EARTH SYSTEMS, ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION THROUGH MOVEMENT
Learning Description
In this lesson, students will understand how choreographers use performance as a platform for communicating concepts. By creating their own choreography, students will learn and teach their classmates about the scientific concepts they are investigating in class.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
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I can use dance as a form of communication.
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I can create a choreographic work about scientific concepts.
Essential Questions
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How do choreographers use dance as a form of communication?
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How can I demonstrate my understanding of scientific concepts through choreography and movement?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 1
S1E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate weather data to identify weather patterns.
Arts Standards
Grade 1
ESD1.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.
ESD1.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.
ESD1.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance
ESD1.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Kindergarten:
K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
Arts Standards
Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.
Anchor Standard 2: I can choreograph a dance.
Anchor Standard 3: I can perform movements using the dance elements.
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Weather - The atmospheric conditions present in a particular place at a specific time
Arts Vocabulary
- Choreographer/Choreography - The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
- Levels - The vertical positioning of the dancer's body in relation to the floor (high, mid, low)
- Shape - The visual configuration or arrangement of the dancer's body or limbs in space
- Energy - The quality, intensity, and dynamic force behind movement
Materials
- Dance/piece of choreography to watch (see examples in “Additional Resources”)
- Music
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Ask students to show a movement to represent a weather-related word such as rain or sunshine. Ask students to explain why they chose their movement.
- Tell students that choreographers are like authors except they don't use words and pictures to help the audience understand what they are communicating.
- Instead, they use their bodies and movement to teach the audience about the concept.
- Creating choreography about science is just like an author writing an informational text; our dance must inform the audience through movement.
Work Session
- Watch 'Weather' (2012, Lucy Guerin).
- Ask students to describe how the dancers moved their bodies.
- Now, list several types of weather that are demonstrated through the dancers in the piece. Tell students that they will watch the dance again and see if they can identify where the dancers showed the type of weather.
- Next, tell students that dancers have vocabulary that they use to describe types of movements. The words that they will learn about today are levels and energy.
- Tell students that they will explore weather using levels and energy.
- Say a weather word, such as, “rain” and demonstrate wiggling your fingers quickly while moving from a standing position to a crouching position. Ask students to copy your movements. Next, ask them how you used your body to show the concept of rain.
- Tell students that standing up is a “high level” and crouching down is a “low level” movement.
- Next, ask them to repeat the rain movement. Tell students that this time, the rain is barely falling, just a light sprinkle.
- Have them repeat the movement again. Tell them that this time, the rain is a thunderstorm, pouring down.
- Ask students how their finger movements changed depending on the type of rain. This is energy in dance.
- Arrange students into groups of two or three. Assign each group a weather-related concept.
- Tell students that they will be creating choreography about their assigned topic. Remind students that as choreographers, it is their job to communicate a concept through movement.
- Ask students to either choose to show their concept by using levels or energy (or both).
- Ask students to have a starting pose, a movement to show their concept, and an ending pose.
- Circulate the room to work with students as they create their choreography.
Closing Reflection
- Have students share their choreography with the class.
- The audience members should describe what they observed in the group’s choreography using both science and dance vocabulary.
- Ask students to explain how the choreography choices contributed to the meaning of the dance.
Assessments
Formative
Teacher will assess students by asking students about their choreographic choices and how they aid in the audience's understanding of the scientific concept.
Summative
CHECKLIST
- Choreography:
- Students can create choreography that correctly demonstrates scientific concepts and vocabulary.
- Students can intentionally use energy or levels to communicate a concept.
- Audience:
- Students can discuss the performances of the other groups and identify how movements demonstrate scientific concepts and vocabulary.
DIFFERENTIATION
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Accelerated:
Remedial: Create weather-related choreography as a class. Create one movement for each type of weather. Then, assign groups their concept. Groups will build upon the original movement that the class created together to create their choreography. |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.
Ideas contributed by: Melissa Joy
Revised and copyright: July 2024 @ ArtsNOW