GEOMETRY GROOVE K-1

GEOMETRY GROOVE

GEOMETRY GROOVE

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will use movement to understand types of shapes and their attributes. First grade students will then create movement phrases to demonstrate partitioning and combining shapes.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify and create different types of shapes.

  • I can create a movement using my whole body that demonstrates a type of shape. 

Essential Questions

  • How can dance/movement aid in comprehension of shapes?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.GSR.8: Identify, describe, and compare basic shapes encountered in the environment, and form two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures.

 

Grade 1:

1.GSR.4: Compose shapes, analyze the attributes of shapes, and relate their parts to the whole.

 

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.

 

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

 

ESD1.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.G.5 Draw two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, and circle) and create models of three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cone, cube, cylinder, and sphere). 

 

Grade 1:

1.G.1 Distinguish between a two-dimensional shape’s defining (e.g., number of sides) and non-defining attributes (e.g., color).

 

1.G.2 Combine two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, rhombus, and trapezoid) or three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cube, rectangular prism, cone, and cylinder) in more than one way to form a composite shape. 

 

1.G.3 Partition two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, circle) into two or four equal parts.

 

1.G.4 Identify and name two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid, and circle).

 

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 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Geometric shape - Mathematical figures with a fixed structure that are precise and regular 
  • Angle - A figure that is formed by two rays or lines that shares a common endpoint
  • Side - The line that connects two points of a shape

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

  • Shape - This refers to an interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dance; the visual makeup or molding of the body parts of a single dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers

  • Space - An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway
  • Formation - The placement of dancers in a performance space

 

Materials

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

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

      • 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 of the music. Once students are walking to the beat, ask them to begin gently swinging their arms by their sides. 
      • Now, direct students create shapes with their bodies; use geometric language such as curved or straight lines, angles, etc. to direct students. 
      • Have students return to their seats or the carpet.

        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.

 

Work Session

  • Discuss with students how they used their bodies to create shapes, lines and angles. 
  • Project different types of shapes on the board. Ask students to engage in a “seated dance” by making the shape with their upper bodies. Model how to do this and discuss how students can make angles, straight lines and curved lines with their bodies.
  • Divide the class into partners. 
  • Pass out printed copies of dance photography to students. 
    • Ask students to trace all the straight lines, curved lines, and angles they see in the photos. Ask students to trace any shapes that they find.
    • 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 shape written or drawn on it.
  • Students must create that shape with their bodies. 
    • Students can choose to each make the movement with their bodies individually, or can combine to make one large shape 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 shape 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.

 

Grade 1 Extension: 

  • Pass out an additional shape to students. 
  • Have students create a movement phrase (more than one movement) that demonstrates either combining the two shapes to make a composite shape or partitioning one of the shapes.

 

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 shape and its attributes.

 

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, and collaborative choreography.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify, classify, and define similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification in a story.
  • Students can change their voices and bodies to convey the meaning of examples of figurative language.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Challenge students to create a movement phrase that transitions from a two-dimensional shape to a three-dimensional figure that uses that shape (i.e., triangle to pyramid).
  • Challenge kindergarteners to do the first grade extension.

Remediation: 

  • Scaffold the lesson by choosing a type of shape to create a movement for as a class. Then, have partners create a movement for their individual shape. 
  • Create movements for several types of shapes together as a class. Have students participate in brainstorming how to do this. After the class has established a movement to show a shape and the class has practiced it, ask if anyone has ideas of a different way to show the same shape. Bring students who are struggling with grasping the concepts to help as assistants to the demonstrations so that they can benefit from participating.

 

*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

 

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DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE 2-3

DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE

DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Learning Description

This lesson allows students to explore sentence structure through movement and choreographicsequences. Discover how to integrate dance into your language arts curriculum and engage yourstudents in a brand-new way!

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify types of sentences.
  • I can identify parts of speech.
  • I can use movement to express the intent of a sentence, i.e., strong emotion, a question, or a command.
  • I can choreograph a dance based on a given structure.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement help us identify parts of speech and sentence type? 

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELAGSE2L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English 

grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 

ELAGSE2L2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English 

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

 

Grade 3: 

ELAGSE3L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English 

grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 

ELAGSE3L2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English 

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

 

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

ESD2.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD2.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD2.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.

