Music Overview

Autumn Term 2005

Unit 3a : Animal Magic
Number of children in class : ______

Unit Expectations
Most children will:

Recognise how musical elements can be used

together to compose descriptive music; combine
(=) sounds with movement and narrative.

Some children will not

have made so much
progress and will:

Recognise some descriptive uses of the elements;

create descriptive music, e.g. based on animals, that
uses sequence of sound (often sound effects),
movements and words.
(-)

Some children will have Work in groups of three or four to extend their ideas
progressed further and
into longer pieces of music with several layers of
will:
sounds.
(+)

Name

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Comments at end Expe

of term
c.
=, - ,
+

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To listen to music carefully.
To identify how music can be used descriptively.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
To recognise how musical elements are used and
combined to describe different animals

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To illustrate their feelings or ideas whilst listening to
Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf.

VOCABULARY
Clarinet
Oboe
Flute
Strings

RESOURCES
Horn
Bassoon
Drums

Full Recording of Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev

Pictures of instruments (see vocabulary)
A4 paper
Pencils
Pencil crayons

INTRODUCTION
Tell the children that Peter and the Wolf was composed in 1936, by the Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev, to
introduce children to the sounds of some of the instruments of the orchestra. As well as using instruments a
narrator is used to tell the story. The story has a range of characters (people and animals) each are represented
by a different instrument:
Peter : strings
Bird: flute
Duck: oboe
Cat: clarinet
Grandfather: bassoon
Wolf: French horn
Hunters: drums
Show children what each of the instruments look like.
ACTIVITY
Listen to the whole of Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf. Each child to have A4 sheet of paper to draw what ever
comes into their minds about what they think the music is trying to describe. (This will hopefully help the children
to listen carefully to the music). Ask children to listen carefully and leave any questions to the end.
PLENARY
Read the story of Peter and the Wolf to the children showing the children the illustrations.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To listen to music carefully.
To identify how music can be used descriptively.
eg to represent different animal characteristics

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Recognise how musical elements are used and combined
to describe different animals.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have correctly identified the character being
described by the music.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Flute
Strings
Composed
Breathe
Diction
Posture

Pictures of strings(Peter) and flute (Bird)

LCP Disk 1 Tracks 1 and 2

INTRODUCTION
Chinese Whispers to pass round the circle, get the children to sit in a circle mixed boys and girls. Pass around Is
it Peter or is it a bird? Which will follow on to the main activity of the lesson.
ACTIVITY
Listen carefully to the extracts from Peter and the Wolf, describing Peter and the bird. Say to the children that
one piece is describing Peter playing in the meadow even though he shouldnt be there; the other is a bird singing
in the tree. Which one is which? How can we tell from how Prokofiev composed the pieces of music?
Listen to the two extracts again thinking particularly about how the composer has used musical elements to
represents the characters.
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Tell children that all songs that
we will sing will involve animals or be specific about animals. Children to sing two songs that they should know
(possibly need to reminding of words). Three Blind mice and Baa Baa Black sheep. Followed by Five green and
speckled frogs.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 3
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To listen to music carefully.
To identify how music can be used descriptively.
eg to represent different animal characteristics

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Recognise how musical elements are used and combined
to describe different animals.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

To have correctly identified the character being

described by the music.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Bassoon
Clarinet
Composed
Breathe
Diction
Posture

Pictures of clarinet (cat) and bassoon (granddad)

LCP Disk 1 Tracks 3 and 4

INTRODUCTION
Remind children of how they should sing thinking about breathing, posture and diction. Introduce scale and explain
what a scale is this is the beginning of introducing the children to pitch. Teletubby scale activity.
ACTIVITY
Listen carefully to the extracts from Peter and the Wolf, describing the cat and granddad. Say to the children
that one piece is describing a cat who appears and the bird then moves onto a higher branch; the other
isdescribing granddad who warns peter not to get into trouble. Which one is which? How can we tell from how
Prokofiev composed the pieces of music?
Listen to the two extracts again thinking particularly about how the composer has used musical elements to
represents the characters. In small groups children are to discuss what characteristics the musical elements
portray.
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Children will learn two new
songs: The bear went over the mountain and Alice the camel. If time sing Five green and speckled frogs from last
week.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 4
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To listen to music carefully.
To identify how music can be used descriptively
eg to represent different animal characteristics

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Recognise how musical elements are used and combined
to describe different animals.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
Be able to name all of the instruments and match to
relevant animals.
To have correctly identified the character being
described by the music and give reasons for their
identifications.

