Carnival of the Animals

“The Elephant”

Learning Activities

• The upcoming learning activities are based on the Carabo-Cone method of elementary music education

• They will feature either practices either directly used or closely modified from those of the Carabo-Cone method

Clef Bracelets

• Materials: Pipe Cleaners, Rubber Bands• Students will take two pipe cleaners and bend

them into a bass clef and a treble clef• Using the rubber bands, they will place the bass

and treble clefs on the appropriate hands• They will then go to the piano to associate which

notes are bass and which are treble• After listening to the piece, they will decide which

clef it would be in and which hand would play it

Music Puzzle

• Take the melody line and cut it into one measure “puzzle pieces” and place in bags (each student should get a copy)

• While listening to the piece, students will arrange the pieces into the correct order

• Once that is complete have students take turns playing a measure or two at the piano– This lesson reinforces musical literacy and listening

skills

Beanbag Game

• Have melody line projected on the board• Have students line up in front of Floor Staff• Taking turns they will each throw a beanbag and try

to land on the appropriate spaces to “write” the melody– You can also use specific colored or sized beanbags to

indicate note duration.• If they land in the correct spaces they get to go play

that note on the keyboard– They get to hear what they see in front of them

Live Keyboard• Students will choose a name tag specifying a specific note

on the keyboard• They will crouch down in the correct order of the keyboard• Have the melody projected on the board, and either with a

recording or at an actual piano, play the piece• When it is time for their “note” to be played in the song,

students will pop up• When they know how the song goes, you can transition to

having them sing the note that they are and do the song in rhythm.

“Just One More” Relay

• Only do this once children REALLY know the piece

• Have a student go up to the piano and play the first note of the melody

• Taking turns, the next student will play the first note, and “just one more”

• This continues for the entire piece, adding a single note at a time

Related Activities

• Learn The Elephant Song – Eric Herman• Watch the Elephant March clip from The Jungle

Book– Have students swing arm like a metronome to feel

where the beat is in the song– When they feel the beat you can move on to

marching around the room and singing the song– Have students march like Mowgli did with the

elephants while listening to and/or singing the song