 19 I got at Walmart. There are various other cds with this song too STM has it for 6th).
-I'll teach them the weeeoo part first, then a simple hand dance for the verses (pat pat clap clap, R flat palm down 2x over L flat palm down repeat with other hand, R fist 2x on top of L fist repeat L fist 2x on top of R fist, R hitchhiker thumb 2x over R shoulder L hitchhiker thumb 2x over L shoulder). I'm not expecting them to get the song learned to perfection, just have fun with it.
Session 2: Hens & Roosters -Review song "Lion Sleeps Tonight"
-Sing Two By Two with Lion first, then add chicken.
SQUILT: Hens & Roosters (List. Kit1 p. 23) I again follow the activities here pretty closely, but I don't do the finger puppets. Instead, I pass out scarves for students to move about as hens & roosters to the music.
Songs: Chicken on the Fence Post (STM 3rd p. 370)with accompanying game.
Also: I Bought A Little Chicken and Had a Little Rooster (various sources).
Session 3: Personages with Long Ears -review song: Chicken on a Fence Post -play game -sing Two By Two include Lion, Chicken, and add Donkey.
SQUILT: Personages with Long Ears (List Kit1 p. 25) Again I follow the activities closely, but will read the page from the book and show instrument pictures in addition.
Song: Donkey Donkey (STM 2 p. 144) Tingalayo (I do this one on my guitar) or Do Your Ears Hang Low (Denise Gagne's Action Songs vol 2 p. 9) I added the verse "Do your ears hang high" too.
Session 4: Aviary
-review songs: Donkey Donkey, Do Your Ears Hang Low or Tingalayo.
-Sing Two By Two, include all animals above and add birdie.
SQUILT: Aviary (List. Kit1 p. 26). Here I use my own cue cards (high/low, fast/slow, separated/smooth). With activities 3 & 4 I read from the book and show the instrument picture. As an additional activity after 4, I pass out scarves and sets of chopsticks for bird movements and steady beat playing. Song: Here Comes A Bluebird (STM 2) and accompanying game (if time).
Session 5: Fossils
-review Here Comes A Bluebird & play game.
-Sing Two By Two and add Dinosaurs.
SQUILT: Fossils (List. Kit1 p. 27). I follow all activities as well as read from the book and show instrument picture or bring in my real xylophone. With any time left, we review other songs from the unit that they desire. Session 6: Carnival of Animals video (takes the entire class and is a great wrap up for the unit). -- Contributed by Gretchen in IL
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Sometimes toward the end of my Carnival of the Animals unit, I'll have first graders take large (12x18) sheets of drawing paper, fold them into 8 squares, and play selections. As they listen to each one, they draw the animal represented.
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I had a poster with all of the animals from this composition on it, and we would talk as a class about each animal and the different sounds they might make. How might this sound in music? I wrote the names of all of the animals on the board and on slips of paper, and I broke the class up into groups with each group having a slip of paper with an animal on it. Their job was to silently - with movement only - act out their animal for the rest of the class to guess what they were. This gave everyone an idea of the movement of each animal before we listened to "Carnival" ( do they jump? move slowly? etc.) After all of this preparation, I would pass out paper and pencils to each person and I began to play each selection from "Carnival." The students needed to write down which animal they thought the music was representing as we went along. I would play each section several times as we continued. We then went over answers as a class and listened one more time to the music so that the students who had picked the wrong animal could hear the music with the correct animal in their minds. The students enjoyed this activity every year.
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My 6th graders were totally unfamiliar with this. I began with Fossils - have a body percussion exercise that I got at a workshop last fall.
Afterwards, I showed them a poster I made with various animals on it - I play The Swan, they determine what animal is represented. I told them info about Saint-Saens - this was all the same day. (Didn't take up the whole period - they'd hate me.)
The next week, I asked questions about Saint-Saens - they listened to me better than I thought! I was pleasantly surprised. We listened to Cuckoo in the Woods and Kangaroo - used listening maps that I got at the workshop.
This week we listened to Persons with Long Ears (listening map from Music Teacher's Almanac), The Aviary, and Aquarium. While listening to Aquarium, they created fish or other sea creatures - got this idea from the list - they had to tear the shape. "What?! I can't make no fish! I need some scissors!" Again, I thought they'd be turned off and think it was too "beneath" them, but the display in the hall is great. (they glued their creatures to blue bulletin board paper - some girls in one class got into one of boxes and found old grass, bubbles, and fish from some old bulletin board and they used these things to accentuate the torn fish. Anyway, I love the mural - except for the spots where kids felt compelled to label their picture: "seaweed" and "big yellow fish" and "crab" - now, the seaweed is just a big pink blob, but the big yellow fish is OBVIOUSLY a big yellow fish and didn't need clarification, and neither did the crab...
Next week we'll listen to The Elephant - listening map from Orffestrations of the Masters - and Royal March of the Lion. Got to make a map - the one in Music Teacher's Almanac makes no sense to me, so I'm adapting it... I also think that I'll put questions about Saint-Saens in plastic eggs, along with answers, and have the kids find their partner. Elephant - Bend from waist and swing one arm slowly for trunk.
Birds - pretend to fly
Saint-Saens makes clever use of parody to suggest the slow-motion torpor of these creatures by quoting the famous can-can melody from Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. Normally performed at breakneck tempo, the tune here is played painfully slow. I have the children stand up and try to pretend they have a tutu on and they are turtles doing the"can-can" in slow motion. -Caryn Mears you CAN do images bigger than the size of a sheet of paper. use the tiling" feature of your DTP application. it will print out in parts like a huge puzzle. you then will have to tape it all together. I have done it many times. All kinds of uses for this feature. Anne in CA ---- Contributed by Wendi in O Town
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07/15 LESSON: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm
The second ghost theme we sing verse:
Third time we sing 'Halloween' on the ghost theme.
4th time we hear the ghost theme sing verse
5th time you hear the ghost theme sing Halloween again.
