Keeping Score 2009-10: Two Music Selections
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Five Days
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Five Minutes a Day
One of the most valuable qualities of classical music is that the more you listen to it, the more you can hear. These short activities will give you
and your students the opportunity to listen closely to two short pieces of classical music. Each day you will listen to the selection at least two times
so your ears become familiar with the sounds. The students are given a different "way to listen" each time a selection is played. You will be
surprised at how much you can hear! Each day's activity should take 5-10 minutes.
A Note About the Music: We have selected these two pieces for the activities; however, if you wish to choose two different selections from
your Keeping Score CD, we recommend that you limit the time for each selection to 1-2 minutes.
DAY 1 Selection #1: Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – Hens and Roosters”
"JUST LISTEN"
DISCUSS
"SKETCH TO STRETCH"
IDENTIFY
Students "open their ears and minds" and "just listen" (without identifying the name of the piece) to Selection #1 SaintSaens “Carnival of the Animals” – Hens and Roosters”)
In partners or as a whole group, briefly discuss "What did you notice about the music?" Additional guiding questions
(choose the ones that best fit your students): What movie does this music remind you of? What images or pictures come
to mind? What colors? What emotions? Did you notice any patterns in the music? When do you think this music was
written? Where? What was it for?
Give students paper and pencils, markers, or crayons. Students then listen to Selection #1 again. This time students
"sketch" as they listen. They can draw pictures or images that come to mind from their first listening, or draw free-form
lines that match what they hear.
For Upper Grades: "As you listen to the selection, draw free form lines that show character or emotion that matches
the music. The marks may be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, curvy, thick, thin, zigzag, spiral, rough, or broken,
depending upon what you hear. Hint: If you have time, practice just drawing lines on paper before you listen:
Tell the students the name of the piece and the composer. Refer to the background information as time allows.
DAY 2 Selection #1: Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – Hens and Roosters”
“MOVE TO THE MUSIC"
"ONE WORD RESPONSE"
"QUICK-WRITE"
IDENTIFY
Students listen to Selection #1 (Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – Hens and Roosters”) and move as they listen.
Note: As an alternative you can repeat the "Just Listen" activity from the day before with an additional guiding
question drawn from what stood out for students the first time around.)
Suggestions for ways students can move:
a. "Be the Conductor" -Sitting in their desks, they can use their arms to "be a conductor," and follow the music.
b. "Eyes Closed" – Students sit at their desks or on the floor with eyes closed and move their arms and upper bodies.
c "Freestyle" -Students move around the room keeping within their own space or "bubble" as they listen.
d. "Mirrors" - Partners face each other. Partner "A" leads as Partner "B" follows, as if looking in a mirror.
Each student responds with one word that describes the music.
Students are given paper and pencils. They listen again to Selection #1 and write all of the words or phrases that come to
mind as they are listening.
Remind the students of the name of the piece and the composer. Discuss additional background information as time
allows.
DAY 3 Selection #2: Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – The Swan”
Keeping Score 2009-10: Two Music Selections
“ JUST LISTEN"
DISCUSS
“SKETCH TO STRETCH”
IDENTIFY
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Five Days
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Five Minutes a Day
Students "open their ears and minds" and “just listen” (without identifying the name of the piece) to Selection #2 (SaintSaens “Carnival of the Animals” – The Swan”).
In partners or as a whole group, briefly discuss "What did you notice about the music?" Additional guiding questions
(choose the ones that best fit your students): What movie does this music remind you of? What images or pictures come
to mind? What colors? What emotions? Did you notice any patterns in the music? When do you think this music was
written? Where? What was it for?
Give students paper and pencils, markers, or crayons. Students then listen to Selection #2 again. This time students
"sketch" as they listen. They can draw pictures or images that come to mind from their first listening, or draw free-form
lines that match what they hear.
For Upper Grades: "As you listen to the selection, draw free form lines that show character or emotion that matches
the music. The marks may be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, curvy, thick, thin, zigzag, spiral, rough, or broken,
depending upon what you hear. Hint: If you have time, practice just drawing lines on paper before you listen:
Tell the students the name of the piece and the composer. Refer to the background information as time allows
DAY 4 Selection #2: Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – The Swan”
"MOVE TO THE MUSIC"
Students listen to Selection #2 Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” – The Swan”–and move as they listen. (As an
alternative you can repeat the "Just Listen" activity with Selection 2)
(See Day 2 for suggestions for ways students can move)
"ONE WORD RESPONSE"
Each student responds with one word that describes the music.
"QUICK-WRITE"
Students are given paper and pencils. They listen again to Selection 2 – Nutcracker "Trepak," and write all of the words
or phrases that come to mind as they are listening.
IDENTIFY
Remind the students of the name of the piece and the composer. Discuss additional background information as time
allows.
DAY 5 Selections #1 and #2: “Hens and Roosters” and “The Swan”
COMPARE
Give students their sketches and quick-writes from Days 1-4.
“JUST LISTEN #1"
Students listen to Selection 1, " Hens and Roosters” as they review their sketches and quick-writes of the piece.
"JUST LISTEN #2"
Students listen to Selection 2, “The Swan” as they review their sketches and quick-writes of the piece.
VENN DIAGRAM
Students complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the two music selections.
DISCUSS
Students discuss the similarities and differences.
DIAMANTE POEM
OPTIONAL FOLLOW-UP WRITING ACTIVITY
Write a Diamante (diamond) poem (See Guidelines)
1. Students look at the VENN Diagram and identify which words are nouns, adjectives, or verbs.
2. They use these words to write a Diamante poem that exemplifies the contrasts between the two selections of
music.
Keeping Score 2009-10: Two Music Selections
VENN Diagram
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Five Days
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Five Minutes a Day
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