GEOMETRY GROOVE

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Sound source and music with a steady beat
• Markers or crayons
• Printed copies of dance photography

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips: Set up chairs and tables in a circular format to maximize students’ engagement and ability to see their peers during the activity and performance. Also establish parameters for acceptable movement choices and discuss audience behavior/etiquette with students.

• Begin the lesson by engaging students in movement that introduces students to a few of the Elements of Dance: Body, space and time.

• • Have students arrange themselves in the classroom with enough personal space to move freely without touching a neighbor.
  • Turn on instrumental music with a steady beat.
  • First, have students bring awareness to their bodies by leading them through gentle stretches starting from the head and moving to the toes (e.g., head circles, shoulder shrugs, toe touches, etc.).
  • Next, bring students’ awareness to the rhythm of the music by having them walk in place to the beat with high knees, swinging their arms side to side. 
  • Now, direct students create shapes with their bodies; use geometric language such as curved shapes or sharp angles to direct students. 
  • Ask students to volunteer to be the leader by demonstrating a shape for students to copy.
  • This could lead into a game of Pass the Movement if time permits.
    • The objective of the game is to create a sequence of movements by passing a dance move around the circle or group, with each student adding their unique twist. 
    • Each student will create a simple movement and "pass" it to the next student, who will then repeat the movement and add their own.
    • Choose one student to start the game. This student will perform a simple movement, such as a clap, a jump, a spin, or a wave. Encourage students to focus on creating shapes and angles with their bodies.
    • The starting student then "passes" this movement to the next student by making eye contact and gesturing towards them.
    • The next student repeats the initial movement and then adds their own unique movement.
    • This student then "passes" the combined movements to the next student.
    • Each subsequent student repeats the previous movements in the correct order and adds their own new movement.
    • Continue passing the movement around the circle or along the line until all students have had a turn.
    • Once the movement has gone all the way around, have the group perform the entire sequence together from start to finish.
  • Have students return to their seats.

Work Session

• Discuss with students how they used their bodies to create angles and shapes. 
• Divide the class into small groups.
  • Ask students if they can create an obtuse angle with their bodies? Acute? Right?
  • Provide time for groups to share.
• Pass out printed copies of dance photography to students.
  • Ask students to identify the types of angles, shapes, and polygons that they see in the photos.
  • Students should outline and label each type in a different color crayon/marker. 
  • Project images of the photography on the board and allow time for students to share what they identified in the photos. 
• Next, randomly pass out note cards with a type of angle written on it. 
• Students must create a shape with their bodies that demonstrates a polygon with that type of angle (i.e., acute angle in a rhombus).
  • Students can choose to each make the movement with their bodies individually, or can combine to make one large formation together. 
• Now, tell students that dancers move to the beat of music. Students will have four beats to perform their movement. Tell students that by the count of four, they should be showing their polygon with their bodies and should freeze in the shape.
  • Practice a four count to the beat of the music with students.
  • Allow time for students to practice using a four count to perform their movement.

Closing Reflection

• The students will perform their movements for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
• After each performance, the audience should be able to identify the polygon and the types of angles represented.

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator; ability to identify types of shapes, polygons and angles in dance photography; and collaborative choreography.

Summative

CHECKLIST

• Students can identify and create different types of angles.
• Students can create a movement for a type polygon with the type of angle assigned.

DIFFERENTIATION 

*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 Dittmar-Joy. Updated by Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW