KS1 Topic Overview: Carnival of the Animals
Be inspired by Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals! Learn about the fascinating creatures that feature
in the movements of the music. Learn about the formation of an orchestra, the range of instruments
involved, and Saint- Saëns himself. Learn about mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and fossils
around the world. Round the topic off with an animal Olympics and a carnival!
Block
Block A
An Introduction
[to Carnival of
the Animals and
Saint- Saëns]
Key NC Objectives
Music and Science
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[3 sessions]
Block B
Mammals
[12 sessions]
[3 African
Savannah, 3
Australian
Outback, 3
Domestic
Mammals]
Listen with concentration and understanding to
a range of high quality live and recorded music.
Experiment with, create, select and combine
sounds using the inter-related dimensions of
music.
Identify and name a variety of common animals,
including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and
mammals, identifying and classifying.
Science, Geography, D&T, PHSE and Art
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Identify and name a variety of common animals
including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and
mammals.
Identify and name a variety of common animals
that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
Describe and compare the structure of a variety
of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals, including pets).
Name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5
oceans.
Locate hot and cold areas of the world in
relation to the Equator and the North and South
Poles.
Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to
key physical features – vegetation, season,
weather.
Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify
countries, continents and oceans.
Design purposeful, functional, appealing
products based on design criteria.
Generate, develop, model and communicate
their ideas through talking, drawing.
Select from and use a range of tools and
equipment to perform practical tasks.
Select from and use a wide range of materials
and components.
Evaluate their ideas and products against design
criteria.
Living in the Wider World - importance of
respecting + protecting environment.
Develop a wide range of Art and Design
techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line,
shape, form and space.
Creative Block Outcomes
Introduce `The Carnival of the Animals´ and
go on an incredible journey. Learn about the
works, be inspired by the orchestra and
explore making sounds. Discover how the
music describes animal features.
Learn about common mammals found in
the African Savanah, the Australian
outback, and about domestic farm
mammals and domestic pet mammals.
Learn about their characteristics, needs and
life cycles. Create a class safari park,
collages, aboriginal artwork, and much
more! Invite visitors to admire your work
from this fantastic block!
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users. We refer you to our warning, at the
foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.
KS1 Topic Overview: Carnival of the Animals
Block C
British Birds
[10 sessions]
Music, Art, Dance, Science and English
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Pupils should use drawing, painting and
sculpture to develop and share their ideas,
experiences and imagination.
Pupils should identify and name a variety of
common animals including fish, amphibians,
reptiles, birds and mammals and pupils should
observe closely.
Pupils should use spoken language to develop
understanding through speculating,
hypothesizing, imagining and exploring ideas.
Pupils should be taught to listen with
concentration and understanding to a range of
high quality live and recorded music.
Pupils should be taught to perform dances using
simple movement patterns.
Pupils should be taught to use a range of
materials creatively to design and make
products. To use drawing, painting and
sculpture to develop and share their ideas,
experiences and imagination, learn about the
work of a range of artists, craft makers and
designers, describing the differences and
similarities between different practices and
disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Pupil should be taught to: Use drawing, painting
and sculpture to develop and share their ideas,
experiences and imagination, to develop a wide
range of art and design techniques in using
colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and
space, about the work of a range of artists, craft
makers and designers, describing the differences
and similarities between different practices and
disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Pupils should be able to: Play tune and un-tuned
instruments musically, listen with concentration
and understanding to a range of high-quality live
and recorded music, to experiment with, create,
select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music.
Go bird watching and learn about British
birds. Paint observations about birds,
respond to classical music and build simple
nests out of natural materials. Monet will
inspire children’s artwork. Introduce new
musical terms. Create a swan ballet and
design cuckoo collages and masks in
preparation for a grand dance finale!
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users. We refer you to our warning, at the
foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.
KS1 Topic Overview: Carnival of the Animals
Block D
Domestic Birds
Science, Dance, Art and English
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[6 sessions]
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Block E
Exotic Birds
Pupils should be able to identify and name a
variety of common animals including fish,
amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, use
their observations and ideas to suggest answers
to questions.
Find out about and describe the basic needs of
animals, including humans, for survival (water,
food and air).
Pupils should be taught to use their
observations and ideas to suggest answers to
questions.
Pupils should be able to use their observations
and ideas to suggest answers to questions,
Identify and classify, gathering data to help in
answering questions.
Pupils should be taught to participate in
discussions, presentations, performances, role
play, improvisations and debates, maintain
attention and participate actively in
collaborative conversations, staying on topic and
initiating and responding to comments.
Pupils should be taught to perform dances using
simple movement patterns.
Pupils should be taught to use a range of
materials creatively to design and make
products.
Art, English, Science and Music
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[4 sessions]
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Pupils should use drawing, painting and
sculpture to develop and share their ideas,
experiences and imagination, to develop a wide
range of art and design techniques in using
colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and
space.
To use a range of materials creatively to design
and make products, to use drawing, painting
and sculpture to develop and share their ideas,
experiences and imagination.
Use spoken language to develop understanding
through speculating, hypothesising, imagining
and exploring ideas.
Use their observations and ideas to suggest
answers to questions.
Learn about the work of a range of artists, craft
makers and designers, describing the differences
and similarities between different practices and
disciplines, and making links to their own work.
