MOVING WORDS: INTEGRATING DANCE AND WRITING FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION K-1

INTEGRATING DANCE AND WRITING FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION

MOVING WORDS: INTEGRATING DANCE AND WRITING FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Learning Description

Integrating dance and choreography into writing can enhance the narrative by adding dynamic expression, rhythm, and movement to the storytelling process. The purpose of integration is for students to watch dance and use context clues to identify the main idea and supporting details. Students will also use brainstorming, identifying a main idea and supporting details, as a device to create choreography.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify the main idea and supporting details in a text, conversation, or performance to better understand and explain its overall message.
  • I can use the main idea and supporting details to create choreography.

Essential Questions

  • How can identifying the main idea and supporting details in choreography enhance our understanding and interpretation of a dance performance?
  • How can I use the elements of dance to tell a story?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.T.T.1.c With adult support, demonstrate an understanding of the central message, lesson, or moral of the story based on the words and actions of the main characters.

K.T.T.1.e Use a combination of drawing, labeling, writing, and dictating* to create a text with narrative techniques (e.g., characters, setting, events) told in the order in which they occurred.

 

Grade 1:

1.T.T.1.b Identify a simple plot with a problem and solution.

1.T.T.1.e Use knowledge of narrative techniques (e.g., characters, settings, events) to create texts that share real or imagined experiences and events with a sense of closure.

Arts Standards

ESD.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance

ESD.CN.1 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELA.K.OE.2 Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.

ELA.K.OE.3 Make inferences to support comprehension.

 

Grade 1:

ELA.1.OE.3 Make inferences to support comprehension.

ELA.1.AOR.2 Evaluate and critique the development of themes and central ideas within and across texts.

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

  • Author – A writer of a book, article, or report
  • Main idea – The main idea is the central point or message of a text
  • Supporting detail – The statements that support (go along with) the main idea
  • Setting – The place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place
  • Character – A person in a novel, play, or movie

Arts Vocabulary

  • Choreography: The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
  • Choreographer – The person who designs or creates a dance piece
  • Body – The dancer’s body and how it is used
  • Types of energy:
    • Percussive – Refers to the quality of movement characterized by sharp starts and stops;staccato jabs of energy
    • Suspended – Occurs in a moment of resistance to gravity, such as the instant in which a dancer hangs in space at the top of a leap
    • Sustained – Smooth and unaccented; there is not apparent start or stop, only a continuity of energy
    • Swinging – Established by a fall of gravity, a gain in momentum, a loss of momentum,and the repeated cycle of fall and recovery, like that of a pendulum
    • Vibratory – A quality of movement characterized by rapidly repeated bursts of percussive movements like “a jitter”
  • Space:
    • Level – One of the aspects of movement (there are three basic levels in dance: high,middle, and low)
    • Pathway – Designs traced on the floor as a dancer travels across space; the designs traced in the air as a dancer moves various body parts
    • Shape – Refers to an interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dancer; the visual makeup or molding of the body parts of a singular dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers
  • Time:
    • Tempo – Refers to the pace or speed of movement
  • Action:
    • Locomotor – A movement that travels through space
    • Non-locomotor – A movement that does not travel through space

 

Materials

  • A selected piece of choreography to watch
  • Brainstorm planning bubbles or concept map
  • Music
  • Paper and pencils

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Discuss the similarities between a choreographer and an author, such as how both are creators and storytellers.
  • Watch a selected piece of choreography.
  • Have students identify the story elements in the choreography–who are the characters? What is the setting? What was the beginning, middle, and end?
  • Ask students what they think the dance was about. Ask them what about the dance makes them say that.

Work Session

  • As a whole group, discuss how choreographers plan choreography just how writers brainstorm for their writing/essay.
  • Practice a brainstorm for choreography together exploring different types of movements, levels, and energy qualities (see Arts Vocabulary). Focus on one or two, such as locomotor/nonlocomotor and levels.
  • As a class, select a topic for their choreography (this could be inspired by a story that the class has read).
    • Discuss what the topic is (such as the main idea of the story) and the details of the topics (such as the characters, beginning, middle, end, etc.).
  • As a class, develop choreography to express the topic using the one or two elements of dance selected. For example, if using a story, choose a movement for the beginning, middle, and end.
  • Perform the choreography together as a class.
  • Have students illustrate the story of their choreography including the main idea and beginning, middle, and end displayed in the dance.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will answer: How did these movements help you understand the main idea/story?
  • Provide time for students to share their illustrations.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • While planning the choreography, ask the students the following questions:
    • What is the main idea?
    • What supporting details/beginning, middle, end are in the choreography?
    • Observe students’ movements for understanding of dance vocabulary.

Summative

  • Student illustrations of the dance
  • Student choreography

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Divide the class into three groups; each group of students will perform (first grade choreograph) the beginning, middle, or end.

 

Remedial:

  • Focus only on one element of dance, such as levels, in the choreography.
  • Instead of watching a piece of choreography for the activating strategy, read a story that the dance will be about.
  • Choreograph a dance for vocabulary words instead of for the plot of a story.

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy. Updated by: Katy Betts

*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.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS 4-5

EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS

MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA

Learning Description

Students will explore the concept of chance dance, inspired by Merce Cunningham, while simultaneously developing data interpretation skills. Students will begin by learning about Cunningham’s innovative approach, where movements are determined randomly using dice, coins, or digital tools. Working in small groups, they will create short dance sequences by assigning movements to numbers and rolling dice to determine how many times each movement will be performed. After performing their sequences, students will record data on movement frequency, patterns, and transitions. They will then analyze this data using charts or graphs, discussing trends and drawing conclusions about how randomness influences artistic composition. This lesson merges creative expression with mathematical thinking, encouraging students to see patterns in both dance and data.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 4-5
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create a chance dance sequence using randomization.
  • I can analyze movement patterns by collecting and interpreting data.

Essential Questions

  • How can we use data interpretation to analyze and understand patterns created through chance dance?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

4.PAR.3.2 Use input-output rules, tables, and charts to represent and describe patterns, find relationships, and solve problems.

 

Grade 5:

5.MP Display perseverance and patience in problem-solving. Demonstrate skills and strategies needed to succeed in mathematics, including critical thinking, reasoning, and effective collaboration and expression. Seek help and apply feedback. Set and monitor goals.

Arts Standards

ESD.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance

ESD.CN.1 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

4.MDA.4 Create a line plot to display a data set (i.e., generated by measuring length to the nearest quarter-inch and eighth-inch) and interpret the line plot.

 

Grade 5:

5.MDA.2 Create a line plot consisting of unit fractions and use operations on fractions to solve problems related to the line plot.

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

  • Data - Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
  • Analyze - Examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of something, especially information, typically for purposes of explanation and interpretation
  • Interpret - Explain the meaning of information, words, or actions
  • Charts - A sheet of information in the form of a table, graph, or diagram
  • Graphs - A diagram showing the relation between variable quantities, typically of two variables, each measured along one of a pair of axes at right angles
  • Fraction - A numerical quantity that is not a whole number

Arts Vocabulary

  • Merce Cunningham - American modern dancer and choreographer who developed new forms of abstract dance movement
  • Chance Dance - Chance dance is a choreography technique that uses chance to determine the order of a sequence of movements. It can also refer to a movement activity where participants create a dance using a random method like rolling dice.
  • Choreography - The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
  • Choreographer - The person who designs or creates a dance piece
  • Form - How a dance/choreography is structured (put together)
  • Level - One of the aspects of movement (there are three basic levels in dance: high, middle, and low)

 

Materials

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Create a short dance with students using a movement list to select from.
    • Example movement list:
      • Jump
      • Hop
      • Clap
      • Turn
      • Slide
      • Change levels
      • Change directions
    • Explain to the students that a piece of choreography is a collection of data.
    • Using the data/choreography, create a chart/graph to represent all the steps in the dance.
    • Explore various types of charts/graphs that can be used to display the data/choreography.

Work Session

  • Watch video/discuss who Merce Cunningham is and how he used the concept of chance to create dances.
  • Discuss how this concept applies to dancers and choreographers.
  • Break class into groups.
  • Give each group and set of movement cards (each group's cards should be the same) and one die.
  • Tell the students to randomly select a card then roll the die to indicate the number of times that movement will be done.
  • Continue until they have used all the cards.
  • Have the students create a graph/chart (ex. tally chart. bar graph, line plot) to represent all the data in their choreography.
  • Share each group's choreography with the whole class.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion around the following questions:
    • How was each group's dance different even though each group had the same data to start with?
    • How did chance impact the outcome?