ESD2.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

ESD2.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

Grade 3:

ESD3.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD3.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD3.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, technique, and terminology in dance

ESD3.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

ESD3.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2.W.MCC.4.1 Use collective nouns. 

2.W.MCC.4.4 Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs. 

2.W.MCC.4.5 Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. 

2.W.L.5.2.a Use periods, question marks, or exclamation marks at the end of sentences.

 

Grade 3:

3.W.MCC.4.1.a When writing show knowledge of the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs;

 

Arts Standards

Grades 2-3:

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

Sentence Types

  • Interrogative - A sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark.
  • Imperative - A sentence that gives a command or makes a request. 
  • Exclamatory - A sentence that shows strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark. 
  • Declarative - A sentence that makes a statement and ends with a period.
  • Punctuation - Marks used in writing to separate words and numerals.

Arts Vocabulary

  • 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.

Energy Qualities 

  • Percussive - A quality of movement characterized by sharp starts and stops, staccato jabs of energy.  
  • Suspended - A quality of movement that 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 - A quality of movement that is smooth and unaccented. There is no apparent start or stop, only a continuity of energy.  
  • Swinging - A quality of movement established by a fall with 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. 

 

 

Materials

  • Sound source (CD player, iPod) and speaker  
  • Audio recording 
  • Cards with printed sentences 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • As a group, lead students in a warm up that includes these dance elements:
    • Movement energy qualities, including percussive, suspended, sustained, swinging, and vibratory. 
    • Locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
    • Identify these dance elements so that students learn dance vocabulary.

 

Work Session

ELA Discussion

  • Ask students to identify different sentence types (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative). 
  • Ask students to match a movement quality of their choice to each sentence type. 
  • Ask students to identify the following parts of speech: verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, and adverb. 

Small group choreography 

  • Divide students into groups and ask each group to create a movement/shape for each part of speech. Each group will create five movements. 
  • Now, give each group a card with a sentence on it. The members will need to identify the underlined parts of speech and the sentence type. 
  • Group members choreograph a short movement phrase that demonstrates the correct order of the underlined parts of speech as they appear, as well as the movement quality that matches the overall sentence type. 

Presentation

Once students have completed their choreographies, each group will present its sentence, identify the parts of speech, and present their choreography to the class. Option to choose music for each dance.

 

Closing Reflection

Ask students to explain, using dance vocabulary, how a movement of a peer group expresses a certain part of speech.

 

Ask students to explain why they chose certain movements to express certain parts of speech.

 

 

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students engage in collaborative discussion about movement choices and parts of speech.
  • Students correctly use dance vocabulary during discussion.

 

Summative

  • Students correctly identify parts of speech and sentence types. 
  • The form and sequence of a group choreography correctly matched the sequence of the assigned sentence. 
  • Movements were correctly performed.

 

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

Add layers to the choreographic process to:

  • Include transitions
  • Vary movements to show a clear beginning, middle, and end expressed in terms of movement (as opposed to simply following the order given by the sentence).

 

Remediation:

As a class, identify the underlined parts of speech and the sentence type and then assign groups to match movements with parts of speech.

 

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

As part of the standards discussion but not standards themselves, the statements below reflect the connection between the choreographic process and the writing process and are interesting to consider while implementing this lesson. 

 

Fundamentals of Writing  

Employ a recursive writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, rewriting, publishing, and reflecting.  

 

Interact and collaborate with peers and adults to develop and strengthen writing.  

 

Produce writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, discipline, and audience. 

 

Fundamentals of Communication  

Employ a reciprocal communication process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, reviewing, presenting, and reflecting.  

 

Communicate using style, language, and nonverbal cues appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.  

 

Use active and attentive communication skills, building on other’s ideas to explore, learn, enjoy, argue, and exchange information.  

 

Monitor delivery and reception throughout the communication process and adjust approach and strategies as needed.

*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 and Julie Galle Baggenstoss

 Revised and copyright:  August 2022 @ ArtsNOW

 

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PATTERNS IN MOTION 2-3

PATTERNS IN MOTION

PATTERNS IN MOTION

Learning Description

Understand the structure of pattern and sequence through the elements of dance and choreography using movements that represent geometric shapes!

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can recognize the difference between a pattern and a sequence in shapes, rhyming words, and movements.
  • I can use dance and rhyming to decode single-syllable words.
  • I can create choreography to represent a pattern or sequence.