Pupil should be able to use their voices
expressively and creatively by singing songs and
speaking chants and rhymes, listen with
concentration and understanding to a range of
high quality live and recorded music experiment
with, create, select and combine sounds using
the inter-related dimensions of music.
Be amazed by domestic birds and take part
in different egg-citing activities! Find out
what they need to stay happy and healthy.
Listen to Farmer Duck´s story and use it as
inspiration for drama activities. Learn about
the journey from egg to adult and use dance
to retell the life cycle. Acquire knowledge
about food chains and finally learn about
the significance of feathers.
Create exotic birds using exciting patterns
and interesting shapes. Make a rainforest in
the classroom to let your exotic birds come
to life. Be inspired by the works of Gaudi,
learn about Art Nouveau and try your hand
at mosaic art. Finally, create a class choir
using real performance tracks for a grand
musical finale!
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users. We refer you to our warning, at the
foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.
KS1 Topic Overview: Carnival of the Animals
Block F
Fish
[4 sessions]
Science, PE, Geography and Art
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Block G
Reptiles
[5 sessions]
Science, English and Art
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Block H
Amphibians
[4 sessions]
Identify and name a variety of common animals
including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and
mammals.
Describe and compare the structure of a variety
of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals, including pets).
Name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5
oceans.
Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify
countries, continents and oceans.
Use a range of materials creatively to design and
make products.
Perform dances using simple movement
patterns.
Identify and name a variety of common animals
including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and
mammals.
Describe and compare the structure of a variety
of common animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals, including pets).
Describe the basic needs of animals, including
humans, for survival (water, food and air).
Identify that most living things live in habitats to
which they are suited.
Describe how different habitats provide for the
basic needs of different kinds of animals and
plants, and how they depend on each other.
Write for different purposes, saying out loud
what they are going to write about.
Give well-structured descriptions, explanations
and narratives for different purposes, including
for expressing feelings.
To use a range of materials creatively to design
and make products.
To develop a wide range of art and design
techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line,
shape, form and space.
Science, Music and Geography
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Identify and name a variety of common animals
including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
mammals
Describe & compare the structure of common
animals: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds
mammals
Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify
countries, continents and oceans
Understand how music is created, produced and
communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics,
tempo, timbre, texture, structure and
appropriate notations.
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
Experiment with, create, select and combine
sounds using the inter-related dimensions of
music.
Learn about fish, research their life cycles
and habitats and make your own aquarium
with fish and underwater plants! Create a
pattern of movements to develop a dance
and compose and plan the dance story for a
performance. Create fish puppets, props
and a back drop; make and write invitations
and finally perform your imaginative dance
story and wait for the compliments!
Learn about these fascinating and
sometimes misunderstood creatures,
discover incredible facts, play interactive
games and create reptile word clouds.
Examine marine iguanas and why they are
endangered, make reptile models and use
the information gained about habitats to
create your own vivarium. Create a reptile
house and open it to the public!
Study the world of amphibians and discover
how Saint-Saëns overlooked this fascinating
class of life. Investigate life-cycles,
characteristics and habitats. Create
patterns of sounds; learn about tempo,
dynamics and pitch, rehearse and perform
together. Put it all together so that
amphibians can take their place in the
Carnival of Animals!
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users. We refer you to our warning, at the
foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.
KS1 Topic Overview: Carnival of the Animals
Block I
Fossils
Science, History, Art, Dance and English
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[6 sessions]
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Block J
Finale
[4 sessions]
Pupils should be taught to use their
observations and ideas to suggest answers to
questions, gathering and recording data to help
in answering questions.
Pupils should be able to develop a wide range of
art and design techniques in using colour,
pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
Pupils should perform dances using simple
movement patterns.
Pupils should listen with concentration and
understanding to a range of high-quality live and
recorded music.
Pupils should be taught to use a range of
materials creatively to design and make
products.
Pupils should be taught about the lives of
significant individuals in the past who have
contributed to national and international
achievements.
Pupils should be taught to participate in
discussions, presentations, performances, role
play, improvisations and debates.
Pupils should be taught to ask relevant
questions to extend understanding and
knowledge.
Give well-structured descriptions and
explanations.
P.E., Dance, History and English
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Explore and respond to music with movements.
Use their imagination to create a short dance.
Perform a dance to an audience.
Practise making simple movements bigger and
bolder.
Create a sports game using basic movements,
In a group develop simple rules for their sports
game.
Express opinions about each other’s
performances and give constructive feedback.
Discuss their work and share achievements.
Communicate ideas effectively.
Talk about their work during this topic.
Explore ideas in light of the discussion about the
Olympics/animal skills.
Learn about carnivals and why they happen.
Can discuss their own experiences of carnivals.
What is it like to be a fossil hunter? How do
you identify fossils? How are fossils formed?
Who are the real fossil hunters? Discover
the answers to these questions. Learn about
Mary Anning, make fossils and dance like
dinosaurs! Carry out a fossil hunting
expedition and create a museum to
showcase discoveries and creative
outcomes from this block.
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It´s Carnival time! Be prepared for fun,
dancing, parades and music. Learn about
world famous carnivals and put together a
class carnival. Look back at the topic and
use imagination to shape the carnival of the
year! Finally, finish the topic in a
spectacular way with an animal Olympics;
which animal will be the King of the
Carnival?
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users. We refer you to our warning, at the
foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.