 

Assessments

Formative

  • The teacher will assess student learning throughout the lesson by observing students’ ability to use various movements in dance and their ability to use chance to create a unique piece of choreography.

Summative

  • Students’ data chart they create about their choreography
  • Create a list of questions to ask about the students about the choreography/data–Example questions:
    • How many total movements were in your dance?
    • Which movement did you do the most/least in your dance?
    • Compare all data charts
    • Which group's dance had the most jumps?
    • Which group had the most dance moves in their dance?

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Have the students collect the data from all groups’ choreography and create various types of charts/graphs representing all the data or comparing the data of different groups.

 

Remedial:

  • Give the students a chart/graph that is already created and have them create choreography from the data.

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy

*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.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

Back to Lessons

MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS 2-3

EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS

MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA

Learning Description

Students will explore the concept of chance dance, inspired by Merce Cunningham, while simultaneously developing data interpretation skills. Students will begin by learning about Cunningham’s innovative approach, where movements are determined randomly using dice, coins, or digital tools. Working in small groups, they will create short dance sequences by assigning movements to numbers and rolling dice to determine how many times each movement will be performed. After performing their sequences, students will record data on movement frequency, patterns, and transitions. They will then analyze this data using charts or graphs, discussing trends and drawing conclusions about how randomness influences artistic composition. This lesson merges creative expression with mathematical thinking, encouraging students to see patterns in both dance and data.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2-3
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create a chance dance sequence using randomization.
  • I can analyze movement patterns by collecting and interpreting data.
  • II can represent choreography in terms of a fraction.

Essential Questions

  • How can we use data interpretation to analyze and understand patterns created through chance dance?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2.MDR.5.4 Ask questions and answer them based on gathered information, observations, and appropriate graphical displays to solve  problems relevant to everyday life.

 

Grade 3:

3.NR.4.1 Describe a unit fraction and explain how multiple copies of a unit fraction form a non-unit fraction. Use parts of a whole, parts of a set, points on a number line, distances on a number line and area models.

Arts Standards

ESD.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance

ESD.CN.1 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2.MDA.9 Collect, organize, and represent data with up to four categories using picture graphs and bar graphs with a single-unit scale.

2.MDA.10 Draw conclusions from t-charts, object graphs, picture graphs, and bar graphs.

 

Grade 3:

3.MDA.3 Collect, organize, classify, and interpret data with multiple categories and draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent the data.

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

  • Data - Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
  • Analyze - Examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of something, especially information, typically for purposes of explanation and interpretation
  • Interpret - Explain the meaning of information, words, or actions
  • Charts - A sheet of information in the form of a table, graph, or diagram
  • Graphs - A diagram showing the relation between variable quantities, typically of two variables, each measured along one of a pair of axes at right angles
  • Fraction - A numerical quantity that is not a whole number

Arts Vocabulary

  • Merce Cunningham - American modern dancer and choreographer who developed new forms of abstract dance movement
  • Chance Dance - Chance dance is a choreography technique that uses chance to determine the order of a sequence of movements. It can also refer to a movement activity where participants create a dance using a random method like rolling dice.
  • Choreography - The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
  • Choreographer - The person who designs or creates a dance piece
  • Form - How a dance/choreography is structured (put together)
  • Level - One of the aspects of movement (there are three basic levels in dance: high, middle, and low)

 

Materials

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Create a short dance with students using a movement list to select from.
    • Example movement list:
      • Jump
      • Hop
      • Clap
      • Turn
      • Slide
      • Change levels
      • Change directions
    • Explain to the students that a piece of choreography is a collection of data.
    • Using the data/choreography, create a chart/graph to represent all the steps in the dance.
    • Explore various types of charts/graphs that can be used to display the data/choreography.
    • Next, demonstrate how to represent the choreography in terms of a fraction ((i.e. if there were three jumps and a total of nine movements, the fraction would be 3/9 or ⅓).

Work Session

  • Watch video/discuss who Merce Cunningham is and how he used the concept of chance to create dances.
  • Discuss how this concept applies to dancers and choreographers.
  • Break class into groups.
  • Give each group and set of movement cards (each group's cards should be the same) and one die.
  • Tell the students to randomly select a card then roll the die to indicate the number of times that movement will be done.
  • Continue until they have used all the cards.
  • Have the students create a graph/chart (ex. tally chart. bar graph, line plot) to represent all the data in their choreography.
  • Next, have students represent their choreography in terms of fractions.
  • Share each group's choreography with the whole class.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion around the following questions:
    • How was each group's dance different even though each group had the same data to start with?
    • How did chance impact the outcome?