Essential Questions

  • What are different ways we can represent sequence and patterns through movement?
  • How can we use dance and rhyming to decode single-syllable words?
  • How can I create choreography to represent a pattern or sequence?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELAGSE2RL4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

 

ELAGSE2RF3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

 

ELAGSE2SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

Grade 3: 

ELAGSE3RF3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words

 

ELAGSE3SL1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

 

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

ESD2.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD2.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD2.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.

ESD2.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

ESD2.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

Grade 3:

ESD3.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

ESD3.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

ESD3.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, technique, and terminology in dance

ESD3.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

ESD3.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

READING - Literary Text (RL) 

Standard 2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds. 

Standard 3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

 

COMMUNICATION (C)  

Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

 

Grade 3:READING - Literary Text (RL) 

Standard 2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds. 

Standard 3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. 

 

COMMUNICATION (C)  

Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

 

 

Arts Standards

Grades 2-3:

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

    • Pattern - A set of elements repeated in a predictable manner
    • Sequence - A series of elements arranged with intention and does not always follow a pattern
    • Rhyming scheme - The pattern of rhymes at the end of each line
    • Rhyme - The similarity in sound between words or the ending sounds of words

    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
    • Body shapes - Forms that the entire body or body parts take when making movement

     

     

    Materials

      • Music source and speakers
      • Cards printed with shapes
      • Cards printed with groups of shapes in patterns or sequences
      • Cards printed with groups of one-syllable words in patterns or sequences
      • Cards printed with poems

       

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      • Play music with a strong beat. As a class group, lead students in a warm up that establishes the beat of the music such as marching or clapping.
      • Next, lead them in making movements that have obvious geometric qualities using vocabulary from The Elements of Dance to describe body shapes. Examples include straight lines using arms and legs, rounded shapes using arms, etc.

       

      Work Session

      Movement discovery

      • Show students cards with geometric shapes printed on them and ask them to move to the beat to represent the shape of the card until you show a different card. Repeat this several times until students have discovered/created several different movements.

      Establish pattern versus sequence:

      • Continue the discovery activity holding the cards up for shorter periods of time and in patterns, ABAB at first and then more complicated. Open a handle question: How am I arranging the cards? How am I arranging your dance steps?
      • Ask students to explain the arrangement of the dance steps. They should arrive at the concept of patterns.
      • Repeat two previous steps using a sequence instead of a pattern.

      Choreographic process

      • Divide students into small groups. Give each group a card printed with a pattern or a sequence represented in shapes. Without sharing with other groups, students identify whether their card shows a pattern or sequence.
      • Students create dances based on the order of shapes on their cards and the dance movements that they discovered during previous segments of the lesson. Encourage students to use movements from the warm-up or create movements using the movements from warm-up as inspiration.
      • Allow students time to practice their dance.

      Performance

      • Peers identify whether the performing group is showing a sequence or pattern. When a pattern is performed, peers describe the pattern in terms of shapes represented by the dance movements.

      Poetry connection

      • Give each group a card with rhyming words that are arranged in a pattern or sequence, such as CAT, FROG, BAT, LOG (ABAB pattern) or CAT, FROG, LOG, BAT (ABBA sequence). Students determine the pattern or sequence.
      • Give each group a short poem and ask students to identify the rhyming scheme, which will be a sequence or a pattern.  

      Final dance 

      • Students create dances based on patterns or sequences that they identified in the previous step. They use the dance movements that they discovered during previous segments of the lesson. 
      • Allow groups to present poems and dances.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Groups explain why they chose certain movements to express certain shapes. 
      • Students explain how looking for patterns versus sequences in shapes and dances is like looking for patterns versus sequences in poetry rhyming schemes.

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess understanding through: 

      • Student engagement in collaborative discussion about movement choices, math concepts, and ELA concepts.
      • Students’ use of dance vocabulary to describe body shapes during discussion.
      • Students’ progress toward a finished choreography during collaborative group work period.

       

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can present choreography that accurately portrays their assigned pattern or sequence. 
      • Students can recognize the difference between a pattern and a sequence in shapes, rhyming words, and movements.
      • Students can explain why they chose certain movements to express certain shapes.
      • Students’ choreography demonstrates that they can use dance and rhyming to decode single-syllable words.
      • Peers/audience can accurately identify the pattern or sequence expressed in peer choreography.

