Creating a Compelling Story From Music

CREATING A COMPELLING STORY FROM MUSIC

CREATING A COMPELLING STORY FROM MUSIC

Learning Description

Encourage your students to exercise their imaginations and write with courage and conviction. Using music from a wide variety of cultures, students will develop good listening skills and write from the heart using their own voices. This aural exercise will help students think creatively.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

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"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • Compose an original story inspired by a piece of music.

Essential Questions

  • Essential Question: How can music be used to inspire narrative writing?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELACCKW3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

 

Grade 1:

ELACC1W3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

ESGMK.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

 

Grade 1:

ESGM1.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.MCC.3.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, to tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and to provide a reaction to what happened. 

 

Grade 1:

1.MCC.3.1 Explore multiple texts to write narratives that recount two or more sequenced events, include details, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Character - A person, or animal or other entity that has human characteristics, in a story.

Setting - Where and when a story takes place.

Event - A happening, something that occurs in a story.

Detail - A small, interesting part of a larger whole.

Title - The name of a creative work.

Arts Vocabulary

Dynamics - The volume of sound; how loud or soft it is.

Pitch - How high or low a note sounds.

Tempo - The speed at which a musical piece is played; how fast or slow.

Duration - The length of time a sound lasts; how long or short.

Timbre - The quality of a sound (round, brassy, sharp, bright).

Form - The structure or pattern in music; how the sounds are put together.

Rhythm - A pattern of sound which can be repeated to a regular beat.

 

Materials

  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Paper
  • Audio recordings
  • Sound source (CD Player, iPod, etc.) - 3-5 selections of instrumental music
  • Photographs and prints (optional)

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Warm-Up:  Moving to Music

  • Tell the students they are going to have a chance to move to music.  In order to stay safe, remind them to stay in their own personal space.  Have students stand by their desks or tables, or spread them around the room.  Have them keep their feet in one spot, and then stretch out their arms all around; if their hands or arms touch each other, reposition them, or have them reposition themselves, so that each student has ample personal space.
  • Tell students you are going to play instrumental music – just instruments, no words or singing - and as they listen they can sense how it makes them feel, and then move accordingly.  Remind them they must stay in their assigned places, and move only in their own personal space.
  • Put on a selection of instrumental music, possibly from another culture.
  • Model different ways of moving to the music, describing as you do (e.g, “I am waving my arms slowly,” or “This part makes me want to go up on my toes”) and encourage students to move in their own ways.  Possibly, use observational language to comment on some student choices (e.g., “I see Arianna swaying gently,” “Terrence is shaking his knees very quickly”).
  • After the activity, reflect by asking the students how they felt moving to the music, and why they made some of the movement choices they made.  Ask if the music made them imagine particular kinds of people, animals, places, times of day, weather, landscapes, etc.  Perhaps share some ideas of your own (e.g., “I imagined a teenage girl in a long blue dress.  I imagined a big rock along the seashore.”)

 

Work Session

  • Ask students to describe, in general, what we hear when we hear music, and how pieces of music are different from one another (e.g., some are faster, some have loud drums, some are sad, some have quiet parts).  Lead them to discussion of various elements of music – dynamics, tempo, pitch, duration, melody, etc.  Talk about the extremes in each (loud/soft, fast/slow, etc.)
  • Explain that students will listen to another piece of instrumental music.  This time, they will not move, but should listen for the musical elements, and think about the images these elements create in their minds.
  • Play a different piece of instrumental music, ideally one that contrasts the piece used in the opening activity.  Encourage students to listen with their eyes shut.
  • Tell students that they will be creating/composing original stories in response to the music.  Post and review with the students the following questions:
    • What is the title of my story? 
    • Where does my story take place? 
    • When does my story take place? 
    • Who are the characters? 
  • Give students paper and writing/drawing utensils.  Depending on the teacher’s goals and the students’ skill level, students can write and/or draw to create their stories.
  • Play the music again.  Ask the students to listen carefully again and to write or draw answers to the questions.
  • Repeat the process with two or three more contrasting pieces of instrumental music.  Have students create an idea page for each.
  • Have each student choose their favorite piece of music and compose a story that includes the title, setting, characters, and events inspired by the music.  Encourage them to include details.
  • Have students share their stories in pairs or trios.  Possibly, have volunteers share their stories in front of the entire class.  If they can speak loud enough, possibly play the selection of music softly as they are reading/telling their story.

