Level: 1st through 3rd Grade
Time of year: Early through Late Spring
Unit End Goal: Mastery of musical opposites using music languag (High/Low, Fast/Slow, Long/Short)
Statement: Students will be able to explain, discuss, and create music demonstrating music opposites using music terms.
Usage: This unit can be used in a General Music classroom as a regular unit with a computer/traditional classroom hybrid, but can also be used for sub plans, sick/no voice days or as part of music instruction in a homeschool setting. Please feel free to adapt it as needed.
Assessment: Students will demonstrate mastery through composition. Assessment includes use of music language and demonstration of opposites to make, perform and explain his/her composition.
National Core Arts Standards Met: Creating #1, 2, 3, Performing/Presenting/Producing #4, 5, 6, Responding #7, 8, 9, Connecting #10 (see below for descriptions of standards)
Cross-curricular extensions:
Science
Visual Arts
Dance
Today you will be listening to a piece of music. You will either use paper or your computer/tablet to draw the picture the music paints for you. Keep your eyes on your own paper. I want to see what picture the music paints for YOU, not your neighbor.
If you are on your own device, you may play the piece again as many times as you like until your teacher has called time. If your teacher is playing the piece, he/she will play it many times. It is okay if you do not finish. Do your best.
Click the file and begin drawing.
Students can use paper and crayons/markers, or if they're 1:1 their devices, to draw what they hear. I never tell my students what they're going to listen to for this first exercise. The only instructions are to "draw the picture the music paints for you" and "keep your eyes on your own paper so I see YOUR ideas and not your neighbor's on your page."
I would play it many times, as it's a short piece, to give students a chance to fully develop their ideas. Either before they begin drawing, or shortly before the last listen, prepare students that you will be asking them to share what they drew and you'll be asking them what in the music told them to draw it. The most important thing is that there are no wrong answers. If they don't come up with it on their own, you may want to guide them: Did you hear high sounds or low sounds? Was the music fast, slow or medium? Did you her long notes or short notes?
Before the end of the lesson, you will label the piece, but there are still no wrong answers, that is just what the composer envisioned. It's okay if students heard different pictures.
Depending on the length of your classes, you may have time for the next section, "Meet the Composer." If not, you can save it for the next lesson.
Below is the file for "Aviary," which is also on the student side for use with headphones if students have their own device.
Camille Saint-Saëns wrote The Carnival of the Animals. Watch the video to learn a little about him.
Now read the article to learn a little bit more about Camille Saint-Saëns.
MAKE AN UPDATE
Saint-Saëns wrote The Carnival of the Animals because his friends reminded him of different animals. What animal do you think he would pick for you? What characteristics do you and that animal have in common?
Comment on two other classmates' posts. Do you agree with the animal they chose for themselves? Why or why not? Do you think another animal might also fit them?
You will need to use your judgment and knowledge of your own students when it comes to the updates. The text questions and writing a response may be too advanced for younger students still developing their reading and writing skills.
Possible Alternatives:
INTRO AND ROYAL MARCH OF THE LION
We're going to listen to the Introduction to Carnival of the Animals and Royal March of the Lion. Before we listen, think about these questions:
When your teacher tells you it's time, you may try either of the links below. They are for webcams at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and Africam is a website with webcams set up in Africa in the wild. If we're lucky, we'll catch lions on screen when we're looking, but it's okay if we don't. It's not a movie and we can't tell the lions what to do.
HENS AND ROOSTERS
Next we'll listen to Hens and Roosters.
INTRO AND ROYAL MARCH OF THE LION
We start with the Introduction and Lion. There are some questions on the student side to ask before listening to The Lion. You can choose to have students check out the zoo live webcam and Africam links either at the start of the lesson, or at the end with whatever time is left. *Note: Africam has a lot of content to load so it will likely run much slower.