 

Assessments

Formative

  • The teacher will assess student learning throughout the lesson by observing students’ ability to use various movements in dance and their ability to use chance to create a unique piece of choreography.
  • The teacher will assess students’ understanding of graphs and fractions through student observation.

Summative

  • Students’ data chart they create about their choreography
  • Create a list of questions to ask about the students about the choreography/data–Example questions:
    • How many total movements were in your dance?
    • Which movement did you do the most/least in your dance?
    • Compare all data charts
    • Which group's dance had the most jumps?
    • Which group had the most dance moves in their dance?

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Have the students collect the data from all groups’ choreography and create various types of charts/graphs representing all the data or comparing the data of different groups.

 

Remedial:

  • Give the students a chart/graph that is already created and have them create choreography from the data.

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy

*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.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

Back to Lessons

MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS K-1

EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA PATTERNS

MOVEMENT BY CHANCE: EXPLORING DANCE AND DATA

Learning Description

Students will explore the concept of chance dance, inspired by Merce Cunningham, while simultaneously developing data interpretation skills. Students will begin by learning about Cunningham’s innovative approach, where movements are determined randomly using dice, coins, or digital tools. Working in small groups, they will create short dance sequences by assigning movements to numbers and rolling dice to determine how many times each movement will be performed. After performing their sequences, students will record data on movement frequency, patterns, and transitions. They will then analyze this data using charts or graphs, discussing trends and drawing conclusions about how randomness influences artistic composition. This lesson merges creative expression with mathematical thinking, encouraging students to see patterns in both dance and data.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create a chance dance sequence using randomization.
  • I can analyze movement patterns by collecting and interpreting data.

Essential Questions

  • How can we use data interpretation to analyze and understand patterns created through chance dance?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 1:

1.MDR.6.4 Ask questions and answer them based on gathered information, observations, and appropriate graphical displays to compare and order whole numbers.

Arts Standards

ESD.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance

ESD.CN.1 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.MDA.3 Sort and classify data into 2 or 3 categories with data not to exceed 20 items in each category.

K.MDA.4 Represent data using object and picture graphs and draw conclusions from the graphs.

 

Grade 1:

1.MDA.4 Collect, organize, and represent data with up to 3 categories using object graphs, picture graphs, t-charts and tallies.

1.MDA.5 Draw conclusions from given object graphs, picture graphs, t-charts, tallies, and bar graphs.

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

  • Data - Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
  • Analyze - Examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of something, especially information, typically for purposes of explanation and interpretation
  • Interpret - Explain the meaning of information, words, or actions
  • Charts - A sheet of information in the form of a table, graph, or diagram
  • Graphs - A diagram showing the relationship between variable quantities, typically of two variables, each measured along one of a pair of axes at right angles

Arts Vocabulary

  • Merce Cunningham - American modern dancer and choreographer who developed new forms of abstract dance movement
  • Chance Dance - Chance dance is a choreography technique that uses chance to determine the order of a sequence of movements. It can also refer to a movement activity where participants create a dance using a random method like rolling dice.
  • Choreography - The art of designing and arranging sequences of movements, steps, and gestures to create a dance piece
  • Choreographer - The person who designs or creates a dance piece
  • Form - How a dance/choreography is structured (put together)
  • Level - One of the aspects of movement (there are three basic levels in dance: high, middle, and low)

 

Materials

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Create a short dance with students using a movement list to select from.
    • Example movement list:
      • Jump
      • Hop
      • Clap
      • Turn
      • Slide
      • Change levels
      • Change directions
    • Explain to the students that a piece of choreography is a collection of data.
    • Using the data/choreography, create a chart/graph to represent all the steps in the dance such as object graphs, picture graphs, t-charts, tallies, and bar graphs.

