Title: Carnival of the Animals STEAM Lesson Brief
Educators on the team: (for certification max: 4/team) Lindsey Parker and Mark Carey
When & Where you attended a training. Dates 2014/2015 school year Town/State Knob Noster,
Missouri
Students use knowledge from across the disciplines to strengthen their understanding of each subject’s
content and its related careers through topic or theme oriented realistic problem-based activity-rich
lessons.
Theme that this lesson would tie to: Animal life
Specific Topic Concept within that theme:
*Filling out the black items makes this a basic plan, filling out the grey makes it a possible publishable
STEAM plan. PLEASE have the notes sheet open on how to fill this out – what is under Science is the
basis for filling out each subject and there is subject-specific items in the other category’s notes too.
PROJECT IDEA + brief notes & supplies
BASIC CONCEPTS
Concept: Students will learn the music
from Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the
Animals.
In the science concept the students
will be will identifying characteristics of
animal life; predator and prey, food
chain, habitats, classification, difference
and similarities, and fossils. The students
will be using verbs such as eating (what
the animals eat on a daily basis), living
(where different animals living according
to their habitat), and transport (how
certain animals move according to the
environment. In technology section the
students will create a create mimetic
videography. They will be using words
such as shift (body movements in
different ways), express (ways to move
like the animal. The students will identify
mathematical patterns in the Math
portion on the lesson. The students will
use the verbs: tempo (how fast or slow
something is) and rhythm ( the students
will demonstrate the understanding of a
strong, regular, repeated pattern of
movement or sound). The LA section is
Science –
● Concepts – Students will identify characteristics of
animal life; predator and prey, food chain, habitats,
classification, difference and similarities, and
fossils.
● Goal / Objectives - Identify and sequence life cycles
of animals. Identify and relate the similarities and
differences among animals.
● Standards ● Careers – Zoologist, Wildlife Biologist, Biological
Science Teacher, Veterinarian
● Project – Students will define carnivore, omnivore,
and herbivore; learn the animal species habitat and
how it survives in the wilderness. Students will
create a food chain to illustrate how animals
survive in the wilderness.
● Assessment –Students will use whiteboards and
markers and respond to teacher questions to
identify and sequence life cycles of animals and
identify similarities and differences among animals.
● Extension - Students will listen to “Carnival of the
Animals” and then create a list of animals that
Camille Saint-Saen could’ve included and research
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
where the students will communicate
using appropriate vocabulary. Verbs in
which the students will be using will be
pitch (the students will describe the
quality of a sound governed by the rate of
vibrations producing it; the degree of
highness or lowness of a tone) and
compose ( the students will recite rhymes
while working cooperatively and
collaboratively in a group). In the social
studies section on the lesson the students
will identify geographical locations. The
students will use verbs such as: analyze
(the students will understand how
different people around the world
“analyze” different types of animals) and
construct (the students will understand
how to create a map by using locations).
Drawing visual representations will be
part of the Art portion of the lesson plan.
Students will use the verbs visualize and
concentrate. They understand the word
visualize by explaining what the animal
looks like while hearing each piece of
music. The students will use the verb
concentrate as they are listening the each
piece of music and understand that they
have to listen very closely to the sounds
of each animal. In the PE section the
students will create interpretive dance
movements. The verbs that the students
will be using is awareness (the student
will understand the concept of body
awareness) and walk, run, gallop, and
slide (the students will understand these
verbs in which the animal moves). The
students will actively listen and focus
attention during the music part of the
lesson. Students will use the verbs walk,
run, gallop, slide, crawl, tiptoe, march,
leap, hop, skip.
Basic Plan: Active Listening, Mimetic
(facial expression, gestures, and walk to
create animal characters), musical
vocabulary, history of the composer,
identify animals habitat and classification
and connecting poetry to Carnival of the
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
their food chain.
Technology & Engineering –
● Concepts –create mimetic videography
● Goal / Objectives - Create mimetic portraits of
animals from Carnival of the Animals using body
position, facial expression, gesture, and walk
(rhythm).
● Standards – look at Nets
● Careers – Actors
● Project - Students will move to the music in the
way that the animal moves. Videographers will be
assigned (different for each song so everyone has a
turn to dance and record). Students perform
animal characters from Carnival of the Animals
with music. Students will explore filming methods
and techniques to create a mimetic video that
represents the body position, facial expression,
gestures and walking rhythm of animals included in
the song. Students will articulate an engineering
design that could be added by the dancers to make
the movements seem more animal like ie: The Lion
King on Broadway and the stilts used by giraffes.
Students will discuss the performance and
determine which video most closely mimicked the
movements of animals in the mimetic video.
● Assessment- Students will be assessed on their
ability to demonstrate through performance and
discussion that they can mimic the movement of
animals and understand how to use techniques to
film and make movements more realistic in video.
● Extension – Students will create choreography to a
list of new animals. Students will research and
make suggestions for filming techniques for other
songs or cultural examples that would improve the
Math –
● Concepts –Students will identify mathematical
patterns.
● Goal / Objectives - Students will identify
mathematical patterns and relate that information
Animals.
Expand to include how you will get the
students’ attention and a summary of the
overall lesson including information from
each content area.
Science- Students will identify animals
classification by playing a guess game; is
this animal a carnivore, herbivore, or
omnivore?
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Technology-Students will be allowed to
use the iPad’s to record their partner
acting like an animal that represents the
body position, facial expression, gestures
and walking rhythm of animals included
in the song.
Math- Students will be shown pictures of
different symbols that we see every day
and be asked what the symbol means
(stop sign, women’s restroom, exit, etc.)
They will then learn the definitions of
musical terms; pitch, tempo, forte, piano,
legato, staccato and learn what each
symbols for the musical terms.
LA- Teacher will write a list of adjectives
on the board. Teacher will call a student
up to the front and ask the class to create
a list of adjectives that describes the
music. Students will then discuss how to
describe the music of Carnival of the
Animals by using adjectives and music
terms.
SS- Teacher will show the class a map of
the world and point out the country of
Italy and ask the class “how long do you
think it would take us to get to Italy from
here (point to Missouri)? How would we
get there? Students learn that the
composer came from the country of Italy.
They will be shown different pictures of
different countries and successfully
identify Italy.
Art- Students will be given a pencil and a
blank coloring book with the title of each
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
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LA –
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to beat and poetry and rhymes.
Standards – add mls
Careers – Music composer and arrangers, music
director, poets, lyricist, creative writers, public
speakers, librarians.
Project –Students will identify mathematical
patterns in pieces of music and poetry. Class will
discuss the understanding of math affects the beat
and tempo of a musical piece. Students will define
and show understanding of musical terms: pitch,
tempo, forte, piano, legato, staccato and make
connections to mathematical patterning. Students
will learn and recite rhymes keeping a steady beat
that will precede each animal in Carnival of the
Animals, and identify musical terms/symbols being
used in various sections of Carnival of the Animals .
Assessment – Students will be assessed on their
ability to identify and use a mathematical pattern
in a real-world situation. After listening to the
recordings, students will use their vocabulary to
successfully describe the mathematical pattern in
the music and write their answers on the
whiteboard when discussing as a class.
Extension - . Students will identify a mathematical
pattern and write their own animal poem using the
pattern.
Concepts – Communicate using appropriate
vocabulary
Goal / Objectives - Communicate effectively
Standards – add mls
Careers - Poets, lyricist, creative writers, public
speaker, speech pathologist, English language
teachers.
Project – Students will communicate using
appropriate content and descriptive vocabulary to
describe “Carnival of the Animals”. Students will in
discussions and classwork use the following
vocabulary: steady beat, tempo, pitch, forte, piano,
staccato, legato, composer, classical music, zoo, all
animal at the top. Students will listen and
draw the animal in their coloring book
that they are listening to.
the animals found in Carnival of the Animals.
Define and show understanding of musical terms:
pitch, tempo, forte, piano, legato, staccato. Keep a
steady beat while reciting poems/rhymes. Students
will Use appropriate musical terms while reciting
rhymes while working cooperatively and
collaboratively in a group. Students will use
adjectives to describe traits of the animals
(big/small, loud/soft, slow/fast, heavy/light). Use
and understand musical terms correctly. Respond
verbally with correct musical terms when an
auditory example is given. Show corresponding
hand signals for: forte, piano, legato, staccato.
PE-Teacher will play a short game of
charades with the students. The students
will try to identify what animal the
teacher is acting like by using their body,
not their voice. Students will then
perform an interpretive dance using
movements they created to represent
and mimic animals.
Music- Students will actively listen to
“The Carnival of the Animals” while
coloring and drawing the animal they are
listening to.