VOCABULARY
French Horn
Drums
Composed
Breathe
Diction
Posture

RESOURCES

Pictures of French horn (wolf) and drums (hunters)

LCP Disk 1 Tracks 5 and 6

INTRODUCTION
Match the animal with the instrument that portrays the animal. Making sure they can correctly identify the
instruments.
ACTIVITY
Listen carefully to the extracts from Peter and the Wolf, describing the wolf and the hunters. Say to the
children that one piece is describing the wolf that comes into the meadow; the other is the hunters approaching
with their guns. Which one is which? How can we tell from how Prokofiev composed the pieces of music?
Listen to the two extracts again thinking particularly about how the composer has used musical elements to
represents the characters. In small groups children are to discuss what characteristics the musical elements
portray. Do any of the other animals appear in either of todays extracts? How can we tell?
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Children will learn one new
songs: The ants cam marching and also three blind mice.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 5
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To understand how music can create a sound picture
through the use of musical elements.
To understand what tempo is within music.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Recognise how musical elements are used and combined
to describe different animals.
To know what the word tempo means.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

To have identified instruments used.

To correctly identify the animal being depicted.

VOCABULARY
Tempo
Fast / slow
Pitch
High / low

RESOURCES

LCP CD 1 Track 10 (The Elephant)

LCP CD 1 Track 11 (Aviary)

INTRODUCTION
Pass the tambourine forfeit game. Followed by Teletubby activity altering the tempo and quite obviously the pitch.
Discuss what happens when the tempo changes.
ACTIVITY
Introduce the children to Saint Seans ~ Carnival of the Animals.
Children need a sheet of A4 paper folded in half with space for titles on both sides. As when we first listened to
Peter and the Wolf children are to illustrate what they are hearing. From the title of the music they should
gather that the music is representing an animal. The children are to listen to The Elephant and The Aviary. Pause
between the playings of both pieces.
What animals do the children think the music is describing?
If necessary say one is elephant and the other is aviary. Listen to the music again and the children may adapt
their illustrations to what is coming into their minds now they know the animals that are being depicted.
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Children will learn one new
song: Ive got a little Baby Bumble Bee and also The Bear Went Over The Mountain.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To understand how music can create a sound picture
through the use of musical elements.
To understand what pitch is within music.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Recognise how musical elements are used and combined
to describe different animals.
To know what the word pitch means.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

To have identified instruments used.

To correctly identify the animal being depicted.
To recognise which way pitch is altered.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Pitch
High
Low
Tempo
Fast
Slow

High and Low cards one for each child

LCP CD 1 Track 10 (The Elephant)
LCP CD 1 Track 11 (Aviary)

INTRODUCTION
Listening carefully to pitch. Children to sit in a circle. Explain what pitch is using correct terminology. Play series
of notes on the piano children to identify whether the notes played are higher or lower than the one before. Give
children cards to place in front of them face down initially before all turning over together.
ACTIVITY
Listen again to The Elephant ask the children to tap out the rhythms in the music. Could the elephant have moved
in this way or was Saint Sans playing a joke on the listener?
Listen to The Aviary how could Saint Sans have played a joke on the listener with this piece? Ask children for
their suggestions.
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Children will learn one new
song: The Little Pig LCP and also 5 green and speckled frogs.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 7
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

LEARNING OUTCOMES

To understand how music can create a sound picture

through the use of musical elements.

