DANCING DIFFERENCES
Learning Description
In this lesson, students will compare and contrast choreographed movement sequences as a precursor to comparing texts. Next, students will apply this strategy to compare two texts.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
- I can identify similarities and differences between texts, whether they are dances or written literary works.
- I can graphically document my observations about similarities and differences between two subjects.
- I can express in complete sentences my analysis of similarities and differences between two subjects.
Essential Questions
- How can movement and dance help your students compare and contrast literature?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Kindergarten:
ELAGSEKRL9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
ELAGSEKRI1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
ELAGSEKRI9 With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures)
ELAGSEKW7 With guidance and support, participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Grade 1:
ELAGSE1RL9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
ELAGSE1RI1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
ELAGSE1RI9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Arts Standards
Kindergarten:
ESDK.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.
ESDK.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication
ESDK.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.
ESDK.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance
ESDK.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge
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.
ESD2.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Kindergarten:
K.RL.7.1 With guidance and support, retell a familiar text; identify beginning, middle, and end in a text heard or read.
K.RL.7.2 Read or listen closely to compare familiar texts
K.RI.7.1 With guidance and support, compare topics or ideas within a thematic or author study heard, read, or viewed.
K.C.1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups
K.C.3.1 Explore how ideas and topics are depicted in a variety of media and formats.
Grade 1:
1.RL.7.1 Retell text, including beginning, middle, and end; use key details to determine the theme in a text heard or read.
1.RL.7.2 Read or listen closely to compare and contrast familiar texts and texts in author and genre studies.
1.RI.7.1 Compare and contrast topics or ideas within a thematic or author study heard, read, or viewed.
1.C.1.1 Explore and create meaning through conversation, drama, questioning, and story-telling.
1.C.3.1 Explore and compare how ideas and topics are depicted in a variety of media and formats.
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 5: I can describe, analyze, and evaluate a dance.
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
Compare - Search for similarities between two or more subjects
Contrast - Search for differences between two or more subjects
Arts Vocabulary
- Choreography - The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers.
- Choreographer - A person who creates dances.
- Tempo - The speed of the movement or music.
- Level - The vertical distance from the floor that a dancer occupies during a movement
- Pathway - The trail a dancer takes in a locomotor movement.
- Locomotor - Movement that travels from one location to another in a pathway through space
- Non-locomotor - Movement that occurs without the body traveling from one point to another point.
Materials
- Sound source (CD player, iPod) and speakers
- Audio recording
- Stories or literary excerpts
- Venn diagram to project for class-wide viewing
- Printed copies of Venn diagram to distribute for small group work
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Lead students in a brief warm-up. As you move, point out what body parts are moving, the tempo (fast/slow), levels (high, medium, low), and pathways (on the ground or in the air).
Work Session
- Analyzing movement
- Students discuss similarities and/or differences in the learned movements while incorporating dance vocabulary in descriptions.
- Divide class into small groups.
- Each group creates a short movement phrase using 3-4 of the movements learned in the warm up. Without other groups knowing, assign each group a quality that they must use when performing their dance, i.e., fast, slow, etc.
- Each group performs its dance for peers.
- As one group performs, peers identify the similarities and differences between the different group dances. These are documented on a Venn diagram.
ELA connection
- Next, present two versions of the same written text to the class and ask them to work in small groups to complete a Venn diagram to document similarities and differences between the texts.
- Individually, students write sentences, draw a picture, or prepare an oral presentation to express their findings.
- Select a few students to present their work and engage classroom discussion by those who support and dissent.
Closing Reflection
Ask students to recall creating the Venn diagrams in dance. Ask them what got their attention when they looked for similarities and differences in movement phrases.
Ask students to think about creating the Venn diagrams for the written texts. Ask them what got their attention when they looked for similarities and differences in those works.
Ask students to compare and contrast the processes of the work they just did, analyzing dances vs. written texts. Is one similar to the other? Is one different from the other?
Assessments
Formative
- Students use dance vocabulary while creating dance phrases.
- Students recorded data using a Venn diagram.
- Students worked collaboratively.
Summative
- Students created dance sequences according to the aforementioned criteria.
- Students identified similarities and differences in the performed choreographic sequences.
- Students successfully compared and contrasted the presented written texts.
Differentiation
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Acceleration: Ask students to partner when creating their dances, taking into consideration the choice to mirror or not to mirror.
Use three texts instead of two.
Remediation: Rather than working in small groups, work as an entire class to create the compare and contrast piece about two dances.
Rather than working individually, work in small groups to create the compare and contrast piece about two written texts. |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Classroom Tips:
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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 and updated by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy
Revised and copyright: August 2022 @ ArtsNOW