Here are the notes for the ghost theme: meter is 3/4, key is g minor
THEN REPEAT the whole Halloween section again.(the melody repeats) After we learn this melody we watch the filmstrip and sing along with it when we hear the downward floating ghost melody! (In between the ghost melody is the staccato skeleton melody..very easy to pick out for the kids to identify) (Teachers love this one....it teaches the kids how to spell Halloween.) This is based on one of the themes and then there is a piano part interlude which introduces another theme - Skeleton's I think Then I tell the story and I use pictures that the children have drawn from past years....they draw me masterpieces trying to get their picture in the story for the next year...with a school of 725 it gets a bit competitive. I use several pictures for each part of the story...several clocks etc Danse Macabre name I don't know if this makes any sense but telling it with these visuals make is so clear for them. I also have the Bowmar Orchestra picture charts hanging around my "rom - uhum I mean stage" with labels Rooster /Oboe etc. -- Contributed by Carol Richardi
1 - clock face with both hands on 12
Found it at some dusty old Book Warehouse place. Used it today while listening to Dance Macabre with my second graders. Fits the timing of the song perfectly too. Song ended right on last page of bk! (Synopsis below)
Then I told the kids the "real" story behind the song, gave them all drawing paper and had them draw while listening again.
Synopsis: Ornery old Aaron Kelly has died much to everyone's relief. Prob. is, he won't stay dead. He shows up back home and proceeds to pester his poor widow day after day. He sits in his old rocking chair and back and forth he goes creaking and cracking his by-now skeleton bones. Her new suitor just happens to be a fiddler, who tries to dance Aaron back into his coffin for good!
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An arrangement by Lee Campbell-Towell incorporates singing and movement. She took the melodies and added lyrics and movements for the kids. I did it in performance with my third graders a couple of years ago and it was a hit. She has "The Nutcracker," "Eeba Streeba" (Carnival of the Animals), "Ging Gong the Cat" (featuring various composers), and materials that work equally well in music or PE. The way its set-up, it should be easy for a teacher to incorporate other instruments, ostinati, etc., into the piece.
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I end my Carnival of the Animals Unit with a relay race. We line two bells up on a table, and put the girls against the boys. Whoever can name the animal first wins a point for their team. (They have to run forward and ring the bell to be able to answer. Whoever rings the bell first gets to answer.) If it's a really nice day outside, I tape excerpts from the music and we go outside for the relay.
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I did a multimedia performance using this piece and it went very well. I had each 5th grade class do a different song and applied something to it: One class researched fish, made large size shapes of different fish on
hardboard, attached them to straightened out coat hangers, and then I made the whole stage an aquarium by hanging large construction paper (the kind which we often use for bulletin boards about 4 feet wide on a huge roll). Black paper on the bottom (hides the students from the audience) and then attached a couple rows of white paper to the black. I turned on two overhead projectors with blue transparent paper on them from behind, and the kids moved around holding up their fishes behind the paper. From the front it looked great! The fish were shadowed onto the white paper which now looks blue. Another class drew pictures on the computers, we recorded them to the music on video tape and set up several TV's in the gym and played back the video to the audience with the music also recorded on the video. Another class did Chinese ribbons to the music. These are just some of the things I have done. It was a lot of work and required some team effort with other teachers (computer time, art teacher, etc.) but was well worth it and is truly "knowledge work" for those of you who are familiar with that term!
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I am doing a unit on the "Carnival of the Animals" right now with my 2nd graders *I open each class with speaking a little French...(We learn to say, Bonjour, Adieu, Je m'apple __________, numbers etc...)
*We then sing "Frere Jacques"; they echo my phrases. We then sing all together and then I ask my helper for the day to come up front and sing with me, and we start a round. They pick another student and we keep adding students until it is half and half. I tell them we're doing this song because the man who wrote this piece of music we will learn about is French. We find France on a map and I tell them about how I lived in France as a little girl. :o) they love that part!
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I also want to add more French songs next year also. We do incorporate "Alouette" and "Les Petite Marionettes". I find that kids love learning foreign languages.
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*I write Camille Saint-Saens' name on the board and ask if they know who this is and most of them recognize Camille...we have a girl named Camille in 2nd grade this year.
*I introduce the music by showing them the CD, our local library's has hand-i-mals on the cover...hands painted to look like animals.
*Then, I tell them they will listen and try to figure out what animal the music sounds like. It is really amazing, someone gets almost everyone! We look at pictures of the musical instruments they hear and review instrument
families at this time also.
*We listen to 3 or 4 a day and act them out as we go. We keep a running list at the board for review.
*When we have heard them all, I quiz them on the music by playing the animals in random order and they have to act out what they hear. They are really good at it!
*We will end the unit by watching the video with Gary Burghoff?? (from M*A*S*H)...wonderful!
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Extended unit on "Carnival of the Animals" using The Mormon Youth Symphony Video, and Hotchkiss's listening activities in her "Music Smart!" (A side note on Music Smart- I found it to be worth the $75, but some of the recordings are produced by electronics and not live musicians. The quality is reasonably good, though.) I do one animal a day, reviewing several of the previous ones, depending on what concept I am teaching for the day (high/low, fast/slow, etc.) This is how I also initially introduce instruments to the little ones. I really don't extensively cover orchestral instruments at this level, but hey, the instruments are being heard during this lesson, so why not? I usually do the listening the first 5-10 minutes of class.
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According to the student handbook for NC Symphony, he had a long nose which his friends said looked like a parrot's beak (wonder what his enemies said), he loved dogs and took his everywhere, his father died when he was still quite young, and he was raised by his mother and a great-aunt who spoiled him terribly - - his marriage dissolved, probably because of this. . . . But he did have many friends, whom he entertained with stories, et cetera. He travelled widely. I have also read somewhere that he did not allow the publication of Carnival during his lifetime, because he did not want to be known for this novelty piece. . .
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I'm doing Saint-Saens this month. According to my bio, his two children died young within a month of each other. One fell out a window and the other got sick with a fever and died. After that, Saint-Saens decided that his marriage was cursed, separated from his wife and never lived with her again.
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I do the unit after our big unit on instruments of the orchestra. They have learned to recognize the pictures and sounds of various orchestral instruments. I talk a bit about Saint-Saens and then tell them about Carnival. Then we list on poster paper characteristics of selected animals. (I don't do all of them because of time) Then, we choose some instruments we think would represent those animals. This is where I was amazed! Without hearing the music, those kids picked instruments that Saint-Saens used in his composition. In the next lesson, we review what we have written on the poster paper and then hear the songs. I give them an opportunity to guess what animal they are hearing and then what instruments they are hearing, and then we compare it to what we suggested the week before. If you want to add an art element to this, you can also have them draw pictures of the animals as you hear them. I love this lesson-and the kids do too!
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Saint Saen' Carnival of Animals (Kindergarten and Young 5's did this) We listened to about 4 animals from the piece. I asked them to tell me in what ways the music sounded like the music they were listening to. I drew pictures of the animals (if you are not an artist children 's coloring books are great resources for animal pictures) and put a little something about the composer on the back. The kids listened to 4 more animals and colored the pictures to take home. I used the video "Kids in Motion" and had them do the song "Animal Actions" and then played the children' s favorite animals from Carnival of Animals and did the movement to those also. I found songs about animals from their books and other resources and we sang these songs in class together.
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If you buy the composer portraits listed in Music in Motion or Friendship House, they come with a biography of the composers. I just did Saint-Saens, and my kids were all impressed with his early ability (they learned the vocabulary word 'prodigy', the fact that both his children died, and that he was able to overcome his grief to go on to write even more beautiful music and have a successful life. I put the poster on the wall with large "arrows" containing interesting details about him, we listened to "Danse Macabre" (even my first graders liked it!), and used the puppet video for Carnival of the Animals.
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Class 1 - While looking at pictures of all the possible choices, we listened to each short movement and guessed which animal Saint-Saens wanted us to think of. (We discussed possible instrument, tempo etc. choices for each animal before). After guessing, we moved a little to emulate that animal.
Lion - march majestically, stop and make roaring motion of mouth with hands on "roar" part.
Hens/Roosters - scratch and peck. Stop and pretend to cock-a-doodle doo on that part.
Wild Horses, or jackass - We ran and ran and ran in a circle! (Anyone not being safe would have to sit out)
Tortoise - on hands and knees crawl VERY slowly
Mules - Do donkey kicks on hee-haw (carefully)
Kangaroos - Hop on hopping parts, pause and look for danger on pausing music.
Aquarium - Make a fish face and flap your fins and swim. Rest when music seems to rest.
Swan - extend neck and walk (float) as gracefully as possible.
Fossils - shake body when you hear the xylophone (bones). Freeze when it's not heard.
Cuckoo - Count the "cuckoos" (I might have missed one or two.)
Class 2 - Play straight through. Children move as soon as they recognize music. There will be some wrong guesses.
Class 3 - Watch video with Gary Burghoff narrating. Taped at the San Diego Zoo.
Class 4 - Watch video (sorry, I can't remember name or publisher, etc. Maybe someone else will) It's a puppet show of Camille Saint-Saens as a boy imagining all of this music. Ordinary objects become the animals.
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Below are the activities I used. In addition, for the elementary I did one activity with the 'cuckoo' on form. I wrote out in Kodaly mapping form the pitch form of the piece (I did it on a hand out, but you could do it on the board) and had them discover the ABA.
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Carnival of the Animals - movement ideas
When you get a tape you'll see there are 14 sections of short pieces. I will tell you what I've done but I'm sure you can think of additional ones.
1. Lion: stalking and a stand still movement (with head) for the 'roars'
2. Hens: stalking around like chickens
3. Turtles: very slow movement with hands, feet and head
5. Elephant: I used scarves (garage sales a good source)
6. Kangaroos: jump then rest to 'eat' or nestle with other kangaroos on short cadences
7. Aquarium: good improv. dance music - fluid (use much hip and arm movement)
9. Cuckoo: 2 elements here: piano chords and "cuckoo" of the clarinet, let kids dream up ideas
12. Fossils: music to evoke pictures of "dinosaur bones & old fossils; lively for dance, the basis of this music is collection of 'old' French tunes hence 'fossils'; It is advantageous to do a prior listen (with older children) to the folk tunes before listening to this section(Bernstein's recording explains them all)
13. Swan: Scarves (let the scarf be an extension of their body such as a wing)
14. Finale: several of animals reappear in this short summary.
Here is (in my opinion) the best video (but also the least sophisticated) I've found at the library:
Video: (no narration, just music and puppets) "Carnival of the Animals" pub.Hollywood California, Video Assoc., 1983, Series: Puppet Musical Classics, Andre Tahon Puppets, Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra
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First I have the kids listen to the selection. Then we talk about how the music moves, ex. Fast vs. slow, egato vs. staccato, steps vs. skips, etc. We use this to determine what kind of animal the music is trying to portray. Then, for fun, I have them act out each animal. For the lion, I have one person as the lion and the rest as his court--they all act very scared when the lion roars! Kangaroos hop, fish swim, etc. It is a lot of fun and they ask for it year after year!
My kids' favorite part of Fantasia is the Carnival of the Animals to Flamingoes with yo-yos
This unit is intended to teach the music of Camille Saint Saens-specifically the Carnival of the Animals. It works well in the regular classroom as well as integrated in the music room. I used it in the music room around Halloween so that we could do something fun without calling it Halloween (we're forbidden here :( ). Saint-Saens was also born Oct. 10, so it's a nice way to celebrate his birthday. I'll just list the name of the animals on the CD and the activities that I used!
Royal March of the Lion: Use the listening map. Students will be able to see the picture of what is going on. I've included one blank (for copying) and one with markings on it so you can tell what the artist wants you to see. Next I have the kids pretend to be lions. They walk in place to the beat and roar silently when it's time.
Hens and Chickens (I avoid telling the kids it's called Cocks and Hens for obvious reasons! You never know what they're going to say!!) Listen to his one but don't tell them what it is. Have them guess what kind of animal it might be. Next have them act out the pecking heard in the music.
Tortoises: Talk about how tortoises move and what they are sometimes called-turtles. The music in this one is the "Can Can" Have the kids do the Can Can at the regular tempo. You could even play an example of the real thing. Next play Tortoises. Have them do the Can Can like turtles in slow motion.
Elephant: Ask them what instrument is playing (double bass and piano). Ask why the composer might have chosen to use the double bass for the elephants. Have them listen to this one with the map (which shows who is the soloist at the time) and possibly act like elephants.
Kangaroos: Have them listen to it and try to guess what animal it is. Next, have them stand in a circle. They hop like kangaroos whenever they hear the hopping music. When the music settles down, I have them pretend like it is the kangaroos pausing and panting/catching their breath.
Aquarium: Have them listen with their eyes closed picturing the fish swimming and other things they would see in the water. Next have them draw the scene on paper while listening again. This one is also used at the very beginning of Beauty and the Beast. They may be able to guess that!
Cuckoo in the Heart of the Woods: There is a cuckoo sound in this one. Have them guess what instrument is doing the cuckoo (or what family it is from). Next listen again and have them count the number of cuckoo sounds they hear. I think there is 21, but I don't really remember without counting.
Aviary: Talk about what an Aviary is. What lives in an aviary? What instruments might the composer use to make bird sounds? Have them listen and picture the birds. If they are good about coming back on task after a spaz activity, have them act like birds.
Fossils: This song has "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" hidden in it. This one is fun to just sit and listen to. See if they can guess what instrument is playing (marimba).
The Swan: This one is very peaceful. I had them move very gracefully to the music like a swan would.
Finale: See if they can pick out what animals they are hearing.
As a final activity, I played these randomly and had them act them out to
see if they knew which one is playing. Since it was a carnival, I also fed them caramel apples. I just gave them 2 slices of apples and used caramel dip. They LOVED it!! It was also a great way to get rid of all of my extra wedding napkins!! I don't play them all of the songs included in the Carnival of the Animals. I also tried to do a "fun" activity mixed with a "sit and listen" activity on the same day. I hope you can use some of this!!!
BACK to Saint Saens topics
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TORTOISE
06/09 TORTOISE: I teach four tempo words - largo, andante, allegro, and presto. I teach them "poems" for each one. Really they're just saying what the word means in a rhythmic way. For example, I say "Lar - go....lar - go....lar - go means very slow" spoken very slowly. For andante, I say "Andante, andante, andante means walking" spoken a little faster in a walking speed, and so on. Allegro is just a bit faster, then presto is as fast as I can say it and you can still understand it. --- Marcia Rothra Raleigh, North Carolina
12/07 ART PROJECT: I cut a turtle shape out of construction paper and then the kids glued little pieces of construction paper on like a mosaic. It was fun and easy to do. -- Tracy http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/
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06/07 I also teach fast/slow with the tortoise and use the song Presto Largo from MK-8 (can't remember which issue it is in). We walk in a big circle with baby steps presto during the presto part, and largo during the largo part. - Marcia Rothra - Raleigh, North Carolina
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I used the song Presto Largo from K-8. We discussed fast/slow tempos, and talked about the story of the Rabbit and the Hare. I had the kids get in a circle and move baby steps in the circle either "presto" or "largo" depending on where we were in the song. Again, the kids love this song and still ask for it. I just did it this morning and it had nothing to do with my lesson, but the kids wanted to do it so we did! - Marcia Rothra Raleigh, North Carolina
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I found a great outline of a tortoise on print master 12 as seen from above so I printed a half class set on green paper then glued it onto card stock. I'll get them laminated tomorrow then hit glue theem onto paper plate so I can bend the legs down . Half the class will be rocks for the turtles to climb and half will be pulling the turtles/tortoises over the rocks! Now if only I had a printer big enough for elephants and kangaroos! - Sue Michiels
CARNIVAL OF THE ANMIALS: Books, Recordings, CD's, Videos
07/11 The Gary Burghoff DVD is great for showing the instruments and the animals. It goes back and forth between the instrumentalists playing the music and the actual animal that the music represents. I would think it would be great for k's if you just showed one or maybe two pieces at a time. The whole thing woul d be too much I would think. The only part of this that is cartoonish is the fossils, and I think the cuckoo. -- Note: this video uses the title 'Jackass.'
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01/07 VIDEO: There is a wonderful video of the Carnival of the Animals- called "Fins, Feathers, and Fur" starring Gary Burghoff ( Radar of MASH fame) who quotes the Ogden Nash poems. It takes place at the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Wild Animal Park, here in San Diego. The Mormon Youth Orchestra plays. It is just delightful. I highly recommend this as the finale to your Carnival studies. Dianne Park
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07/05 “FISH EYES, a Book You Can Count On." a gorgeous book at yesterday's book fair It was done by Lois Ehlert back in 1990, and my edition came from Scholastic. As I first looked through the book yesterday, Saint-Saens "Aquarium" from CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS began playing in my head. The 2:34 min. track is a perfect length for playing behind the reading of the book, with plenty of time for dwelling between turns to view the brilliant fish swimming across the pages. -- Connie Herbon
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07/05 I bought Lithgow's book but I also bought Carnival by EMI Commentary by Barrie Carson Turner. It is wonderful for younger children. The CD has only the music on it so I read the commentary with it. The pictures are great as well. Published by Henry Holt and Co.. In the beginning it also shows the instruments involved, and has separate pages describing the instruments. Pictures are great as well. I thought Lithgow's was more advanced. When I use the movie of Mormon Youth they mention the jackass but I explain it first and read the definition from the dictionary (they are different animals with shorter ears). -- Linda McVety Naples, Me. K-3
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Note: the 07/05 book by John Lithgow uses the word “Jackass” so a little preparation in this regard might save problems.
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06/04 "Carnival of the Animals: Listening Guide & Coloring Book" by Mary Ann Stewart. I love this book. You can get it from Plank Road Publishing www.musick8.com or Music in Motion.