Recognise how musical elements are used and combined

to describe different animals.
Use appropriate language to talk about what they hear.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

To correctly identify the animal being depicted.

Can explain why Saint Sans makes certain choices
within his music.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Movement
Pace
Slow / slower
Fast / faster

LCP CD 1 Track 13 (Kangaroo)

LCP CD 1 Track 14 (Swan)
White board / flip chart

INTRODUCTION
Chinese Whispers to pass round the circle, get the children to sit in a circle mixed boys and girls. Pass around
Kangaroos hop and swans glide Which will follow on to the main activity of the lesson.
ACTIVITY
Talk about the way a kangaroo moves ask children to demonstrate how it does move. Listen to Kangaroo Track 13.
Can the children hear how the Kangaroo is moving? How has Saint Sans made it sound like a kangaroo?
Listen to a section of the music and ask the children to pretend they are kangaroos. Any child really not wanting
to participate may sit at the side of the room.
In contrast how does a swan move? Ask a child to demonstrate. How do you think Saint Sans has written the
piece about the swan? Brainstorm the childrens ideas on a flip chart or white board. Listen to the music and ask
the children to see if they can hear the suggestions written down.
PLENARY
At the end as the children the following questions:
Which ones can we tick off?
Do we need to add any other musical elements?
If time sing two already learnt songs of the children choice.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 8
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

LEARNING OUTCOMES

To understand how music can create a sound picture

through the use of musical elements.

Recognise how musical elements are used and combined

to describe different animals.
Use appropriate language to talk about what they hear.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

To correctly identify the animal being depicted.

Can explain why Saint Sans makes certain choices
within his music.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Movement
Pace
Slow / slower
Fast / faster

LCP CD 1 Track 12 (Aquarium)

LCP CD 1 Track 15 (Lion)
White board / flip chart

INTRODUCTION
Pass the tambourine forfeit game. Followed by Teletubby activity altering the tempo and quite obviously the pitch.
Discuss what happens when the tempo changes.
ACTIVITY
Talk about the way a fish moves ask children to demonstrate how it does move. Listen to Aquarium Track 12. Can
the children hear how the fish are moving? How has Saint Sans made it sound like an aquarium / fish?
Listen to a section of the music and ask the children to pretend they are fish. Any child really not wanting to
participate may sit at the side of the room.
In contrast how does a lion move? Ask a child to demonstrate. How do you think Saint Sans has written the piece
about the lion? Brainstorm the childrens ideas on a flip chart or white board. Listen to the music and ask the
children to see if they can hear the suggestions written down.
PLENARY
At the end as the children the following questions:
Which ones can we tick off?
Do we need to add any other musical elements?
If time, sing two already learnt songs of the children choice.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 9
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent a snail.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Photocopy of chart one per group

INTRODUCTION
Pass the tambourine forfeit game. Followed by Teletubby activity altering the tempo and quite obviously the pitch.
ACTIVITY
Working as a class, explain that we are going to create some music to represent an animal.
All the class will be working on the same animal today.
THE SNAIL
Thinking of the music we have listened to and discussed over the last few weeks. Three questions need to be
asked:
1.
2.
3.

What characteristics does the animal have?

How might these characteristics be represented using musical elements?
What instruments might be used to create the intended effect?

Show children chart that they are to fill in as a mixed ability group.
All groups report back with their ideas and collate them on a large sheet of paper.
Give a selection of instruments to each group. Each group are to compose a short piece of music representing a
snail.
PLENARY
All groups to perform their compositions.
Make sure all instruments are put away correctly.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent an animal.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Photocopy of chart pairs

INTRODUCTION
Chinese Whispers to pass round the circle, get the children to sit in a circle mixed boys and girls. Pass around Its
over to you! .
ACTIVITY
Working in pairs children are to plan a piece of music representing an animal of their choice. Each pair needs to
pay particular attention to how the animal moves.
Complete sheet with their ideas.
The final piece of music needs to be approximately one minute in length.
Children may gather instruments to if the instrument creates the desired effect.
PLENARY
Singing Children to sit up straight and breathe correctly, diction to be accurate. Children will learn one new
song: My Aunt Greet and also 5 green and speckled frogs.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 11
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent an animal.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Charts from last week.