After the first listen of Royal March of the Lion, tell them we're (yes, you too!) are going to move to the music the second time. Depending on your class, this can be in one place, or you can allow them to move around the room as they march. You can have them slow march proudly, then on the crescendo/decrescendo do silent roars starting low, following the music up and down, ending with crown on head for the rhythm “e+ 2+ 3 4” (You can use the words “and I wear my big crown” to mimic the rhythm and help demonstrate)
HENS AND ROOSTERS
After answering the questions, have students demonstrate for you first what hens and roosters look like when they move. (no sound) Have them listen to the piece once without moving. Then play the piece again and have them move to the music.
PEOPLE WITH LONG EARS
TORTOISES
ELEPHANT
Now, when you teacher tells you it's time, listen to The Elephant again using the listening map in the video.
MAKE AN UPDATE
What other instruments could Camille Saint-Saëns have chosen for The Elephant? (Think big!)
If there is time, or at home, check out the follow videos and webcams to look at and learn about elephants.
PEOPLE WITH LONG EARS (Mules)
A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse. For more information and/or a history tie-in, you can check out information in this Wikipedia article.
After students answer the questions on their side, have them listen once to People with Long Ears. After the first listen, ask if they heard the "hee-haw" sound that the violin makes.
Have them listen a second time, and ask that they make mule ears with their hands whenever they hear the "hee-haw" from the violin.
TORTOISES
Music terms:
Just listen the first time. Then ask if the tempo of the music is "presto" (fast) or "largo" (slow) and if the dynamics of the music are "piano" (quiet) or "forte" (loud).
For the second time, have them move slowly like tortoises to the music. (they may be on all fours, respectful and mindful of each other and the room)
ELEPHANT
We'll do movement and a listening map with this one. After answering the questions, listen the first time. The second time, have them stand up. Ask them to make an elephant trunk (they can do it however they wish) and move like the music tells them an elephant moves.
The listening map is a video. This is a great opportunity to talk about form. It starts with a piano introdution. Then comes the A section, B section, A' (A prime) because it's like the A section, but now the string bass is accompanied by the piano.)
There are live cams to watch for elephants. You can have them check it out when it works best for you and your time.
KANGAROOS
Listen to the piece and follow the listening map.
AQUARIUM
Listen to the piece and follow the listening map with your finger.
MAKE AN UPDATE
Kangaroos used short sounds because kangaroos move quickly in short burst of movement, and Aquarium used long sounds because the movement through water is long and smooth. the movement of kangaroos and fish are opposites: Short and fast, and long and slow. Name two other animals whose movements are opposites.
KANGAROOS
After students answer their questions, have them demonstrate how a kangaroo moves. (This is great to burn a little energy before listening to the piece.)
The first time, just listen to the piece.
The second time, display the listening map on the projector and/or have students work together on their own devices Have students point in the air (or on their own maps) as you point at the screen to follow the music a second time. You'll need to point out the Repeat Sign at the end of the first line. This tells us to do the first line again.
The third time, have them hop to match the music. Point out that there isn't always "hopping" music. They will need to decide what is happening during that time and come up with a different movement.
If you would like to do an extension to talk about kangaroos, namely that they are marsupials (and what that means) and that they use their tails for balance, you can refer to the article on Wikipedia.
AQUARIUM
The first time, listen and follow the listening map video. Ask students to answer the questions on their side. (Is the music short and presto (fast) or long and largo (slow)?) Answer: Long and Largo
The second time, have students put their hands together to make a fish. Have their fish follow the highs and lows and louds and quiets in the music, using the listening map to help guide them.
The third time, have students swim their fish around the classroom "aquarium," still following the high and low and loud and quiet sounds in the music.
If you have movement scarves or something similar, this is a great piece to have students follow the high and low notes in the music with them.
CUCKOO IN THE DEEP WOODS
Listen to Cuckoo in the Deep Woods.
Which instrument do you think plays the "cuckoo" sound?
Listen again and use the listening map. Watch out for the repeat signs inth
AVIARY
Listen to Aviary.
Did you guess.....