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration:

      • Ask students to rearrange the final words of the poem to turn the sequence into a pattern (select a poem that is intrinsically flexible for this task).
      • Create a dance in small groups to express the rhyming scheme.
      • Use two-syllable words instead of single-syllable words in poetry connection.

       

      Remediation:

      • Use one poem to work with as a class rather than multiple poems.

       

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      • 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.
      • The Elements of Dance

      *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: Julie Galle Baggenstoss and Melissa Dittmar-Joy

      Revised and copyright:  August 2022 @ ArtsNOW
      Back to Modules

      Character Choreography

      CHARACTER CHOREOGRAPHY

      CHARACTER CHOREOGRAPHY

      Learning Description

      Working through the choreographic process, students will create a short choreographic work demonstrating the traits of a character and dance elements.

       

      Learning Targets

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

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can demonstrate traits of characters in a story through choreography.
      • I can use the elements of dance to express ideas about character traits.
      • I can create a complete dance with a beginning, middle and end.

      Essential Questions

      • How can the elements of dance be used to demonstrate the understanding of a character in a story?
      • How is the choreographic process similar to the writing process?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      ELAGSEKRL3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story

      ELAGSEKRL9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.

      ELAGSEKW2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. 

      ELAGSEKW3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. 

      ELAGSEKW5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed. 

      ELAGSEKW6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing, including digital tools in collaboration with peers.

      Grade 1:

      ELAGSE1RL3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

      ELAGSE1RL7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. 

      ELAGSE1RL9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories. 

      ELAGSE1W2 Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure. 

      ELAGSE1W3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure

      ELAGSE1W5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed. a. May include oral or written prewriting (graphic organizers). 

      ELAGSE1W6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing, including digital tools and collaboration with peers.

      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.PR.3 Recognize the relationship between human anatomy and movement.

      ESDK.PR.4 Understand and apply music concepts to 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.

      ESD1.PR.4 Understand and apply music concepts to dance.

      ESD2.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      K.RL.MC.8.1 With guidance and support, read or listen closely to: describe characters and their actions;

      K.W.MCC.3.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, to tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and to provide a reaction to what happened. 

      K.C.MC.1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups.

      Grade 1:

      1.RL.MC.8.1 Read or listen closely to: a. describe characters’ actions and feelings; 

      1.W.MCC.3.2 Plan, revise, and edit building on personal ideas and the ideas of others to strengthen writing. 

      1.C.MC.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

      Beginning - The starting point of a story, including the introduction of who, where, what, why, and when.

      Middle - The phase in which a story line develops, introducing conflict. 

      End - The ultimate resolution or conclusion to conflict signaling that a story is stopping.

      Transition - A word or phrase that connects two ideas.

      Writing process - A cycle of activities, including brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and presentation, that are used to turn ideas into a literary work.

      Emotion - A mental state that occurs depending on circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

      Arts Vocabulary

      Level - The height of a movement in relationship to the floor (i.e., high, middle, low).

      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.

      Tempo - The speed of the beats of the movements that dancers perform.

      Energy Qualities - A group of actors frozen to create a picture.

      • Swinging - Oscillatory (not swing dance, a genre of dance)
      • Sustained - Smooth, continuous, even, without pause or stopping and possibly with a long duration
      • Percussive - Short, sharp, sudden, forceful
      • Vibratory - Repeating and often small and short
      • Suspended - Holding, as in pausing, at a certain point of a movement

      Beginning/Middle/End - The phases of a choreography in which movement is used to communicate a starting point (beginning), the development of ideas, including complexity and conflict as necessary (middle), and a tying up or completion of ideas (end).

      Choreographic Process - The steps taken to create movement sequences for dancers, which include testing, revising, and editing work.

       

      Materials

      • A variety of music selections
      • Music source and speakers

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      Letter Statues

        • In groups, have students select and practice one movement of their choice.
        • Guide students through exploring that movement with different elements of dance.
          • Practice the movement at different levels.
          • Practice the movement with different tempos.
          • Practice the movement in a locomotor and non-locomotor way.
          • Practice the movement using different energy qualities.
            • swinging
            • sustained
            • percussive
            • vibratory
            • suspended

       

      Work Session

      PART 1 - Explore Movement

      • Have students name a literary character to portray.
      • Instruct students to create a movement to represent something important about that character, which could be an action, emotion, or personality trait of the character.
      • Ask students to demonstrate their movement to the class.
      • Ask classmates to identify the artistic intent conveyed by the group; the presenting group identifies the correct peer answer or explains their artistic intent.