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01/04 This year I ordered a set of reproducible puzzles, songs and activities on Carnival of the Animals. It is called Peg Hoenack's Musical Appe-Teasers, set one, Carnival of the Animals, with assessment worksheets by Debra Lindsay. I ordered mine from Music in Motion, catalog. The kit includes notes for the teacher, background info on Saint-Saens, overview of the music, suggestions for each piece including movement ideas, a word find, Kodaly hand symbols, a coloring page of Saint-Saens picture, a lyric sheet with words for the Lion, Tortoise, Elephant, Monkeys and Au Claire de la Lune, a listening test, Orff and Recorder Performance tests, sheet music for Elephant and Monkeys, and Orff Arrangements for Elephant, Monkey, Tortoise and Lion. The Orff arrangements use letter names only, with the words to the songs under each letter. - Contributed by Sally Utley
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The Mormon Youth Symphony video is awesome - I show it every year after we've listened & discussed & done activities. It's a great closure, and the kids get excited when they hear the music & recognize it. I use it with 2nd graders. Gary Burghoff is narrator of the poems by Ogdon Nash.
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RESOURCES
BOOK/CD: Carnival of the Animals Book & CD, with commentary by Barrie Turner and
illustrations by Sue Williams. I use this a lot!
Carnival of the Animals CD - narrated by Leonard Bernstein. Includes
interesting insights into the music. A special feature of the CD is the
inclusion of recorded musical examples of the original works that St. Saens
borrowed from other composers in his musical parodies. Also included are
narrated versions of Peter and the Wolf and The Young Person's Guide to the
Orchestra.
WALL CHART and CD - includes a teacher's guide with reproducible student
activities and a listening guide.
SONGS: ALL SCHOOL REVUE: - created for elem. ages in unison and simple 2-part arrangements.
BOOK: by Philip de Vos and Piet Grobler. Original verses
based on COTA, with playful drawings for each poem. Sequence of poems follows
the musical sequence and could be use as alternate or additional narration to
the better-known Nash verses. Hardback
BOOK: 12 Teaching Units in Music, Movement and Language, by Marjie Van Gunten. Songs
are newly composed by Van Gunten.
VIDEO: Carnival of The Animals Puppet Video. Jim Gamle recreates the classic. 30
min.
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02/02 BOOK: Carnival of Animals lessons book You can find it on page 63 of the West Music catalogue.
www.westmusic.com
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Last week I mentioned a new Carnival of the Animals book I just got. here are the details: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, commentary by Barry Carson Turner, illustrations by Sue Williams, Classical Music for Kids Series, published by Henry Holt. It's listed at $20 and incluldes an excellent CD. I got it at Barnes and Noble.com for less.
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BOOK: Lee Towell, Cat Paws in San Antonio, T exas,. has a great book with tape called "Eeba Streeba". It is based on Carnival of the Animals with lots of movement. Eeba Streeba is from Cat Paws in San Antonio, Texas. Phone number is 210-698-0859
BOOK/CD: It is called Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, commentary by Barrie Carson Turner and illustrated by Sue Williams. It is published by Henry Holt and Company, New York (first American printing - l999). ISBN 0-8050-6180-0. It gives brief information on Saint-Saens, the orchestra for the Carnival, string instruments, woodwind instruments, xylophone, glockenspiel, and piano. Two pages are devoted to each animal. Eleven or l2 lines of information and questions are included for each animal. The art work is beautiful. The CD contains music only--14 tracks. List price was $19.95. Barnes and Noble gave a 10% discount--$17.95 plus tax. Amazon has this book for under $14.
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VIDEO: Music in Motion carries an EXCELLENT video of Carnival of the Animals. I used it with 22 classes last year as preparation for a school symphony concert, It is inexpensive (about 21.95) and uses the Mormon Youth Symphony orchestra and shots from the San Diego Zoo and the Calgary Zoo (an hour south of my city!)
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VIDEO: Carnival of the Animals" is a great video that I use after listening and acting out the movements of the characters. It stars Gary Burghoff (from M*A*S*H) and it's wonderful! I use this every year and the children absolutely love it.
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VIDEO: I use the video with "Radar" narrating Odgen Nash's poem. I also have the animals drawn on 22 x 28 poster board. There are pages in a bulletin board guide book out there too, that I use as over-heads, then songs about animals from various series books to supplement. Finally, I gave the Kindergarten Brookfield Zoo passes ( via White Hen Pantry) when school ended in '98. My entire K - 5 population really enjoyed the unit - FUN for all!!!!
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LESSONS, CURRICULUM, POWERPOINT
01/16 07/15 LESSON: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm
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06/09 POWERPOINT: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/music/music.htm
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12/07 CURRICULUM: (season 2015/-2016 only) See "Symphony Spooktacular" at:
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/learn/teachers-students-and-parents/young-peoples-concerts/curriculum
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LESSON PLAN FOR HALLOWEEN
Learning how to listen seems to be at the very heart of music training. What better time to learn than during a fun holiday such as Halloween?
The piece for the month of October is Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens.
The objectives learned through this listening experience will include:
•Timbre, (instrument recognition)
•Theme recognition
•Dynamics, (loud and soft-full orchestra v.s. solo sections)
•Tempo, (fast and slow experienced through movement)
•Form,(canon and counterpoint. St. Saens overlapped themes in the development section.)
Materials needed:
•1 black scarf-for the character of death(theme 1)
•Several light blue scarves for the characters of the skeletons(theme 2)
•Several white scarves for the Ghost characters(theme 3)
•A complete recording of Danse Macabre(preferably Cd or cassette tape)
•Pictures of the instruments in the 19th century symphony orchestra, especially:
Oboe-for the Rooster
Violin and string family-for Death and Ghosts
Harp-Clock, that strikes 12 midnight
Xylophone-for the skeletons
Procedure: Children will listen to recorded exerpts from the piece that corrospond to the aforementioned "characters". Teacher will show pictures of instruments at the appropriate times. Class will discuss the story of the "merry graveyard dance" and how the ghouls must be aware of the impending dawn, which is signaled by the rooster. As an art correlation, the class may draw a picture to another listening to the piece.
Next, the teacher will distribute scarves. One child will act as the "leader". He or she may be "Death". Teacher will guide children (ghouls) in movement to the music.
I always do "Danse Macabre"....Saint Saens at Halloween. I tell the story....draw a terrible picture.(stick figures or whatever). I start with the clock striking 12 and have them pretend to be a clock striking. Then we tiptoe out...the first skeleton and pick up our violin and play the beginning theme. Then other skeletons come out. We have already practiced a skeleton dance where our whole body is loose. Then we practice the smooth, more graceful ghosts theme. They keep changing dances when they hear the change in the music or I or someone points to the picture. Then they get into the party....all the themes interacting and dancing around together....rest a little....then finally getting wild. I liken this to when they get wild and out of control at a party. They always know what I mean. Haha.