INTRODUCTION
Tick Tock activity
ACTIVITY
Children in their pairs need to gather instruments that they need to create their musical composition. They can
not at this point change their animal. If anyone is absent then their partner is to join another group.
Talk to the children reminding them that they are to write a piece of music that represents the animal they have
chosen.
PLENARY
Listen to the other childrens compositions. Can we guess what animal they have tried to represent.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 12
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.
To select particular ways in which the elements can be
combined expressively.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent an animal.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Photocopy of chart two for each group

INTRODUCTION
Chinese Whispers to pass round the circle, get the children to sit in a circle mixed boys and girls. Pass around
Listen carefully all the time.
ACTIVITY
Explain to the children that over the next three weeks we will be brining together everything we have learnt over
the term. The final task is to compose a piece of music where two animals are represented. Two pairs are going to
join together they can use the animals used in the past two weeks lessons or choose two new animals.
How the music should be put together:

One animal and then the other

Both animals together
The animals interacting (for example: cat chasing a mouse, a horse galloping away from a hoping frog, a
snake frightening a horse, a hare racing a tortoise)

Children need to be given two charts to complete about the animals and to generally discuss what is going to
happen in their music.
The children should be using appropriate language about their music and become involved in expressing ideas
musically.
PLENARY
Children to sing Rudolph the red nosed reindeer with the actions the year 4s will have sung this before the year
3s will not have.

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 13
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.
To select particular ways in which the elements can be
combined expressively.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent an animal.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Charts from last week
Large sheet of paper one for each group

INTRODUCTION
Give the children ideas on how they can record their music on a large sheet of paper. It will be entirely up to the
children how they record their music but they will need to perform their music next week.
ACTIVITY
Children are to compose their music, if possible they are to record what they are playing so next week they will
remember what is being played. The music should be put together in the following order:

One animal and then the other

Both animals together
The animals interacting (for example: cat chasing a mouse, a horse galloping away from a hoping frog, a
snake frightening a horse, a hare racing a tortoise)

If children finish, is it possible to add narration to their music? - Like Peter and the Wolf.
PLENARY
Play the children The wolf from Peter and the wolf Which piece of music is this extract from? Who wrote the
music? What animal is this representing? How do we know?

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Music Unit 3a ~ Animal Magic

Autumn Term 2005 ~ Week 14
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand how music can represent an animal through
the use of musical elements.
To select particular ways in which the elements can be
combined expressively.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use musical elements to represent an animal.

SUCCESS CRITERIA
To have worked successfully as a member of a group.
To have used musical elements to represent an animal.

VOCABULARY

RESOURCES

Fast / slow
High / low
Represent
Characteristics
Musical elements
Tempo
Dynamics
Duration
Pitch

Selection of instruments
Charts and large sheets of paper from last week.

INTRODUCTION
Each group to gather their instruments and run through their music. Hopefully no one is absent!
ACTIVITY
Each group is to introduce their music and perform. We will discuss the compositions at the end when all groups
have made their performances.
PLENARY
Sing through all the animal songs (time permitting) we have covered this term finishing with Rudolph the red nosed
reindeer:
Three blind mice
Baa baa black sheep
5 green and speckled frogs
The bear went over the mountain
Alice the camel
The ants came marching
Baby bumble bee
My aunt greet
Rudolph the red nosed reinder

ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Highe Lowe Highe Lowe

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Highe Lowe Highe Lowe
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Highe Lowe Highe Lowe

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Highe Lowe Highe Lowe
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Highe Lowe Highe Lowe
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Characteristic
s

Musical
Elements
Tempo

Dynamics

Duration

Pitch

Instruments