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Carnival of the Animals Workstations

Carnival of the Animals is a set of 14 pieces of music by composer Camille Saint Saens.  These pieces are performed with two pianos and several other instruments.  The composer was so clever in creating each piece to represent specific animals like lions, cuckoos, chickens, elephants and more.  The pieces either imitate the sound of the animal or create a musical message that you can associate with that animal.  In second grade we use this unit to discuss composing and to identify instruments.  After watching a video introduction to Carnival of the Animals students worked in workstations to practice music skills, read about Saint Saens and review the music of Carnival of the Animals.

At the reading workstation students had the opportunity to read about each of the pieces in Carnival of the Animals.

At the SmartBoard students listened to several of the pieces and then classified them by sound (dynamics, tempo, etc...).


At the Aquarium Station students created "schools" of rhythms.  Together with their group the arranged rhythms and performed them with body percussion.

At the Coloring Station students colored a picture of the piece "Royal March of the Lion" by using a special key and identifying notes. 


Building long lines of rhythm and performing them with a partner was great fun.  Some of the rhythm-a-pillars stretched way off the carpet!


At the iPad station students worked with a partner and a funny giraffe named Gina to practice beat keeping.

You can hear music from Carnival of the Animals HERE.
 



12 comments:

  1. I love your workstations. I tried the rhythm-a-pillars with my 1st and 2nd graders at the end of the year last year and my kids loved it. It was so great to give them an opportunity to be in control and problem solve as a group when the rhythm did not sound the same from person to person. They became the teachers in some cases reminding each other of each notes sound and how to play it. Thank you for sharing what you do in your classroom.

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  2. Oh my goodness!! Wow!! I love your ideas, your workstations, your powerpoint or flipchart (I want that!), and also your website. I don't see how all of you that make these websites and blogs have time to keep them up! Amazing! I honestly don't have the time and don't want the drama with photographing and videoing my students. What a pain! You are amazing! I've always LOVED your site! Thanks!

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  3. Oh my, I love love love this carnival of the animals station idea. I have started stations in my room b/c they encourage them in my schools, but now you have given me ways to make mine even better.
    I'm currently on bonding leave with my 3 mo. old baby, but you just made me excited to get back into the classroom.

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  4. Where can I find the Carnival of the Animals SmartBoard activity? Does it work with Interactive White Boards? The previous music teacher at our school used one, and they've been asking for it lately.....sigh. Love your idea! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  5. You can find the Carnival of Animals Smartboard file on the Smart Exchange. Here's the link: http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=%22Saint-Saens%22

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  6. Where can I find the "color by note" worksheet? What a cute symbol recognition activity! Thanks for all you do :)

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    1. The color by note sheet is something I put together. There are some color by note activities in this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0769243452/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0769243452&linkCode=as2&tag=bulletiboardsfor"

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  7. I do Carnival of the Animals with 1st grade...what grades was this you did all the stations with?

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    1. This was with second graders. They handled the activities very well. I think they most of them could be adapted for first grade. The SmartBoard activity would need a teacher on an aide to assist.

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  8. What was the app with the giraffe that they used on the ipads? THanks for all you post!
    Aimee
    ofortunaorff.blogspot.com

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    1. Talking Gina. I believe it's a free app still. There are several other Talking Whoever apps but they don't have the hand clapping element to them. Enjoy! :-)

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