Work Session

  • Watch video/discuss who Merce Cunningham is and how he used the concept of chance to create dances.
  • Discuss how this concept applies to dancers and choreographers.
  • Break class into groups.
  • Give each group and set of movement cards (each group's cards should be the same) and one die.
  • Tell the students to randomly select a card then roll the die to indicate the number of times that movement will be done.
  • Continue until they have used all the cards.
  • Have the students create a graph/chart (ex. object graphs, picture graphs, t-charts, tallies, and bar graphs) to represent all the data in their choreography.
  • Share each group's choreography with the whole class.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion around the following questions:
    • How was each group's dance different even though each group had the same data to start with?
    • How did chance impact the outcome?

 

Assessments

Formative

  • The teacher will assess student learning throughout the lesson by observing students’ ability to use various movements in dance and their ability to use chance to create a unique piece of choreography.

Summative

  • Students’ data chart they create about their choreography
  • Create a list of questions to ask about the students about the choreography/data–Example questions:
    • How many total movements were in your dance?
    • Which movement did you do the most/least in your dance?
    • Compare all data charts
    • Which group's dance had the most jumps?
    • Which group had the most dance moves in their dance?

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Have the students collect the data from all groups’ choreography and create various types of charts/graphs representing all the data or comparing the data of different groups.

 

Remedial:

  • Give the students a chart/graph that is already created and have them create choreography from the data.

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Melissa Dittmar-Joy

*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.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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ART BOTS STEAM 9-12

ART BOTS

ART BOTS

Learning Description

In this hands-on STEAM lesson, students will explore the relationship between electricity, motion, and unbalanced forces by designing and building their own wobbling art bots. Using hobby motors, battery packs, pool noodles, and markers, students will follow the engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) to construct a bot that moves and draws in unpredictable patterns.

Through experimentation, students will discover how unbalanced forces affect motion, how simple circuits power their bots, and how small design changes can alter movement. They will analyze their bots' performance, make modifications, and reflect on their design choices. By combining science, engineering, and art, this lesson fosters creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking while reinforcing foundational physical science concepts.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12
CONTENT FOCUS: STEAM
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can build and test a simple circuit to power a motor.
  • I can explain how unbalanced forces influence motion.
  • I can describe how energy is transformed in my art bot.
  • I can use the engineering design process to test and improve my design.

Essential Questions

  • How do unbalanced forces affect the motion of an object?
  • How does a motor convert electrical energy into motion?
  • What design choices impact the movement and artistic output of an art bot?
  • How can the engineering design process help improve a design?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Physics:

SPS8: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the relationships among force, mass, and motion.

SPS10: Investigate and explain the properties of electricity and magnetism.

 

Physical Science:

SPS7: Develop models to illustrate the transformation and conservation of energy.

Arts Standards

VAHSAE.1: Incorporate elements and principles of design into artworks for intentional effects.

VAHSCR.1: Apply creative thinking skills to develop ideas for personal expression.

VAHSPR.1: Create original artworks using a range of materials, techniques, and processes.

VAHSPR.2: Demonstrate proficient and safe use of tools, materials, and technology.

VAHSAR.1: Analyze personal and others’ artworks to evaluate meaning, intent, and technique.

VAHSAR.3: Critique artwork using formal, contextual, and intuitive approaches.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Physics:

P-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s law of gravitation and Coulomb’s law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

P-PS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

P-PS3-2. Develop and use models to illustrate that energy can be explained by the combination of motion and position of objects at the macroscopic scale and the motion and position of particles at the microscopic scale.

P-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

P-PS3-5. Develop and use a model to illustrate the forces between two objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to their interaction through electric or magnetic fields.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Electric circuit – A closed loop through which electricity can flow. It includes a power source (like a battery), wires, and something that uses the electricity (like a motor or light)
  • Current – The flow of electric charge through a circuit, like water moving through a pipe
  • Voltage – The pressure that pushes the current through the circuit, like water pressure
  • Unbalanced forces – When the forces acting on an object are not equal, causing the object to start moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction
  • Rotational motion – Movement around a central point or axis, like a spinning top or a wheel
  • Center of mass – The point at which an object's mass is evenly distributed in all directions
  • Friction – The resistance between two surfaces that slows things down
  • Energy transformation – The process of changing energy from one form to another—for example, chemical energy in a battery turns into electrical energy, which becomes mechanical energy in the spinning motor
  • Vibration motor – A small motor with an unbalanced weight attached to its shaft; as the shaft spins, it vibrates and shakes, which powers the Art Bot’s movement