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Skill level (Grade Range): 1st
Timing of Lesson: Eight 25 minute classes
Basic Supplies:
All Subjects:
Desktop-projector-powerpoint
CD player
Paper and crayons
Whiteboard and marker
Individual Subjects:
List out what you will need by individual
subjects.
IT Resources:
Music will be played on a CD. No
additional resources needed.
1.
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
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Assessment –Students will be assessed on their
ability to communicate effectively using content
and descriptive vocabulary appropriately when
students discuss as a class the music of The
Carnival of the Animals. They will also be assessed
on their ability to use vocabulary when writing
their answers on the whiteboard.
Extension – Students will create a new list of
adjectives to describe the music.
Concepts –Identify geographical locations
Goal / Objectives – Students will be shown a map
of Europe and identify the country of Italy.
Standards – add gles
Careers – Geographers, mapping technicians,
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, Geographic
Information Systems Technicians, geography
teachers, historians, curators, history teachers,
archivist.
Project - Create 4 pictures of different countries
and successfully identify the country of Italy.
Extension –Students will discuss how the song
“Carnival of the Animals” might be discussed.
Students will identify key geographical locations to
the topics being studied. Students will get a brief
bio on composer Camille Saint-Saen and will
identify on a map where the composer grew up.
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Art –
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cru7fqM20m
Y
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
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Students will identify the location of the animal
ecosystems in the song “Carnival of the Animals.”
Students will discuss how people know about
animals and things outside of their geographic
location.
Assessment – Students will be assessed on their
ability to locate key geographical locations.
Students will discuss how geographic location
impacts the people who live in those regions
locations to the topics being studied. Students will
show knowledge about geographical locations by
doing an online world geography puzzle. Students
will be assessed on the culture of the geographical
location by doing a mini research paper on the way
of life in a certain area of the world and how they
differ from other parts of the world.
Concepts – Draw visual representations
Goal / Objectives – Visual art is connected to
performing arts
Standards – add gles
Careers -Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors,
and Illustrators, Multimedia Artists and Animators,
Graphic Designers, Set and Exhibit Designers,
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, Art
Directors
Project – Students will create a listening coloring
book in which they will draw their visualization of
the animal in the music while listening to each
piece. The student will be able to listen to each
piece of music and correlate the sounds they hear
along with visual aspects of the piece and create
drawings of animals.
Assessment – Students will be assessed on their
ability to create a drawing that captures their
visualization of the animals in the song through the
listening coloring book will be assessed by the
teacher.
Extension –Students will create their own animal
and choose a coordinating instrument to
accompany the drawing they created.
PE –
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Concepts –Create interpretive dance movements
Goal / Objectives – Identify dance as a physical
expression of self and art as well as health and
wellness.
Standards – add gles
Careers – Actors, Dancers, Cheerleaders
Project – Students will use their bodies to create an
interpretive dance that creates body positions
using face, head, torso, arms, hands, and legs that
clearly identify the animal character. Students will
create mimetic choreography to portray animals
from Carnival of the Animals using body position,
facial expression, gesture, and walk (rhythm).
Portray each animals’ emotions, motivations and
physicality matching the mood of the music. Group
will discuss the importance of dance as a means of
self-expression and health.
Assessment – Students will be assessed on their
ability to perform an interpretive dance using
movements they created to represent and mimic
animals. Students will also be assessed on their
ability to articulate dance as a physical expression
of self, art and health.
Extension –Students partner up and create a
movement for an animal not featured in “Carnival
of the Animals” and perform it in front of the class,
having the class guess what animal they represent.
Music –
● Concepts –Students will actively listen and focus
attention.
● Goal / Objectives –Demonstrate active listening
and group focus of attention by listening to the
music. Demonstrate through writing, discussing,
drawing, photographing, and/or performance.
● Standards – add gles
● Careers - Music Therapists Bright Outlook Bright
Outlook , Music Directors, Music Composers and
Arrangers, Musicians, Instrumental, Art, Drama,
and Music Teachers, Sound Engineering
Technicians, Musicians and Singers, Singers
CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
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CC. 2103STEAM EducationLesson Brief
Project – Students will actively listen to “The
Carnival of the Animals”. Students will
demonstrate active listening behavior by drawing
and discussing/describing what they hear in the
music with their peers..
Assessment – Teacher will observe and watch
students for demonstration of appropriate active
listening behavior. What are these behaviors?
Extension – Students will identify and describe
other times and places when active listening is
important.