Key Stage 1 Carnival of the Animals
Finale

It's Carnival time! Be prepared for fun, dancing, parades and music. Learn about world famous carnivals and put together a class carnival. Look back at the topic and use your imagination to shape the carnival of the year. Finally, finish the topic in a spectacular way with an animal Olympics; which animal will be the King of the Carnival?

Session 1 Carnival time

Objectives

English

  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.
  • Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feeling.

History

  • Learn about significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.

Lesson Planning

Learn about world famous carnivals through photographs and video clips; look back at the work they have done throughout the topic and discuss elements to use in a carnival.

Teaching Outcomes
To communicate ideas effectively, talk about their work during this topic.
To learn about carnivals and why they happen, can discuss their own experiences of carnivals.

Children will:

  • Communicate ideas effectively.
  • Talk about their work during this topic.
  • Learn about carnivals and why they happen.
  • Can discuss their own experiences of carnivals.

Provided Resources

  • Carnivals around the world information sheet

You Will Need

  • Globe or Atlas
  • Pack of felt tips for each group
  • Large piece of A3 paper

Session 2 Carnival preparation

Objectives

Music

  • Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music.

Dance

  • Perform dances using simple movement patterns.

English

  • Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings.

Lesson Planning

Gather ideas from session1 and begin to assemble a class carnival; use your imaginations to create an animal dance.

Teaching Outcomes
To explore and respond to music with movements.
To use their imagination to create a short dance.
To discuss their work and share achievements.

Children will:

  • Explore and respond to music with movements.
  • Use their imagination to create a short dance.
  • Discuss their work and share achievements.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 3 Carnival rehearsal

Objectives

Dance

  • Perform dances using simple movement patterns.

English

  • Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings.

Lesson Planning

Watch video clips of dancers performing the Carnival of the Animals works; learn how to make their movements bigger, bolder and more expressive by passing a movement around acircle; perform dances to the class and give feedback about each other’s performances.

Teaching Outcomes
To perform a dance to an audience, practise making simple movements bigger and bolder.
To express opinions about each other’s performances and give constructive feedback.

Children will:

  • Perform a dance to an audience.
  • Practise making simple movements bigger and bolder.
  • Express opinions about each other’s performances and give constructive feedback.

Provided Resources

There are no provided resources for this session.

You Will Need

  • The finale from Saint-Saën's 'Carnival of the Animals'

Session 4 Animal olympics

Objectives

PE

  • Master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities.
  • Participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending.

English

  • Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas.

Lesson Planning

In the final session of the topic, children will be testing strength, fitness, accuracy, agility and speed of the animals in the class animal Olympics! Which animal will come up tops and become king of the animals?

Teaching Outcomes
To create a sports game using basic movements, in a group develop simple rules for their sports game.
To explore ideas in light of the discussion about the Olympics/animal skills.

Children will:

  • Create a sports game using basic movements.
  • In a group develop simple rules for their sports game.
  • Explore ideas in light of the discussion about the Olympics and animal skills.

Provided Resources

  • Animal photographs
  • Sports games ideas
  • Example score sheet
  • Event guidance
  • PE equipment list

You Will Need

  • PE equipment