Arts Vocabulary

  • Conceptual art – Art in which the idea behind the work is more important than the finished product
  • Intentionality – The purposeful use of elements and design to express meaning
  • Process art – Artwork that emphasizes the act of making over the final product
  • Rhythm – The principle of design in an artwork that indicates a type of movement, often characterized by repeated shapes, lines or colors
  • Gestural mark-making – Marks that reflect movement or emotion, often expressive
  • Experimental media – Unconventional materials or techniques used in creative exploration
  • Collaboration – Co-creating with others or with tools (like art bots) in the creative process
  • Movement – This principle of design is associated with rhythm and refers to the arrangement of parts in an artwork that creates a sense of motion to the viewer's eye through the work.
  • Balance – This is a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance can be created by repeating the same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal visual weight.
  • Form – An object that is three-dimensional and encloses volume (cubes, spheres, and cylinders are examples of various forms)
  • Kinetic art – Art that incorporates real motion
  • Engineering Design Process – A problem-solving approach that involves identifying a need, researching, brainstorming possible solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and improving the design until the optimal solution is achieved; the steps are Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve

 

Materials

  • Hobby motors
  • Battery packs (with AA batteries)
  • Pool noodles (cut into sections)
  • Thin markers
  • Electrical tape or masking tape
  • Hot glue
  • Off-center weights (washers, clay, coins)
  • Switches (optional for advanced circuits)
  • Scissors
  • Image of the Engineering Design Process

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Engage:
    • Show a short video of various art bots and kinetic sculptures.
    • Facilitate a class discussion around the following question: “What do you think makes them move the way they do?”.
    • Connect motion and circuits to previously learned physics principles.

Work Session

 

Explore – Building the Art Bots

  • Have students use their sketchbooks or STEAM journals to record their process.
  • Ask:
    • Where will you place the mass to make it wobble?
    • How do you ensure your bot stays powered and balanced?
  • Imagine:
    • Students will brainstorm ideas and sketch potential designs for their bots.
  • Plan:
    • Show students a list of materials that they have available to them to build their bots.
    • Students will create a sketch of their bot with materials labeled before beginning to build their bots.
  • Create:
    • Provide time for students to create their bots.
    • If needed, show students one method to create their bots. Allow time for students to revise their designs as needed.
      • Connect the battery pack to the motor, ensuring a working circuit.
      • Insert the motor into the pool noodle.
      • Attach markers as "legs" using tape.
      • Add weights off-center on the motor shaft to create an unbalanced force.
    • Improve and Extend:
      • Students will test and record how their bots move by placing the bot on plain white paper and turning it on to observe its movement.
      • Students should reflect on the following:
        • Do they rotate, scoot forward, draw erratically?
        • What happens when the mass is adjusted?
        • How does surface friction affect performance?
      • Introduce design constraints and goals:
        • Ask students, “Can you get your bot to move in a figure-eight?”.
        • Have students find a partner and ask students, “Can your bot cover more surface area in one minute than your partner’s?”.

Engineering and Technology Pathways (optional extension): Design process, simple circuits, prototyping, and testing

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will work with their partners to co-create an artwork with both of their bots.
  • Each pair should give their piece a creative title and write a short “artist’s statement” that explains:
    • Their bot’s design
    • Its motion pattern
    • How they collaborated to create their artwork
    • What they learned about forces and energy
    • Gallery walk: Display art and artist statements; allow an opportunity for students to provide peer feedback.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Assess students’ learning through observations of building and testing, student questions and responses during discussions, and design STEAM journal/sketchbook entries with sketches, reflections, and improvements.

Summative

  • Design Report (written or digital):
    • Sketches, circuit diagram, energy flow description
    • Data on motion (optional)
    • Explanation of what worked and what didn’t

 Artist Statement that includes a creative title and explanation of motion concepts and energy transformations

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Students can choose how to present their final work:
    • A short video montage showing the bot’s drawing in action.
    • A sketchbook spread combining bot photos, drawn output, and written reflection.
    • A conceptual artist statement exploring the bot as collaborator or tool.
  • AP Physics or Engineering classes: Add formal motion data collection (speed, revolutions, force diagrams).
  • Technology Integration: Challenge students to control bots with microcontrollers (Arduino, micro:bit).

 

Remedial:

  • Provide pre-made circuits.
  • Provide extended time for building and reflecting.
  • Offer verbal instructions paired with written guides.
  • Allow for alternative methods of documentation (photos, audio).

 

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*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.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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