THE PIANISTS
MAKE AN UPDATE
So far we have heard pieces Camille Saint-Saëns has written for chickens and roosters, cuckoo birds and small flying birds.
Comment on two other classmates' birds. Do you have another idea for an instrument for their bird? Do you agree with their choice of high sounds/low sounds and long sounds/short sounds?
CUCKOO IN THE DEEP WOODS
This would be a lovely time to talk about onomatopoeia, since that's exactly what a cuckoo bird's name is!
If you'd like to learn a bit about the history of the cuckoo clock, you can check out this Wikipedia article.
Have students just listen to the piece the first time and ask them to count how many times they hear the "cuckoo" sound. (21 times) Then have them imitate the sound they heard in the piece to represent the cuckoo bird. The cuckoo sound is played by a clarinet, which is part of the woodwind family. Help them discover that the cuckoo bird's call is a high sound followed by a low sound. As they imitate it, have them show the high and low with their hands.
The second time, use the listening map to help guide students. Watch out for the repeat sign in the first line. This means we do the first line again before moving on. Each dot is a chord and each cuckoo bird is when the clarinet plays the "cuckoo" sound.
AVIARY
Have students respond to the questions before listening. Try to get them to make the connection between aviary, aviation and flying.
Listen the first time. Ask if their expectations about the piece matched what they heard. They may recognize it from the drawing activity at the beginning of this unit.
Based on the music they heard (primarily a flute), ask them what size birds are flying. The second time listening, they can move around the room like birds to match the music.
THE PIANISTS (be very deliberate in your pronunciation!)
Have them listen the first time. What does it sound like the pianists are doing? (practicing)
The second time, while listening, silently play “Air Piano.” Remember Left Long Low, Right Little High. Have them show you which direction they’ll play when the notes go higher. And if the pitches go Lower? What if they only go a little higher? A little lower? Little back and forths?
You can use the video, or the audio below. The video plays it a bit too fast for my liking and it could be difficult for the kids to follow, but I like the kids to be able to see it played.
FOSSILS
If your teacher wants you to watch the following video, watch the video below to learn more about fossils.
Look at the listening map.
Now listen to Fossils and follow the listening map.
Take another listen by watching the video below. You will get to see the musicians play the instruments you heard.
THE SWAN
Ballet was born in France, just like our composer, Camille Saint-Saëns.
Before we watch and listen, you can learn a little more about ballet:
The main instrument you will hear in The Swan is a cello. It is the 3rd largest instrument in the String Family.
One of the most famous cello players in the world is Yo-Yo Ma. (Yes, his name sounds a bit funny, but he is very good at playing the cello!) Watch him perform The Swan.
Question as you listen: If the cello represents the swan, what does the piano represent?
THE FINALE
Listen to The Finale to Carnival of the Animals.
Remember our very first activity when you drew the picture the music painted for you?
The animators at Disney also saw a picture when they heard The Finale from Carnival of the Animals. Let's see what picture they saw.
MAKE AN UPDATE
Remember when you picked an animal you thought Camille Saint-Saëns might choose for you if he wrote a piece about you in his Carnival of the Animals? You can choose that same animal, an animal one of your classmates suggested for you, or a new one.
Bring in a picture (the size of a sheet of paper) of your animal for our next lesson
FOSSILS
If you wish, you can show this five minute video on fossils:
Have students look at the listening map and share what they think they might hear, based on what they see. Things to make sure are covered are a xylophone, piano and the form of the music which is A, B, A, C and then a Coda (the special tail to end a piece of music).
As a heads up before listening, students will hear a familiar tune during the B section. They might recognize the piece as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Baa Baa Black Sheep" or "The Alphabet Song." They all have the same melody, which is an old French folk melody. (Mozart wrote a whole piece with this melody called "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je Maman")
Help students follow the listening map as they listen.
For the second listen, use the video so students can hear and see the instruments being played. You can use the listening map to help you call out which instrument is coming next.
