Anthony Napolitano

I. Class Information
a. 9th grade, Music Appreciation, Camille Saint-Sans , Carnival of the Animals
b. 50 minutes
II. Objective(s)
a. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify the different
instruments of Carnival of the Animals while listening and describe the story that
is being told through the specific instrumentation
b. State Standard: 25.A.4 Analyze and evaluate the effective use of elements,
principles and expressive qualities in a composition/performance in dance,
drama, music and visual arts.
c. National Standard: 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
III. Materials
a. Worksheets, paper, pencil, YouTube video, Carnival of the Animals poem
b. Here is the link to the small YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poz9nZCFmb0
c. Here is a link to the poems:
https://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/RZ/lehre/C++/4/carnival
IV. Procedure
a. Review: Good morning class, last class we talked Danse Macabre and Peter and
the Wolf.
i. Do you remember what each of these pieces did?
1. Stories
ii. After someone answers, what were the stories of each?
b. Anticipatory Set:
i. Grab the post-it on your desk and write your two favorite characters from
either piece and what instrument represented them.
ii. When youre finished, put them up on the board
iii. Have a volunteer go up to the board and write down all the songs.
1. Have students raise their hand and explain the role the characters
had in their respective stories.
c. Lesson Objective and Rationale:
i. Today we are going to learn about Camille Saint-Sans and the piece he
composed called Carnival of the Animals and how he used the music to
tell the story.
ii. There are times when we are listening to music and we picture
something in our heads. Saint-Sans had something specific in mind
when he composed this piece.
iii. Writing stories doesnt always have to be a book. It can be music or even
art. Creativity takes many different forms and we can use all forms to
convey our message.
Anthony Napolitano

d. Instructional Input:
i. Camille Saint-Sans composed in the Romantic Period which began in the
1800s.
ii. Saint-Sans composed Carnival of the Animals 1886.
iii. Saint-Sans refused to publish this piece until after his death in 1921
iv. The piece was performed privately only twice
v. The second to last movement, The Swan, was published in 1887 because
of the famous solo
vi. The original instrumentation calls for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello,
double bass, flute/piccolo, clarinet in Bb and C, glass harmonica, and
xylophone
vii. A glockenspiel substitutes the rare glass harmonica
viii. Ogden Nash wrote these verses in 1949
ix. Lets read the poems by Ogden Nash together
1. Silently first then discuss as class
x. Saint-Sans uses various instruments to depict actions and characters
throughout the piece
1. Be prepared to identify instrumentation
xi. Lets listen to each movement individually and read the poem about said
movement
1. What instruments were used in each movement?
xii. Now we are going to watch a video that depicts one of the movements
1. (play YouTube video)
e. Checking for Understanding:
i. Grab your Answer cards (write on board)
1. What instrument usually substitutes the glass harmonica?
a. A. Glockenspiel B. Xylophone C. Trumpet D. Violin
2. How many pianos were in the original instrumentation?
a. A. 5 B. 2 C. 14 D. 1
3. Which movement is supposed to mimic beginning piano players?
a. A. 3 B. 1 C. 7. D 11
f. Guided Practice
i. Get into groups of 4 and write at least a paragraph answering the
following questions:
1. How does his music tell the story?
2. If you hadnt read the poems first, do you think you would have
understood what each movement was about?
3. If not, what would you have envisioned?
g. Independent Practice
Anthony Napolitano

i. For additional practice, look over the handout on Camille Saint-Sans that
we had for Danse Macabre
V. Closure
a. Today, we learned about Carnival of the Animals. We learned that the
instrumentation one chooses can affect how one views a piece. I hope you guys
realized just how many different things instruments can portray.
VI. Evaluation
a. Student Evaluation
i. Before the lesson, I will use the post-its to evaluate the previous
knowledge from similar material.
b. Teacher Evaluation
i. Some strengths of my lesson, and from my previous lessons, would be
the content. I know many get tired of the same old classical music that
everyone knows. Carnival of the Animals isnt always well known but
once the students hear it many will recognize it. I am very organized and
try to keep the sequence logical.
ii. Some weaknesses, as with my previous ones, would be trying to find a
guided practice. The lesson was more about identifying the
instrumentation and talking about using music to tell a story.

VII. Accommodations
a. I will put Emilio in a part of the room with the least amount of noise and close to
instruction
b. I will make sure that I am always in his line of vision facing him so he can read my
lips
c. On the outline I will put the poem with notes describing words that he does not
understand. I will break up the poem using more space so that he doesnt feel
overwhelmed
d. I will give Emilio a copy of Carnival of the Animals the day before so that he can
listen to it at home
e. During the class, when the class is listening to the piece, Emilio will be able to
listen to it using headphones and a cd player.
f. When watching the video, Emilio will be able to use a tablet to watch it and
listen with headphones
g. I will give Emilio a copy of the score and will highlight each instrument in a
different color so that he can visually see the difference.
h. For the check for understanding, I will give Emilio a physical copy of the
questions
i. When in groups, I will give Emilio a copy of the questions and will put him in a
group of students he is comfortable with
Anthony Napolitano

Name__________________________ Date_____________ Hour_________

Read the attached handout and answer the following questions.