Then comes the rooster....and the party stops suddenly.....the dancers tip toe back to their places for another year.
Sometimes I have them make a ghost out of a kleenex and another kleenex wadded up in a ball and tied with string. They make it while listening and dance it on the ghost music.
They always ask for this one. I suppose the hardest thing is to get them to move with no noise so they can really hear the music. But they do manage to do it with encouragement.
I use "Danse Macabre" with K-5. I just change the level of listening. With the K,1,2 I usually skip quickly through the middle part and go to the "wild" part after we get into the different dances. They all love it and ask for it over and over each year. Then I play part of that music when they come out to the Halloween parade and they are excited to hear it. Recognition! How wonderful! Sometimes I do it every other year, and alternate with "Night on Bald Mountain" or something else.
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FILMSTRIP: EAV did "Danse Macabre" on video in 1985- it is the filmstrip applied, but some nice close ups. David Prennena is illustrator. I really like the live actor who explains the major themes before the actual filmstrip pictures. Doesn't fake violin well, but the themes are there! -- Kristi Keast
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I have my students sing the Danse Macabre theme!
We sing H-A-double L -O-W- double E -N spells Halloween on the first ghost theme.
1: Halloween means ghosts and goblins, Skeletons, monsters and howling cats,
Spooky masks and jack-o-lanterns, Witches and devIls and big black cats.
Trick or traet gets you candy and apples,
Then go to the next house and get some more.
H = G on the piano rhythm = { dotted half note G}
A = F " " " { dotted half note F}
double L = E natural twice {2 quarter notes for E for double, quarter
note for the L .}
O = E flat {dotted half note on E flat}
W = D-E natural-G {quarter note D, quarter E, quarter note G}
double E = F#,E natural, D {quarter note F#, quarter note E, quarter D}
N = E natural { half note E natural}
"Spells" = E natural {quarter note E natural}
"Halloween" = F#, E natural, D {quarter note F#, quarter note E, quarter
note D}
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POEMS, PARODIES
POEM was written by Henri Cazalis: Zig, Zig, Zig, Death in cadence - "...based this famous symphonic poem on a set of verses of the same name by Henri Cazalis. It was introduced in 1875. A free translation of the poem is:
"At midnight, Night plays a dance tune on his violin. The winter wind blows and the night is gloomy. Mysterious moans come from the trees. White skeletons fly through the shadows, leaping in their huge shrouds. Each one gives a tremor and their bones rattle as they dance. But hush! Suddenly they stop dancing and run away. The rooster has crowed."
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10/04 'PARODY': I rewrote this translation: Tap, tap, tap - death sits on the tombstone and drums with his heel. Tap, tap, tap - death tunes up his fiddle and plays a weird reel. The winter wind blows, the night is dark The tall trees groan aloud; White skeletons dance across the sky Running and leaping beneath their huge shrouds. Tap, tap, tap - What a horrible sound! The rattle of bones as they dance round and round! But Listen! The night is ending and here comes the day! And death and his dancers have vanished away! -- RaeAnna Goss Heritage Elementary Music
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02/03 SINGABLE WORDS: I teach them this theme song I learned in a book years ago
H-A-double L-O -double U - double E - N spells Halloween...that's how you say it
I write "H-A-LL-O-W-EE-N spells Halloween"
Here is the order I use:
Composer name Camille Saint-Saens
Clock striking 12 (one shows a harp - another has numbers etc )
graveyard scenes
haunted house
Ghosts with chains - or triangles!
Skeletons - xylophones
Witches flying in on brooms - string section
Various creatures arriving - trolls - goblins
Frankenstein (footsteps boom boom - trombone pic)
31 Jackolanterns rolling down the hill to light up and surround the graveyard
Goblin King (Elf Princess would you dance for us)
Elf Princess dances (sometimes she holds a flute)
Storm is coming
Paper with the words " should we stay - should we go"
Skeletons discuss it
Thunder on the timpani
Goblin King (Wait don't go)
Creatures come back
All having a great time
Witches laughing (ha ha ha)
Rooster crows (oboe)One of my pictures says "Coke-a-doodle-doo" I love it!
Goblin king is sad - often crying and saying promise me you'll come back
Creatures (We will come back)
The End page
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I, too, use Danse Macabre and do several activities with it. All the background on the poem has been great. Several years ago, I was given a version of the poem that has been rewritten for English. It's not the literal translation, rather it rhymes in English.
Zig-a-zig, zig-a-zig-a-zig.
Death sits on a tombstone and drums with his heel.
Zig-a-zig, zig-a-zig-a-zig,
Death tunes up his fiddle and plays a weird reel.
"Tis midnight and sadly the winter wind moans;
From shadowy lindens, with loud signs and groans,
The skeleton dancers in white, whirling crowds,
Come leaping and skipping and waving their shrouds.
Zig-a-zig, what a horrible sound...
The rattle of bones as they dance 'reound and 'round.
But hark! Bold young chanticleer heralds the day
And Death and his dancers have vanished away!!
I wrote this on a large piece of butcher paper and I staple it to the back of my piano so the kids can read it. We discuss for one class. The next time we meet, I have a tape that I have recorded excerpts of the song on. The kids are amazed that they can listen and identify which part of the poem they are hearing (like the xylophones for rattling bones, footsteps, wind, rooster...) Theme 2 we sing "H, A, double L, O, double u, double e, N, spells Halloween" twice through on the (almost) chromatic melody. The kids love this and then we have a listening map from one of the text books years ago. It's invaluable to have something to follow when the kids listen over and over. One year I saw a small dance troupe perform on PBS with an orchestra playing this song.
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MOVEMENT
FREE DANCE: My students love to dance to this music. They choose to be a ghost dancer, a skeleton dancer or a witch. Those that don't want to dance or aren't able to for various reasons can be violinists. The ghosts dance to the legato tune and the skeletons to the more staccato one. I let the witches dance whenever there is a different tune than the ghost and skeleton ones. When the tunes are combined at the end, everyone dances together. This gets them to listen for their tune and they have a blast!
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MOVE LIKE A SKELETON: Have all the kids be the skeletons in their graves. You be a person cowering behind a "gravestone" hiding and observing the whole thing. Choose one to be the fiddle playing skeleton, and away you go...
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11/01 I have the kids act out the complete story (after listening to each section,
of course).
Intro: First establish midnight. Pick kids to step to "footsteps" (scared
people in graveyard). Violin is "maniac" (pick one, Freddy Kruger, Jason,
etc.) Kids run away whenever they hear that theme.
Identify spooky characters by theme.
Theme A (kids will come up with "skeletons" with proper steering)
"Baby shake your bones, baby shake your bones up, baby shake your bones,
baby shake your bones,
Baby shake your bones, baby shake your bones up, baby shake your bones, baby
shake your bones."
Theme B (the kids will come up with "ghosts" or "blobs")
"The ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, whirling and swirling all
through the air,
The ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, the ghosts, whirling and swirling all
through the air."
Have them move ABA across the room as their theme is played.. Choose group
of ghost/blobs, group of skeletons.
Development.: Footstep kids are slowly surrounded by ghosts and blobs, who
move whenever they hear their theme. The plaintive violin music is the kids
begging for mercy.
Coda: rooster crows. Dead silence. Creatures rear their ugly heads once
again.
This can be done as a performance. Recommend grades 4-6.
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10/01 HAND JIVE: I borrowed an idea from someone once for a great activity to do with Hall of the Mountain King. I teach them the traditional "Hand Jive" (16 beat pattern, in 2's) & put the music on, and don't say what is coming. We just keep doing the pattern, over & over with the theme. They LOVE it & beg to do it from then on, because it gets faster & louder & they just squeal with delight trying to keep up. It's fun.
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RHYTHM STICKS: Last year I covered my rhythm sticks with glow in the dark paper and after we had studied the piece and the poem behind it we made up a routine with the sticks and turned out the lights to perform it. It was a creepy and fun Halloween activity for a school that has been "de-witched".
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LISTENING, CALL CHART
LISTENING
11/01 PLAY DOH TROLLS: I made bright green play doh and rolled it into balls (a reasonable size) and put each ball into an individual ziplock bag. I have enough for a large class (34 bags). After we have listened to the H of the Mtn King once (while I tell the story muy dramitico!), I tell them that this time they are to listen without me talking, imagine the tale, and listen for dynamics, but as they listen they are to make the head of a troll. I demonstrate, quickly pulling out a long nose, pinching big ears and eyes and punching a mouth in. Every troll looks different. They just LOVE this activity. I tell them if they don't like what they made, just do it again -but at the end of the song we will all hold up our trolls and see how they look. The uglier the better! Keep some baby wipes in your classroom to wipe hands with afterwards since they get kind of salty. I did this today with my special ed kids (autistic/retarded) and they loved it!
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11/01 SAINT SAENS BIO: (1835 in Paris-1921 in Algeria) was the first French composer to write symphonic poems. He is chiefly known for this type of composition. Franz Liszt was a good friend of Saint Saens and influential in Saint Saens' music. Beginning in 1857, Saint Saens was organist at the Church of the Madeleine in Paris for the next 20 years. His "Third Symphony" is the most frequently performed of the composer's symphonic works. For for years, he was an instructor at the Niedermeyer school where he taught both Gabriel Faure and Andre Messager. Danse Macabre is from Saint Saens' first symphonic poem, Le Rouet d'Omphale (Omphale's Spinning Wheel).
(information from: http://eh.mit.edu/tengo/Composers/saint_saens.htm)
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I have a story that I read to kids whenever we listen to Danse Macabre. If you practice, you can time the story to fit appropriately with the music. It is called Rattlebone Rock by Sylvia Andrews, Jennifer Plecas (Illustrator) / Paperback / Published 1997/ about $6. It tells the story (in rhyme) of a town that is awoken on Halloween night by the dancing and partying of a group of creatures (goblins, ghosts, skeletons, etc...) in the graveyard. If you can't beat 'em, you join 'em, and so the whole town, including the mayor (who just happens to look like our own current mayor!) dances and sings along until dawn. The kids and I all adore this book! After I read it and play the music, we spin the tape again and the kids make up their own dance.
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BACKGROUND: About 100 years ago the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt originated an entirely new form of orchestral music, which has become one of the most important musical forms of modern times: the symphonic poem. A "Symphonic Poem" is work for symphony orchestra played without interruption as a single movement and expresses an idea or story.
The symphonic poem Dance Macabre was inspired by a grotesque scene depicted in verse by Cazalis. The idea is based upon an old superstition current in some parts of France, thatt each year on Halloween, Death has the power of appearing at the midnight hours in cemeteries throughout the country. There he calls forth the dead from their graves to dance for him while he plays on his fiddle. The dance according to the superstition continues until the first break of dawn when the skeletons return to their graves for another year.
The 12 strokes of the harp announce the hour of midnight. Then follows the strange tones, depicting Death tuning his fiddle. The strange dance begins, the rattling of the bones of the skeletons (Xylophone) and violins providing the accompaniment. The dance becomes more animated until the crow of the cock (Oboe) announces the dawn, and the ghostly revelers hurry back to their tombs.
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CALL CHART for Listening:
I made it! It's made from half-sheets of poster board that are connected with metal rings. It's not an original idea - someone gave it to me years ago, along with patterns. I used some of the patterns, but other things I drew myself. I used black and blue poster board and on the back of each card I have "notes" to remind me of what's happening in the story. (Although after many years of this, I don't need the notes any more!) The ghosts, witches, cat, sun, and clock are paper, glued onto the poster board. The skeletons are drawn, using white puff paint, but I'm sure a paint pen would work fine. Some of them look as if they are turning flips, which amuses the kids. I also drew a few bats on the witch cards.
I don't have the chart with me, but here's the sequence (to the best of my memory).