 

Classroom Tips:

  • A wide range of music is best (e.g. Native American, Scandinavian, African, Asian, Latin American, flute, international jazz, violin, saxophone, harp); avoid using music familiar to or easily identified by students.

Closing Reflection

Ask students:  How did the music inspire story ideas in your mind?  Which elements of the music were most important to you in creating your story?  What did you like about this activity?  What was easy or hard about this activity?

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students participate actively in the warm-up.
  • Students cite the elements of music in their reflections on their music-listening and story composition.
  • Students use their time efficiently to write or draw ideas for their stories.

 

Summative

Student stories as written or drawn show clear evidence of having characters, settings, events, and titles.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

Add in the concepts of conflict/problem (“a challenge that the main character faces and must resolve”) and/or protagonist and antagonist (“the main character in the story,” and “the character who is opposed to or in conflict with the main character”) as elements that the students must clearly develop in their stories. 

Remediation: 

Work as a full class to develop the first story.  Then develop more stories as a full class, or have students work in small groups. 

Take care to choose musical selections that are not too challenging or jarring.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • Putumayo World Music can be accessed at Putumayo.com, or accessed through streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.
  • Longer loops in GarageBand or similar apps can be useful.
  • A search of “World Music” will bring up links to YouTube videos that feature varieties of multicultural instrumental music.

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Ideas contributed by:  Janice Akers
Modifications, Extensions, and Adaptations Contributed by: Peggy Barnes, Candy Bennett, Lindsey Elrod, Jennifer Plummer, Vilma Thomas, and Barry Stewart Mann.

 Revised and copyright:  Date updated @ ArtsNOW

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Carnival of the Animals K-1

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS

Learning Description

Students will expand knowledge about music vocabulary through exploration of The Carnival of the Animals, composed by Camille Saint-Saëns. Students will be able to use key music terms in discussions with their peers and in persuasive writing.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use musical vocabulary to describe music I hear.
  • I can use musical vocabulary to share my opinion about music.

Essential Questions

  • How can you write to describe and share your opinion about music you hear?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKW1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are “writing” about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is…).

 

Grade 1: 

ELAGSE1W1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or the name of the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

 

WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards:

Standard 1: English language learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting. 

Standard 2: English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

MKGM.6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

MKGM.10: Moving, alone and with others, to a varied repertoire of music.

 

Grade 1:

M1GM.6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

M1GM.10: Moving, alone and with others, to a varied repertoire of music.

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 

1.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to state the topic and communicate an opinion about it.

 

Grade 1:

Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. 

1.1 Explore print and multimedia sources to write opinion pieces that introduce the topic, state an opinion, give a reason for the opinion, and provide a sense of closure.

 

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Benchmark GM.R NL.6 I can identify contrasts in music.

Benchmark GM.R NM.6 I can identify the elements of music. 

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

GM.R NL.7.1 I can listen and respond to music.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Opinion writing - A form of writing in which the author expresses their personal views or opinions on a particular topic or issue; it is characterized by the use of persuasive language and supporting arguments to convey the author's stance

Arts Vocabulary

  • Tone color (Timbre) - The quality of sound; component of a sound that causes different instruments to sound different from each other
  • Pitch - Relative highness or lowness of a tone in relation to other tones
  • Tempo - The speed at which a music piece is performed
  • Dynamics - Volume of sound (loudness, quietness
  • Movement - A self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form

 

Materials

    • Recording of The Carnival of the Animals composed by Camille Saint-Saëns
    • Book illustrating The Carnival of the Animals
    • Writing paper
    • Chart paper
    • Marker
    • Large pictures of each animal
    • Pencils
    • Pitched percussion instruments (xylophone, tone bars, etc)

     

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • As a group, have students brainstorm animals they might find at a carnival. If needed, project an image of a carnival for students.
    • Discuss what a carnival is and what animals you might see there. 
    • Have students turn and talk to their neighbor to discuss their favorite animal.

