Music by Camille Saint-Saens can be found in almost every elementary music teacher’s playlist. Songs like Carnival of the Animals or Danse Macabre are up there on the elementary music greatest hits playlist. So today’s blog post is dedicated to my favorite music by Camille Saint-Saens and the ways that I teach it in my classroom.
Read on and grab some new ideas you can try in your own classroom to bring the music of Camille Saint-Sans to life!
Get To Know the Composer With a Camille Saint-Saens Bio
I like to take a moment to learn a little bit about the composer whenever we listen to a piece of music. First, it makes sense to credit the person who wrote the piece. And second, it helps students to connect the music in a place and time.
Sometimes I like to do a quick overview with a Write the Room activity where they learn fun facts about the composer. And we can take a deeper dive with a fun flipbook or even a trivia quiz game.
I have packed some of my favorite composer biography activities into my Camille Saint-Saens bio, which can be found in the Music of Saint-Saens Bundle.
Camille Saint-Saens – Danse Macabre Activities
I am a sucker for a good Halloween-themed activity. And Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens definitely fits the bill.
First, I explain the concept of Danse Macabre. It helps my students if they think of this being a little bit like the movie Coco, where spirits can awaken for one night of fun. Then I read the poem that the song is based on.
After that, we listen to the song all the way through with the help of a listening map to highlight keys features from the piece. Things like the main themes, the wind in the trees and the rooster crowing at dawn.
Then, the next week when we come back, I have students act out the story themself, from lying asleep in the graveyard to waking, dancing, showing the wind in the trees, and finally going back into our graves until next year. This activity is always a big hit with my older students.
Carnival of the Animals Activities
The Carnival of the Animals is one of my favorites for my little ones. I usually save it for towards the end of the year, a time when we need to get some of our sillies out.
We take the movements one at a time (so often this unit is spread out over a couple days). First students listen and follow along on a listening map. Then we do an activity with that movement.
Sometimes I like to do movement activities. So many lend themselves to great movement. I’ve compiled some of my favorites into this YouTube video.
Other times, I have students to a writing/drawing activity along with a movement. Like counting how many times the donkey goes hee-haw or coloring a listening lymph as we listen to The Aquarium.
Sometimes the blessed calm of having students color while the music from The Aquarium floats around you is just what the last days of school needs.
If you would like to grab everything you need for your next Carnival of the Animals lesson (plus Danse Macabre), you can click here to check out the Music of Camille Saint-Saens bundle.
Honorable Mention: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Now I’ve already named Danse Macabre and Carnival of the Animals as my favorite music by Camille Saint-Saens. But I have to leave a little room for Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah.
My students recently studied this piece when getting ready for a trip to the local symphony orchestra, and I now have it on my short list of future songs I might just create a listening map or movement activity for. It was just too much fun!
Teach the Music of Camille Saint-Saens
If you, like me, plan to do Danse Macabre and Carnival of the Animals in regular rotation in your teaching, then you need to check out the Music of Camille Saint-Saens Bundle. It has the activities and listening I mentioned in this post, plus biography activities to learn about Camille Saint-Saens. Click below to grab it today.
5 Responses
The Organ Symphony (#3) is not for children, but it’s a masterpiece, one of the most extraordinary pieces l have ever heard. I’ve studied and played classical music all my life. If you haven’t so far this is an awesome listen.
Just be careful of the volume of the organ in the Finale.
I will have to put it on my listening list. Thanks for the recommendation!