A colorful promotional banner featuring a book cover titled "The Smallest Spot of a Dot," surrounded by diverse children. Text reads "Creativity Task Cards" in the center on a green background. A yellow circle on the right displays "3" and "Third Grade.

Art Form: Dance

 

Supplies Needed

The Smallest Spot of a Dot book

Venn diagram or sheet of paper

Pencil

 

Vocabulary

Movement - How you use your body to do a dance or action

Choreographer - The “dancemaker” or person who creates the dance

Retrograde - Dancing steps in reverse order

Compare and contrast - Similarities and differences between two or more things

Sequence - Order of events in a story; order of shapes or movements in a dance

Form - The way that a story or dance is put
together

 

Instructions

1. Read the book and discuss the ways we are similar and different.

2. Choose someone that you would like to compare and contrast yourself with. This could be a family member, friend or even a pet!

3. Using the Venn diagram or a sheet of paper divided into three columns (in the left column write your name, in the middle write yours and the other person’s name, and in the right column write the other person’s name), list two ways that you are unique under your name. The, list two ways the other person or pet is unique under their name. Finally, in the middle under both of your names, list two ways you are the same.

4. Choose one idea from each part of the Venn diagram/list and create a movement for it.

5. Sequence your movements and practice them.

  • Perform your sequence in order (first, how you are unique, second, how the other person is unique, and third, how you are the same).
  • Perform your sequence in retrograde (backgrounds).
  • Perform your complete sequence (forwards and in retrograde) for an audience. Share how each movement shows each idea.

 

Extensions

Write a reflection that explains why you chose your movements.

Write or verbally explain how your sequence is the same and different when it is performed forwards and in retrograde (backward).

Cover of the book "The Smallest Spot of a Dot" by Linsey Davis and Michael Tyler, illustrated by Lucy Fleming. It features diverse children playing with colorful dots on a white background, reminiscent of notes in a joyful piece of music. The subtitle reads, "The Little Ways We're Different, The Big Ways We're The Same.
Download the complete Creativity Task Card Here

About

The REimagining and Accelerating Literacy through Arts Integration (REALAI) grant supports the literacy achievement of 3,200 students and 170 teachers, media specialists, and literacy coaches across six schools in Georgia and South Carolina.

In addition to professional learning for educators, this project contributes significantly to school library collections through the purchase of developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books.

This grant also includes parent events to provide families with access to books and other content about how to support their child’s reading development.