     

    Work Session

      • Have a recording preset to use the selections of The Carnival of the Animals you want students to hear. Place the large pictures of the animals on chart paper and hang up for students to see.
      • Have students sit in a circle on the floor.
      • Discuss that music has different qualities, including timbre, pitch, tempo, and dynamics. 
        • For example, small animals such as a bird or frog may make soft, high-pitched, thin or shrill sounds, while larger animals like an alligator may make loud, low-pitched, thick or rumbling sounds.
        • Play two different sounds that demonstrate the difference in high and low pitch (use pitched percussion instruments or recordings of pitched percussion instruments if possible).
        • Discuss the sounds that animals make using these musical terms. Playing audio clips may be helpful. 
      • After the students understand the different types of sound, play the first selection from The Carnival of the Animals.
      • Have students stand under the picture of the animal that they think matches the sounds. 
        • Have students move like the animal would move. 
        • Ask students to explain why they chose the animal that they did.
        • Ask students to describe the music using the terms timbre, pitch, tempo, and dynamics; write the words students say on chart paper.
      • After the animal has been identified, read the passage of the book that matches the animal and discuss qualities of the animal that are illustrated by the music.
      • Repeat this process for the other animals.
      • When all the music has been played, tell students to select their favorite animal from the music and book, The Carnival of the Animals. 
        • Kindergarten will use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to convey their opinions. Encourage students to support their opinion with one to two reasons why they chose that animal.
        • First grade will convey their opinions through writing. Students should be sure to provide closure to their writing after they have stated their opinions and at least one reason for their opinions.
        • Students should use at least one musical term (timbre, pitch, tempo, and/or dynamics) in their opinion writing.

       

      Closing Reflection

      Allow students to share their opinions with the class. Establish agreed-upon guidelines for sharing and listening.

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding by observing students’ responses during class discussion, students’ identification of the animals in The Carnival of the Animals using musical vocabulary, and students’ discussion of their favorite animals and reasons for their opinions.

       

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can use musical vocabulary to describe music they hear.
      • Students can use musical vocabulary to share their opinions about music through drawing, dictating, and writing.

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration: 

      • Students can choose a new animal and create a musical composition to represent its characteristics using musical vocabulary.
      • Once students have picked their favorite animal from The Carnival of Animals, they will conduct research (through internet or book resources) to gather factual information about their animal to include in their opinion writing. Gifted Assessments Students will use mechanics to develop persuasive writing that includes facts and opinions.

       

      Remediation:

      • ESOL Modifications and Adaptations: ESOL teachers will conduct a mini lesson on opinions and persuasion, allowing students to role play (ex: persuading their parents for an extra cookie or staying up later on a school night).
      • Special Education Modifications and Adaptations: Ask each student to name their favorite animal from the story. Record responses using a tally chart and ask students to identify the animal with the greatest number of votes. Work in small groups or as a whole to list attributes of the animal with the greatest amount of votes. Correlate the attributes to the musical vocabulary and then use the attributes to write or dictate two to three sentences about the animal.

       

      ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      • Recordings and illustrated books of The Carnival of the Animals are commercially available. One example is Saint-Saens, C. & Turner, B. C. (1998). Carnival of the animals. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co. 
      • Audio recordings of the various movements are available through streaming online music sites like http:// www.grooveshark.com (search: Carnival of the Animals).
      • Full recording and descriptions of each of the 14 movements: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
      • The Carnival of the Animals Animal Sound Clips from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov/video/sound.html
      • Ballet company performances of The Carnival of the Animals: http://YouTube.com.

      *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

      Ideas contributed by: Sandi Evans. Modifications, Extensions, and Adaptations Contributed by: Peggy Barnes, Candy Bennett, Lindsey Elrod, Jennifer Plummer, and Vilma Thomas. Reviewed by Emily Threlkeld. Updated by Maribeth Yoder-White.

      Revised and copyright:  June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       
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      Guess What 2-3

      GUESS WHAT

      GUESS WHAT

      Learning Description

      Students will explore the life cycle of plants and animals by assuming the roles of various plants and animals in the cycle. Students will use tableau to dramatize their place in the life cycle. After the students share their tableaus, they will write a monologue from the point of view of their plant/animal.

       

      Learning Targets

      GRADE BAND: 2-3
      CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & SCIENCE
      LESSON DOWNLOADS:

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can use tableau to explore the life cycle of an animal or plant.
      • I can demonstrate the life cycle of animals or plants through tableau.

      Essential Questions

      • How can tableau be used to explore the life cycle of an animal or plant?
      • How can I demonstrate the life cycle of animals or plants through tableau?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 2:

      S2L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the life cycles of different living organisms

       

      Arts Standards

      Grade 2

      TA2.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work. a. Use imagination to create characters. b. Contribute and collaborate in planning a theatre experience.

      TA2.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

      TA2.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

       

       

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 3

      3-LS1-1. Develop and use models to describe how organisms change in predictable patterns during their unique and diverse life cycles.

       

      Arts Standards

      T.CR NL.1 I can identify basic story elements in simple stories, plays and scripts (e.g. plot, character, setting, theme, etc.).

      T.CR NL.1.2 I can identify basic character qualities from a prompt.

      T.P NL.3 I can use body and voice to communicate character traits and emotions in a guided drama experience.

      T.P NL.3.3 I can participate collaboratively in guided drama experiences.

       

       

      Key Vocabulary

      Content Vocabulary

      • Life cycle - The sequential stages of the development and growth that an organism undergoes throughout its existence 
      • Sequence - A series of steps or events that follows a specific order
      • Mammal -  An animal that is warm-blooded, has hair or fur, and gives birth to live offspring 
      • Amphibian - A cold-blooded animal that can live both in and out of water. It usually starts as an egg in the water, hatches into a tadpole with a tail, and transforms into an adult with legs.
      • Insect - A class of invertebrate animals characterized by having a segmented body divided into three distinct regions: head, thorax, and abdomen 
      • Organisms - A living thing, such as a plant or animal
      • Plant - An organism that makes its own food using sunlight, a process called photosynthesis. It usually has roots, stems, and leaves.

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Tableau - A form of visual representation and artistic expression where individuals or objects are carefully arranged and posed to convey a specific scene, narrative, or concept
      • Character - A fictional person or creature in a story that has their own personality, feelings, and actions
      • Monologue - An uninterrupted speech delivered by a single character. It is a dramatic form of expression where the character expresses their thoughts, emotions, or experiences to the audience.

       

      Materials

        • Sticky notes
        • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or a similar book that identifies the stages of the life cycle of a plant or animal

         

         

        Instructional Design

        Opening/Activating Strategy

        • Read the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or a similar book that demonstrates the stages of the life cycle of a plant or animal.
        • Ask students to identify the stages of the life cycle as you read the book. 
        • Ask students to think about what body positions and facial expressions they would use to represent different stages. Model what this would look like for the beginning of the life cycle. Ask students to take turns sharing their ideas throughout the reading of the book.

         

        Work Session

          • Show students an example of a tableau. Tell students that they will be creating a tableau in small groups that demonstrates the life cycle of a plant or animal.
          • Place students in small groups. Assign each group a life cycle of a plant or animal.
          • Working in their groups, students should create a tableau that represents the different stages of the life cycle of their assigned animal or plant.
          • Each member of the group should represent one stage so that all stages of the life cycle are represented. 
            • Explain that in the tableau, each student should create a character out of his or her assigned stage.
            • Encourage students to focus on the positioning of their body and their facial expression to demonstrate their stages.
          • Students will take turns presenting their tableaus without identifying their plant or animal to the audience. 
            • While each group is presenting, ask the students in the audience: 
              • Which animal or plant do they think their classmates are portraying?
              • How do the expressions and body language of the tableau support their conclusion? 
              • How did the animal or plant change from the beginning of the sequence to the end?
              • What happened between each stage?
              • What happens when the cycle gets to the end?

           

          Closing Reflection

          • Students should create a monologue taking on the point of view of their animal or plant in the stage of the cycle assigned to them. Allow students who wish to share, time to share.

          Assessments

          Formative

          Teacher will assess understanding through class discussion, group discussion, reflection questions, observation, class reflections/discussions, and tableaus.

           

           

          Summative

          CHECKLIST

          • Students can explain and identify a tableau.
          • Students can use their bodies and facial expressions to create a character that accurately represents the stage of their life cycle.
          • Students can correctly order themselves in the sequence of their life cycle.
          • Students can write a monologue from the point of view of their stage of the life cycle.

           

           

           

          Differentiation

           

          Acceleration:

          • Each student in the group will write the stage of their life cycle on a sticky note. They will then write a list of clues about their life cycle that when examined correctly should inform the reader about what life cycle is on the sticky note. 
          • The sticky note should be placed on the backs of students in a new group.
          • Students can ask the original group questions about their life cycle.
          • Once the students have an idea of which animal or plant and which stage in the life cycle, students should get in line where they think they will go in the life cycle.

          For example, the students with the life cycle of a butterfly should be in this order: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. 

           

          Remediation: Pair students who represent the same stage of the same type of life cycle together to create a character that represents their stage of the life cycle.

           

           ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

          Resources/Other Sources

          *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

          Ideas contributed by: Author unknown. Updated by Ashley Bailey Katy Betts.

          Revised and copyright:  August 2024 @ ArtsNOW

           
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