We used special graded drawing pencils to do observational drawings of different animals.

As well as listening to the music, we spent some time researching the different animals Saint-Saens had written music about, such as elephants and tortoises. We learnt about how animals are classified in different groups – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians etc. and we used information books to find out about their habitats and the different food they ate. We used special drawing pencils to do detailed, observational drawings of our favourite animals, which we are really pleased with. When we had finished this, we went to the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill to do a workshop on ‘Masks from around the World’. We learnt about the different materials that can be used to make masks, such as wood, metal and papier mache and we all got a chance to try on different masks. Then we used a mirror to see what we looked like. Over the half term holiday, we thought about the masks we had seen and drew a design for our own masks. When we came back to school, we used the designs to make our own papier mache animal masks, which was great fun! Finally, we went to the London Symphony Orchestra Schools Concert at the Barbican, to hear them play ‘The Carnival of the Animals’. It was brilliant and we loved listening to the live orchestra play our favourite pieces of music!