2 - black cat
3 - ghost with fiddle
4 - several ghosts, dancing
5 - dancing skeletons
6 - dancing ghosts
7 - dancing skeletons
8 - ghost with fiddle
9 - 5 ghosts in a row (fugue section)
10 - witches
11 - ghost with sad face playing fiddle
12 - skeletons and ghosts
13 - sad ghost
14 - skeletons and ghosts
15 - wind blowing
16 - skeletons ghosts
17 - witches diving
18 - skeletons, ghosts, and witches
19 - rooster
20 - ghost playing fiddle, sun coming up, one lone skeleton in the corner
waving goodbye
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Just before Halloween I played the Dance Macabre music for the kids and used an overhead with the lights off. The overhead had a synopsis of what the program music was about. I went through the story first, then just pointed to the appropriate place on the overhead while the music played. Afterwards, I had several kids from several different classes come up to me and say words like: "Wow! I didn't know music could tell a story like that! That's cool!"
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IF you are familiar with Danse Macabre, you know the viola melody as a chromatic, downward-moving melody. The words learned went with that melody and spelled out Halloween. It is a a good way for kids to recognize the melody.
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ART
10/01 ART: When we do a listening of Danse Macabre, sometimes I add some art activities: After telling the 'story' of what's happening in the music, we create pictures of what we think the graveyard looked like (adding symbols of other things heard like the clock chiming midnight, wind swirling leaves, etc). It becomes more fun if you buy some glow-in-the-dark crayons and turn off the lights to view their 'masterpieces', or use fluorescent crayons and turn on black lights. Another drawing activity we've done is to take 2 big (12x18) sheets of construction paper - one black, one white - and cut a tombstone shape out of both (same size). Cut 'windows' in the black paper (usually about 5), cutting only on 3 sides so that it creates a flap that opens and shuts. Staple the black paper to the white around the edge. The students draw pictures of the graveyard scene on the white paper behind the black 'windows' to create a hidden picture sort of effect. (This is probably as clear as mud!!) And, of course, we listen to Danse Macabre the whole time we're creating!
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The first performance of the orchestral work was a complete failure. It was condemned by critics for its "outrageous innovations" The composer's mother fainted from fright and whistles and boos filled the concert hall. Fortunately, the reaction at the first performance was not repeated and it became steadily more popular.
I have my fifth graders create "Musical Tombstones" to develop familiarity with this piece of music. I have them do this after the composition has been explained.
1. Give each student two large sheets of drawing paper, scissors, tape, crayons and a pencil.
2. On one piece of paper, each student draws five squares. Then have them cut along the two sides and bottom edge of each square, forming a flap thay may be lifted up like a door.
3. Tape this piece of paper directly on top of another making sure that the edges are even. Tape one of the short ends together to for a hinge.
4. Cut through both thicknesses of paper to round off top corners to resemble the shape of a tombstone.
5. Fold all five flaps upward and number the underside of each flap 1-5. Close the outside edges of the tombstone with tape.
6. Explain that as you play the recording they will illustrate each of the 5 scenes described in the composition, one for each square.
Scene A: The "witching hour" is announced by twelve tones played on the harp, suggesting the stroke of midnight.
Scene B The entrance of the flat-sounding violin announces the arrival of Death who tunes his fiddle.
Scene C Two waltz like melodies introduce the dance. First played by the flute then violin. They are accompanied by the rattling sounds of bones played on the xylophone.
Scene D As the melodies play upward and downward it resembles the gusts of wind.
Scene E The call of the rooster is imitated by the oboe, and the violin plays a final farwell pattern before all is still - it's morning.
7. When all five scenes have been illustrated the flaps are folded back down. They can the place the composers name, year of birth and death on the front of the tombstone, as well as the name of the composition.
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When I have students illustrate Danse Macabre, we use black construction paper with white, silver, gold and copper crayons.
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BOOKS - DANSE
01/16 The Dancing Skeleton by Cynthia C. DeFelice/Robert Andrew Parker
Pictures and text are charming and witty!!!
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POWERPOINTS - DANSE
07/15 See "Symphony Spooktacular" at:
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/learn/teachers-students-and-parents/young-peoples-concerts/curriculum
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WEBSITES FOR DANSE
LESSON + MAP: http://www.rpo.org/UserFiles/Link/Saint-Saens.pdf
YOUTUBE LESSON: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsUxmu4FeHw
5th GRADE LESSON: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-5/Haunting_Music
LESSON: http://musicedventures.com/articles/studying-saint-saens-dance-macabre.pdf
POWERPOINT: www.primaryresources.co.uk/.../danse_macabre.ppt
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GENERAL IDEAS
GENERAL:
This piece is a favorite, so below are some of the ways I have enjoyed Danse Macabre with my kids:1. Re-created a dramatization for an all school performance prior to the Halloween Parade using 1 or 2 grades.2. Students created (4th or 5th) a mural across the back of my music room and painted it for October.3. Watched the old filmstrip - of course!4. 5th grade listening maps (activity) 5. FAVORITE: I made cue cards from an OLD, and I do mean OLD, guide book. These cards are used by me to tell the story and then by students to recreate the order (sequence) and identify the themes. I can safely say the kids always enjoy this piece. These choices kept it interesting for me as well. BTW: I suggest picking a piece for each grade level during October and then each grade has one to look forward to as they grow through Elementary School. (Not to mention the fact that your lesson plans for listening in October are always taken care of - it works GREAT for me). Example: Henry Cowell's "Banshee"- 3rd grade, Dukas' Sorcerer Apprentice - 4th grade, etc. I think you all get the idea here. On a lighter note: I have a great Halloween Hits tape from Billboard that I use for each class opening or closing, during October and the kids absolutely love it!! (Ghostbusters, Purple People Eater, Monster Mash, etc.)
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CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS: Web Sites
09/15 UNIT (instruments, tempos, biography, templates for maskts
http://www.bostonphil.org/sites/default/files/Carnival%20of%20the%20Animals.pdf
09/15 UNIT (have to register http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/-and-39-carnival-of-the-animals-and-39-lesson-plans-6011715/
09/15 TEACHER GUIDE: http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/-and-39-carnival-of-the-animals-and-39-lesson-plans-6011715/
09/15 2d GRADE: https://sites.google.com/site/d45scolamusic/lessonplans/musiclessons/carnival-of-the-animals
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