HAIKU CHOREOGRAPHY
Learning Description
In this lesson, students will explore and understand the structure of haiku poetry by using the structure of haiku to create choreography.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
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I can create movements/choreography to beats and patterns.
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I can identify the structure, mood, and imagery in a haiku.
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I can create choreography using the elements of dance that demonstrates the mood, imagery, and structure of a haiku.
Essential Questions
- How can I show the structure and mood of haiku through dance and choreography?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 4:
ELAGSE4RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
ELAGSE4RL5 Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
Grade 5:
ELAGSE5RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
ELAGSE5RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
ELAGSE5RL5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Arts Standards
Grade 4:
ESD4.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.
ESD4.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.
ESD4.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance
ESD4.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.
Grade 5:
ESD5.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.
ESD5.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.
ESD5.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance
ESD5.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 4:
ELA.4.AOR.2.1 Identify and explain an explicit or implied theme and how it is developed by key details in a literary text.
ELA.4.AOR.8.1 Determine an author’s use of words and phrases in grade-level literary, informational, and multimedia texts:
- distinguish between literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases (e.g., take steps); b. explain the meaning of commonly occurring similes, metaphors, and idioms; and c. demonstrate knowledge of relationships between words (e.g., synonyms and antonyms) to better understand each of the words
Grade 5:
ELA.5.AOR.2.1 Explain the development of an explicit or implied theme over the course of a literary text.
ELA.5.AOR.8.1 Determine an author’s use of figurative and technical language in literary, informational, and multimedia texts:
- recognize and explain the meaning of figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context; and b. demonstrate knowledge of relationships between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.
*Additional content standards beyond ELA can be applied if the poem topic is related to a specific content. i.e., weather patterns
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.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Poem - A genre of literature
- Line - A sequence of words arranged in a specific order, typically forming a complete thought or phrase
- Beat - The rhythmic pattern or meter of a poem
- Mood - Emotion or tone
- Imagery - The use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid and evocative pictures in the reader's mind
- Haiku - A traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5
Arts Vocabulary
- Choreographer/Choreography - The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
- Beat - The rhythmic pulse or pattern of the music that dancers move to
- Form - The overall structure or arrangement of movements, sequences, and choreography within 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
- Tempo - The speed or pace of the music to which dancers perform
- Energy - The quality, intensity, and dynamic force behind movement
- Non-locomotor - This refers to a movement that does not travel through space
- Locomotor - This refers to a movement that travels through space
- Space - An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway
Materials
- Several examples of haiku poetry
- Music
- Paint chip cards with paint color names - one per student (alternative could be a crayon, colored pencil, or marker–anything that shows color and has a name)
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Give each student a paint chip card with a paint color name.
- Place one mood word in each corner of the classroom.
- Tell students to move to the mood that they feel their color name best fits. Allow students to discuss why they selected that mood word.
- Arrange students into groups of 3. Groups can be created at random or have students create their own groups by finding colors that they think work well together and fit the same mood.
- Tell students to create a movement to express each color name.
- Tell students to put the movements together to create a piece of choreography with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Allow time for students to share their choreography with the class.
Work Session
INTRODUCE BEAT IN DANCE
- Discuss beats and how dancers and choreographers use beats. Show students a video to demonstrate.
- Explore through movement the typical beat structures in dance: 8 counts/beats, 3 counts/beats.
- Since students have already seen an example of a dance with 8 counts/beats, show them an example of a dance with 3 counts/beats.
- Tell students that some dances use non-typical beat structures in dance such as 9 beats, 7 beats, and 5 beats.
INTRODUCE ELEMENTS OF DANCE
- Engage students in a movement exercise that will allow them to learn about and explore several elements of dance.
- Play music with a steady beat. Help students find the beat by tapping their toes on the ground or patting their legs.
- Element of Body: 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.). Then, ask them to make different shapes with their bodies.
- Element of Energy: Now, direct students to explore energy variations with different movement qualities such as sharp movements–quick, precise actions like punches or snaps, and smooth movements–slow, flowing actions like waves or circles with arms.
- Element of Space: Bring students’ attention to levels (high, middle, low) with movements such as stretching up high and moving on tiptoes, crouching in a small ball close to the floor, and bouncing in place at a middle level.
- Element of Action: Locomotor/non-locomotor: Tell students that these movements they just performed were non-locomotor, meaning that they didn’t move to a new location. Direct students to perform a movement that requires moving from one place to another, such as step-together, step-together moving side to side.
- Have students practice what they just learned by saying words such as “locomotor” and have students create a spontaneous locomotor movement.
- Now, help students connect movement to meaning. Say mood-related words. Have students respond with movements to express the word.
LEARN ABOUT HAIKU
- Discuss haiku poetry and read several examples.
- As students listen to examples, invite them to close their eyes and visualize the poem in their mind. Ask them what mood each haiku evokes. Allow students to pair-share after they have listened.
- Draw student’s attention to the structure of haiku poetry; ask students if they notice any patterns emerging.
- Discuss the 5-7-5 structure of haiku.
- Share the origin of haiku poetry.
- Discuss how dancers/choreographers can use poetry meaning and structure as a base for choreography.
- Display a haiku poem for students to see. Ask students, “If a dance followed haiku structure, how many beats would be in the beginning, middle, and end?”.
- Students should arrive at 5-7-5.
CHOREOGRAPHING DANCE
- Give each group a haiku poem.
- Allow time for students to identify the mood and imagery in the poem.
- Tell students that they will be choreographing a dance that follows the structure of their haiku; encourage students to think about how their movements could show the mood and imagery in the poem.
- Tell students that they will use the elements of dance to reflect the mood and imagery of the haiku in their dance. They should choose two elements to use, such as energy and levels.
- Students will create a 5-beat movement phrase, a 7-beat movement phrase, and a new 5-beat movement phrase.
- Finally, students should put them together to make one cohesive dance. Ask students to consider how they will show the break between phrases.
Closing Reflection
- Allow students to read their haikus and share their choreography with the whole class.
- Ask the audience members how the movements demonstrated the structure, imagery, and mood of the haiku.
- Students can write about or discuss their choreographic process and why they made the decisions they did in creating their movements.
Assessments
Formative
Teacher will assess students by asking students about their choreographic choices and how they aid in the audience’s understanding the structure and mood of their haiku.
Summative
CHECKLIST
- Students can identify the structure, mood, and imagery in a haiku poem.
- Dance assessment:
- Choreography:
- Students can create choreography that has a beginning, middle, and end.
- Students can create choreography using the elements of dance that demonstrates the mood, imagery, and structure of a haiku.
- Audience:
- Students can discuss the performances of the other groups and identify how movements demonstrate the structure and mood of the haiku.
*This assessment can be done as a class discussion or a written assignment.
DIFFERENTIATION
Accelerated:
Remedial:
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
*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. Updated by: Katy Betts.
Revised and copyright: July 2024 @ ArtsNOW