THE SWAN
You (and the students) can learn a little about ballet:
The dancer in the video is on pointe shoes. Here is some info on pointe shoes too:
For the second listen, students can watch world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform The Swan. I love when I have the opportunity to show students an instrument being played, especially ones that might be more unfamiliar to them.
If you want to do a third listen, or if students need to get up and move, have them stand, using big, smooth swan wings when the cello is forte (loud,) and small baby swan wings when it is piano. (quiet) If it’s in the middle, show medium sized swan wings.
THE FINALE
Discuss with students what a "finale" is and go through the discussion questions. Then have the first listen and compare their predictions to what they heard. The Finale starts similarly to the Introduction so it will sound a little familiar.
Ask them to remember their drawings from the very beginning. If they were to draw a picture this time, what would it look like? Share some ideas.
After some discussion, tell them the animators at Disney also drew pictures of what they saw when they heard the Finale to Carnival of the Animals.
*This last update is preparing the students to begin composing their own piece of music to be part of the class Carnival of the Animals. Remind students to write their name on the back of their picture and make sure it's about the size of a piece of paper so it can be seen when you make the videos.
It's time to think like a composer because you are going to write your own piece of music! We will put everyone's together and make our own Carnival of the Animals!
Use your last update and the feedback from your classmates to answer the survey.
The survey is almost the exact same questions as the last update, but students will be focusing their ideas after feedback from peers. They are also asked for possible instrument ideas so you can see what they are thinking to help guide them towards a final decision.
I would encourage you to steer students away from Lion, as it is part of the final compilation, and try to avoid duplicate animals if at all possible. It's not the end of the world if two students are set on doing the same animal, but it's nice to have a variety.
Once you have decided how you are going to create your composition, it's time to do it! Keep thinking about your animal and make sure you have the sounds you want in your piece.
Your piece needs to be at least 15 seconds long.
Here's what needs to happen first:
After you have recorded your song, you need to practice how your animal moves. We will record you moving like your animal while you composition is playing.
When it's time to record the video, you will hold up the picture of your animal that you brought in and introduce yourself and your piece. You teacher can demonstrate for you.
For this section, I will provide ideas and tips, but will leave it to you to execute how you feel it will work best in your classroom with your materials and your students.
The end goal is to have a collection of short videos to compile into a class Carnival of the Animals.
Students compose their piece.
Students record the audio for their piece.
Students are videotaped with the picture of their animal, the audio is played back and they move like their animal for the duration of their piece.
Videos can then be compiled into one class video.
In the past, I have recorded the audio and the video myself. I have also set up little "recording studios" in my room and partnered students up to record each other. I posted directions in that area to help students. Students also get a big kick out of it being called a "recording studio." They feel like rockstars.
For the compositions, you can have students use classroom instruments, found sounds or a music program like Garage Band. If you're new to Garage Band, it's very user friendly and there are plenty of articles online and tutorials on YouTube like this one:
At this point your role is as a guide to help students realize their composition. They can use pitched (can play different pitches, like a xylophone) or unpitched instruments (only plays one sound, like a tambourine). Some questions you might ask:
When kids use GarageBand, they have a tendancy to want to use ALL THE SOUNDS! If they're using a software program for their composition, encourage them to make sure the main idea can clearly be heard.
THE FINAL PRODUCT
Here are some ideas for the final product:
I recognize that this has to potential to be a time-consuming task outside the classroom time, but I believe the payoff is worth it. Students will love watching themselves and be so proud of themselves, and it's a great thing to show the stakeholders. (parents, administration, etc) Perhaps you have an older student who would enjoy the video editing, and/or needs service hours. Get creative!
ASSESSMENT
Because of the age of the students, I don't like to use a rubric that is too harsh. Below is a suggested rubric that assesses students mastery of the skills outlined as goals at the beginning of this module. This rubric can also be used for self-assessments and peer assessments.
Great Job! | Almost! | Keep Working! | |
Tempo Matches Animal | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Long/Short Notes Match Animal | 3 | 2 | 1 |
High/Low Pitches Match Animal | 3 | 2 | 1 |