      PART 2 - Add new movements to set an order

      • Have students create two more movements to communicate two more important things about their character. There will be three total movements, including the initial movement (part 1) and these two movements. These three movements can be referred to as the beginning, middle and end of the choreography.
      • Ask students to try their movements in different orders and then decide on the sequence that they feel best tells the audience about their character.

      PART 3 - Choreograph and revise

      • Lead students through the choreographic process to revise and edit their choreography. Just as with the writing process, the intent of leading students through the process is to add “details” to make the choreography more exciting or interesting.
      • Ask students to add levels to their choreography.  Remind them to think of their character and where and why they would use different levels.  
      • Ask students to add tempos to their choreography.  Would their character move fast or slow?  When or why might that character's tempos vary?
      • Ask students to add energy qualities to their choreography. For example, if the character is excited a vibratory energy quality might be used. If the character is angry a percussive energy quality might be used.
      • Give students time to practice the revised version of their choreography.

      PART 4 - Choreograph and revise

      • Once students have revised and edited their choreography, ask them to present their character choreography to the class. Option to choose music for each dance.

       

      Closing Reflection

      Ask students to reflect on how their dance evolved through the choreographic process.  How did adding level, tempo, and energy qualities make the choreography more interesting? 

      Discuss the similarities of the choreographic process to the writing process.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Visually observe the students' choreography evolving as they work through the choreographic process.

      • Teacher observes students adding the elements of dance to their choreography as queued: levels, tempo, energy qualities.
      • Teacher observes students using vocabulary of the elements of dance as they work.

       

      Summative

      CHARACTER CHOREOGRAPHY CHECKLIST

      • The choreography contains a clear beginning, middle, end.
      • The choreography contains levels.
      • The choreography contains varying tempos.
      • The choreography effectively uses dance to communicate ideas about the chosen character.

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration: 

      • Have students work in partners to evolve work for a single person into a duet showing how two characters would relate to one another.
      • Compare and contrast two-character choreography works.

      Remediation: 

      Work through the process as a large group working on one character.

      Additional Resources

      While part of the standards discussion but not standards themselves, the statements below reflect the connection between the choreographic process and the writing process and are interesting to consider while implementing this lesson.

      Fundamentals of Writing  

      Employ a recursive writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, rewriting, publishing, and reflecting.  

      Interact and collaborate with peers and adults to develop and strengthen writing.  

      Produce writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, discipline, and audience. 

      Fundamentals of Communication  

      Employ a reciprocal communication process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, reviewing, presenting, and reflecting.  

      Communicate using style, language, and nonverbal cues appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.  

      Use active and attentive communication skills, building on other’s ideas to explore, learn, enjoy, argue, and exchange information.  

      Monitor delivery and reception throughout the communication process and adjust approach and strategies as needed.

       

       

      *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

      Revised and copyright: August 2022 @ ArtsNOW

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      Dance Across Landforms K-1

      DANCE ACROSS LANDFORMS

      DANCE ACROSS LANDFORMS

      Learning Description

      In this lesson, students will become explorers encountering a variety of landforms. Students will create a fictional narrative about their journey and then create choreography to match the sequence generated in the story.

       

      Learning Targets

      GRADE BAND: K-1
      CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, ELA
      LESSON DOWNLOADS:

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can describe and identify the different types of landforms.

      • I can use movement to represent the different types of landforms.

      • I can write narratives with a beginning, middle and end.

      Essential Questions

      • How can we use movement to represent different types of landforms?

      • What are the similarities and differences between different types of landforms?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      ELA

      ELAGSEKW3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

       

      Grade 1:

      ELA

      ELAGSE1W3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure. 

       

      Social Studies

      SS1G3 Locate major topographical features of the earth’s surface. a. Locate all of the continents: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and Australia. b. Locate the major oceans: Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, Southern, and Indian. c. Identify and describe landforms (mountains, deserts, valleys, and coasts).

      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.

       

      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

       

      ESD1.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Kindergarten:

      ELA

      WRITING - Meaning, Context, and Craft

      Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

      3.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, to tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and to provide a reaction to what happened.

