Danse Macabre Music Listening Unit

This upper primary/lower secondary music listening unit is flexible and ready to use. No prep, no tech, no instruments - use it whatever your teaching situation!

Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre is a classical favorite, especially at Halloween. Your students will be engaged in the creepy story and timeless music.

This unit lasts around 4 lessons and covers the following:

• multiple listening tasks
• background on composer
• symphonic poem
• waltz
• canon
• polyphonic
• short rhythmic composition
• theory tasks
• recognising instruments
• describing the music
• recognising signs and symbols
• creative response/non-music tasks
• pupil workbook (10 pages PDF format, color and grayscale versions)
• teacher notes/lesson plans with answers (4 pages PDF format)
• bonus printable cards for listening activities
• suggestions of differentiation/extension/enrichment activities

Included are UK and USA versions (bar/measure, crotcher/quarter note etc) as well as colour and black and white versions for your printing preference.

The audio is not included, for copyright/licensing reasons, but I have an included a link - it is easy to find on all major platforms. The only technology you require is something to play the audio from (eg a computer, CD player or bluetooth speaker) making this product ideal for teachers without a fixed room or access to technology.

No instruments are required as all rhythm exercises can be clapped.

Despite the “no instruments, no technology” label, this is a jam-packed, engaging and comprehesive unit. It will fit in to any music class and curriculum!

I really hope you enjoy this product. Don’t forget to leave a review and follow my store to find similar products on other classical pieces, with more being added all the time!

This product is aimed at approximately Key Stage 3.