1. What was the one thing in Saint-Saens will in regard to Carnival of the Animals?
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

2. Before Carnival of the Animals was written, how was the tour he was on?
________________________
a. A huge success c. Disastrous
b. Failed to attract much attention d. Loud and entertaining

3. Name three animals depicted in the piece.

________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

4. True or False, Saint-Saens thought composing this piece was boring and dumb_________

5. True or False, there is a movement in the piece about beginning pianists _______

6. Name the movement that was published before the rest of the piece.
________________________________________________________________________

7. What instrument usually substituted the glass harmonica? ______________

a. clarinet c. violin
b. glockenspiel d. trumpet

8. What piece did Saint-Saens mimic with the 12th movement: Fossils? ________

9. The Swan is represented by what instrument? ________

a. clarinet c. violin
b. cello d. trumpet

10. True or False, Ogden Nash wrote the poems alongside Saint-Saens. _________
Anthony Napolitano

Name_______Answer Key__________________ Date_____________ Hour_________

Read the attached handout and answer the following questions.

1. What was the one thing in Saint-Saens will in regard to Carnival of the Animals?
__________It be published after his death_________________________

2. Before Carnival of the Animals was written, how was the tour he was on?
________________________
a. A huge success c. Disastrous
b. Failed to attract much attention d. Loud and entertaining

3. Name three animals depicted in the piece. ________Lion, Hens, Horses, Turtles,
elephants, kangaroos, fish, donkey, cuckoo, birds, dinosaurs, swan________

4. True or False, Saint-Saens thought composing this piece was boring and dumb___False_

5. True or False, there is a movement in the piece about beginning pianists _True______

6. Name the movement that was published before the rest of the piece. ______The Swan___

7. What instrument usually substituted the glass harmonica? ______________

a. clarinet c. violin
b. glockenspiel d. trumpet

8. What piece did Saint-Saens mimic with the 12th movement: Fossils? __Danse Macabre__

9. The Swan is represented by what instrument? ________

a. clarinet c. violin
b. cello d. trumpet

10. True or False, Ogden Nash wrote the poems alongside Saint-Saens. ___False__________
Anthony Napolitano

Modified Worksheet
Name__________________________ Date_____________
Hour_________

Read the attached handout and answer the following questions.

1. Saint-Saens wanted his piece published before or after his
death?____________

2. Before Carnival of the Animals was written, how was the tour he was
on? ________________________
a. A huge success b. Disastrous
3. Name two animals depicted in the piece.
___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________

4. True or False, Saint-Saens thought composing this piece was boring

and dumb_________

5. True or False, there is a movement in the piece about beginning

pianists _______

6. Name the movement that was published before the rest of the piece.
_______________________________________________________
_________________

7. What instrument usually substituted the glass harmonica?

______________
a. clarinet b. glockenspiel

8. What piece did Saint-Saens mimic with the 12th movement: Fossils?
________
a. Danse Macabre b. Peter and the Wolf
Anthony Napolitano

9. The Swan is represented by what instrument? ________

a. clarinet b. cello

10. True or False, Ogden Nash wrote the poems alongside Saint-
Saens. _________
Anthony Napolitano

Modified Worksheet
Name_________Answer Key___________ Date_____________
Hour_________

Read the attached handout and answer the following questions.

1. Saint-Saens wanted his piece published before or after his
death?____After________

2. Before Carnival of the Animals was written, how was the tour he was
on? ________________________
a. A huge success b. Disastrous
3. Name two animals depicted in the piece. __________________
Lion, Hens, Horses, Turtles, elephants, kangaroos, fish, donkey,
cuckoo, birds, dinosaurs, swan
_____________________________________

4. True or False, Saint-Saens thought composing this piece was boring

and dumb____F_____

5. True or False, there is a movement in the piece about beginning

pianists __T_____

6. Name the movement that was published before the rest of the piece.
_________The Swan___________________________

7. What instrument usually substituted the glass harmonica?

______________
a. clarinet b. glockenspiel

8. What piece did Saint-Saens mimic with the 12th movement: Fossils?
________
a. Danse Macabre b. Peter and the Wolf
Anthony Napolitano

9. The Swan is represented by what instrument? ________

a. clarinet b. cello

10. True or False, Ogden Nash wrote the poems alongside Saint-
Saens. ___F______