Intermediate Lesson

Title: Escolas de Carnaval

Arizona State Standards

  • Reading: Strand 2- Concept 1 (identify main ideas, author’s purpose) Strand 3- Concept 1(analyze non-fiction) Strand 2- Concept 2 (Compare and contrast historical and cultural perspectives)
  • Writing: Strand 2-Concepts 1,2,4,5 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 2 Concepts 1,2,5 (Grades 6, 7, 8) Strand 3-Concept 1 (Creative writing) Strand 2- Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5), Strand 3-Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Strand 3- Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Concept 6 (Grades 6-8) (Summarize info) Strand 2-Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 3-Concepts 2 & 6 (Grades 4-8) (Research Skills)
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-E1, LS-E2, LS-E4 (shares, presents, responds), VP-E1-E3 (analyze, plan, develop, compare and contrast)
  • History: 1SS-E8(research tools)
  • Geography: 3SS-E4 (using geographic tools) 3SS-E5 (regions) 3SS-E6 (social interaction, migration) 3SS-E8 (applying skills)
  • Arts: 1AM-E3/E4 (musical performance) 1AV-F2 (use of art materials) 1AV-E1(communicate through art) 2AV-F1 (communication through art ) 2AV-F2/F3/E3/E4/3AV-E3(cultural & historical expression) 2AV-E2 (art careers) 3AV-E1 (purpose of art)1AD-E4 (identify dance)

Goals & Objectives:

  1. Students create a school wide/state wide carnaval displaying the different themes they have studied, incorporating a song they have written, costumes and dances that all reflect their theme.
  2. Students learn about the different “samba schools” in Brazil and how they contribute to the Carnaval experience.

**Having a school wide Brazilian Carnaval, incorporating subjects studied in their school is a nice alternative to the traditional Halloween celebration**

Length of lesson: 7 one-hour periods

Materials & Preparation:

  1. map of South America/Brazil
  2. video of Carnaval in Brazil (see bibliography)
  3. reading about “samba schools” (see attached materials)
  4. books about Brazil/Carnaval
  5. material & craft supplies (great project for recycled goods!)

Lesson

First Period

  1. Show a video clip of Carnaval in Brazil.
  2. Ask questions to have students discuss where they think this takes place and why. Share that Carnaval is a traditional celebration in Brazil every year in the spring. Compare to American parades and celebrations. (example: The Rose Parade.)
  3. Point out the different floats and the different songs being played, explain that a group of people create a float and matching costumes for the parade, and that the people dancing alongside the floats are apart of the float as well. See if students can match the people dancing in the parade to the different floats. Explain that these groups are called “samba schools.” Ask if anyone knows what samba means. (see attached materials) Samba is the name of traditional Brazilian music and is an important part of the Carnaval celebration. Listen to the music for a minute or so, does it change? Can they hear more than one song playing?
  4. Explain that every year Carnaval has a theme, and that each samba school picks a theme that corresponds with the theme of the Carnaval. See if students can guess some of the different themes presented in the video they are watching of Carnaval.
  5. Samba schools can also incorporate socio-political messages into their presentation. If this aspect is relevant for your group of learners, you may want to discuss this and view the parade looking for such representation.
  6. Explain that each Carnaval ends with a winner, as judges choose which samba school had the best presentation.
  7. End the lesson by having students read about the history of samba schools in Brazil (see attached materials). Have students also read about Brazil and Carnaval in a a variety of resource materials. Share what each student learns with the whole group.

Second Period

  1. Brainstorm a list of the different activities the samba schools had to do to be ready for Carnaval. (include identifying a message, creating costumes, floats, music, song and dance.)
  2. Discuss what samba schools have in common with their school. (Students study different subjects, like history and science, and different units within these subjects, like space, plants, etc. and that students practice and prepare in school, just the way the samba schools practice and prepare for their Carnaval. They organize their ideas around themes like we do, and practice and prepare for a long time to demonstrate what they know and what they are able to do.)
  3. Ask students if their school could have a Carnaval? Could there be different “samba schools” in their school that could participate in a Carnaval?
  4. Have students plan to organize a school-wide (or a team of classes) Carnaval. Begin by selecting a theme. Create a plan that includes sharing the theme they have chosen and a list of the different activities each “samba school” would need to do in order to participate in the Carnaval. (Choosing a topic that corresponds to the theme of the Carnaval, and then create costumes and a song, and maybe even a float!)
  5. Have students prepare an advertisement for the other teachers in the school, asking them to participate in the Carnaval. Include information they have learned about Brazilian Carnaval and the samba schools, and the responsibilities a class would have if they chose to participate in the school’s Carnaval.

Third-Sixth Periods

  1. Give students enough time to prepare and organize their costumes. Work with groups of students to create a song or two that corresponds with the topic of their class (arrange the song to a samba tune!) and/or help small groups create a float.

Closure

  1. Have a school wide Carnaval! Have one or two of your students explain to the audience the tradition of Carnaval in Brazil and the important work that each “samba school” does to contribute to a successful celebration.
  2. If appropriate, have the audience (or specify a panel of judges) vote for the best “samba school” in the Carnaval, or have a variety of awards, best costume, best mask, best song, best lyrics, etc.

Evaluation

  1. After the Carnaval, have students write a newspaper article, reporting about their school’s Carnaval and comparing it to the Brazilian tradition. (If you incorporated a contest into the celebration, have the article include information about the winning “samba school.” )

Extensions

  1. After viewing a video, have students write a story or a poem about Carnaval in Brazil, what they would see, hear and experience if they were there. Have them describe the sounds, sights and smells of this experience.
  2. Have a small class-size Carnaval when you finish a unit of study. Divide the class into small groups and have them decide on their own theme, write their own song that includes facts from the unit, and create their own costumes.
  3. Have a gym teacher or a community member visit the class and have them teach your students how to dance to samba music or capoeira martial arts (another tradition in Brazil.) Incorporate the dance steps into your celebration.
  4. Discuss the economic advantages the tradition of Carnaval brings to Brazil. (tourism, employment, advertising, etc) How could your class turn your Carnaval into a fundraising event?