       

      Grade 1: 

      ELA 

      WRITING - Meaning, Context, and Craft

      Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

      3.1 Explore multiple texts to write narratives that recount two or more sequenced events, include details, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. 

       

      Social Studies

      1.G.4 Describe and compare various landforms within South Carolina through the use of primary and secondary sources.

      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 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

       

      Key Vocabulary

      Content Vocabulary

      • Landforms - A specific geomorphic feature on the surface of the earth, ranging from large-scale features such as plains, plateaus, and mountains to minor features such as hills, valleys, and alluvial fans

      • Mountain - A natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2000 feet

      • Valley - An elongated depression between uplands, hills, or mountains, especially one following the course of a stream

      • Desert - A region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all

      • Plateau - A land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons

      • Coast - The land next to the sea
      • Plain - An area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas and with relatively minor differences in elevation, commonly less than 500 ft. (150 m), within the area

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Sequence - Order of succession

      • Movement phrase - A series of movements linked together to make a distinctive pattern

      • Space - An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway

      • Level - One of the aspects of the movement element space; in dance, there are three basic levels: high, middle, and low

      • Choreography - The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers

      • Choreographer - A person who creates dances
      • Shape - This refers to an interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dance; the visual makeup or molding of the body parts of a single dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers

       

      Materials

      • Sound source and music with a steady beat
      • Cards with landforms written on them
      • Anchor chart/poster paper
      • Markers

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      • Begin by engaging students in movement that introduces students to the Elements of Dance: Body, action, space, time and energy.
        • 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.). Then, ask them to make different shapes with their bodies.
        • 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.
        • Have students practice what they just learned by saying words such as “high level” and have students create a spontaneous high level movement.
        • Have students return to their seats or the carpet.

       

      Work Session

      • Project photos of the six main types of landforms (mountains, valleys, plains, plateaus, coasts, and deserts).  
      • As a class, describe each of these landforms. 
        • First, have students describe their height in terms of high, middle and low.
        • Next, have students describe what shapes they see in the images. 
        • Finally, discuss how the landforms are similar and how they are different.
        • Add descriptions of each landform to an anchor chart to post in the room.
      • Show students a map of a region being studied and where the landforms are located. Ask students to imagine that they are going on a journey and that they will encounter these different landforms along the way. 
      • Divide students into small groups or partners. Assign each group several landforms from the region being studied.
      • In their groups, students will write a story with words and/or pictures depending on grade and ability level about their journey across the region and the landforms they encountered. 
        • Remind students that their setting will be the landforms they encounter, so they should use descriptive details to help the reader visualize the setting.
        • Remind students that their stories should have a beginning, middle, and end.
        • Remind students to use temporal language to assist with communicating sequence.
        • Circulate and conference with students throughout the writing process.
      • Tell students that they will create a movement phrase to represent their journey.
        • Demonstrate how to create a movement to represent a landform with a different type of physical feature such as a river. 
          • Brainstorm with students a movement they could use to represent a river. Ask them to consider if the river movement should be high, middle or low and what shape it should be.
          • Allow students to practice the movement as a class.
        • Allow students to begin choreographing their dances. 
          • Their dances should tell their story, so the movements in their dances should be in the same sequence as they are in their narratives. 
          • Students should create a unique movement or movement phrase for each landform. Students should then connect the movements to create a whole dance.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Students will perform their dances for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
      • After each performance, the audience will determine which landforms the group represented and what from their dance indicated that.
      • Optional: Allow groups to share their narratives either before or after their performances.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to describe and identify landforms, ability to collaborate with their classmates to choreograph a movement phrase that represents a journey through their assigned landforms, and conferencing with students during the writing process.

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can describe and identify the different landforms.
      • Students can use movement to represent the different landforms.
      • Students can write narratives with a beginning, middle and end.
      • Students can use temporal language to communicate the sequence of events in their narratives (first grade).

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration: 

      • Challenge students by asking them to structure their dances like the story. It should have a beginning pose/shape, movement phrases, transitions between movements, and an ending pose/shape.
      • Challenge students to create not only individual movements, but movements and shapes that they make together to create a formation (i.e., how could all dancers’ bodies be used to create one mountain?).

      Remediation: Write a narrative as a class; then have groups choreograph their dances to represent the class narrative.

       

       

      *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: Melissa Dittmar-Joy. Updated by Katy Betts.

      Revised and copyright:  August 2024 @ ArtsNOW

      Back to Modules