Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Sound source and music

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips: Clear desks to have an open space and be tolerant of noise and excitement, but set limits. 

• Have students form a circle.
• Demonstrate the Name Game by stating your name while making a movement or gesture to accompany your name.
• The circle then collectively repeats your name and gesture. Continue with the next person stating his/her name and making a gesture. The circle repeats the new person's name and gesture. Then, starting with the person of origin, repeat all the names and gestures shared to that point. Continue until everyone in the circle is included.

Work Session

• Tell students that using movement and dance, the class will create “machines” where each part is dependent on another for its movement.
• Next, introduce dance elements and movement qualities by practicing a typical call and response with students. Continue the call and response adding body movements.
  • Incorporate some of the aspects of the elements of dance/movement qualities such as levels, pathways, direction, changes in tempo, dynamics, etc. (e.g., shake your hands at a high level quickly, shake them at a low level slowly; twist at a high level, twist at a low level, etc.).
  • Debrief the different movements with students asking them how movement can represent meaning.
• Break students into six groups. Assign each group one of the simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and screw). Have each group develop a movement to demonstrate the machine.
• Allow groups to teach the whole class the movement so that every group is using the same movements for each simple machine.
• Discuss energy with students.
  • Ask students how changing the speed of the simple machine’s movement relates to the energy of the machine.
  • Ask students to consider what would happen if two dancers performing their simple machines collided? What would happen to the energy?
• Tell students that in their groups, they will create a new machine combining at least two of the simple machines using the movements they just learned. Students will generate a name and job for their machine.
  • Students should first sketch out their machine.
  • Students will then create a short movement phrase, “The Dance Machine”, to represent how their machine works.
  • Students should use elements of dance and movement qualities in their choreography.
• Students will perform their dances for the class. Discuss audience etiquette with students prior to performances.
  • Audience members will identify which simple machines were used to create the new machine during the groups’ dance performances.
  • After performances, students should explain the purpose of their machine.

Closing Reflection

Debrief the lesson by discussing how the concept of energy was used in each machine and how potential energy was converted into kinetic energy in their machines.

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding by observing students’ participation with group members to create a movement to represent the function of a simple machine, discussion of the role of energy, and ability to design and represent a new machine through movement.

Summative

• Students can use movements to represent simple machines.
• Students can create machines with a purpose using two or more simple machines.
• Students can use movement to demonstrate their machines.
• Students can explain the role energy plays in machines.

DIFFERENTIATION 

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

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

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Sound source and music with a steady beat
• Anchor chart/poster paper
• Markers

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

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

• Begin with teacher-led mirror exercises to get students focused and warm-up for dance activities.
• Explain to students that as you perform a movement, they should “mirror” the movement as though they were looking at their reflection in a mirror.
• These exercises may lead into the “Name Game” or “Pass the Movement”. Or, move directly into the lesson teaching students about the Elements of Dance.
• Name Game:
  • Have students stand in a circle.
  • Demonstrate the Name Game by stating your name while making a movement or gesture to accompany your name.
  • The circle then collectively repeats your name and gesture. Continue with the next person stating his/her name and making a gesture. The circle repeats the new person's name and gesture. Then, starting with the person of origin, repeat all the names and gestures shared to that point. Continue until everyone in the circle is included.
• Pass the Movement:
  • Begin by having students stand in a circle.
  • The objective of the game is to create a sequence of movements by passing a dance move around the circle or group, with each student adding their unique twist.
  • Each student will create a simple movement and "pass" it to the next student, who will then repeat the movement and add their own.
  • Choose one student to start the game. This student will perform a simple movement, such as a clap, a jump, a spin, or a wave. Encourage students to focus on creating shapes and angles with their bodies.
  • The starting student then "passes" this movement to the next student by making eye contact and gesturing towards them.
  • The next student repeats the initial movement and then adds their own unique movement.
  • This student then "passes" the combined movements to the next student.
  • Each subsequent student repeats the previous movements in the correct order and adds their own new movement.
  • Continue passing the movement around the circle or along the line until all students have had a turn.
  • Once the movement has gone all the way around, have the group perform the entire sequence together from start to finish.

Work Session

• 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.
  • Element of Body: First, have students bring awareness to their bodies by leading them through gentle stretches starting from the head and moving to the toes (e.g., head circles, shoulder shrugs, toe touches, etc.). Then, ask them to make different shapes with their bodies.
  • Element of Time: Next, bring students’ awareness to the rhythm of the music by having them march in place to the beat, gently swinging their arms by their sides.
  • Element of Energy: Now, direct students to explore energy variations with different movement qualities such as sharp movements–quick, precise actions like punches or snaps, and smooth movements–slow, flowing actions like waves or circles with arms.
  • Element of Space - Levels: Bring students’ attention to levels (high, middle, low) with movements such as stretching up high and moving on tiptoes, crouching in a small ball close to the floor, and bouncing in place at a middle level.
  • Element of Action - Locomotor/non-locomotor: Tell students that these movements they just performed were non-locomotor, meaning that they didn’t move to a new location. Direct students to perform a movement that requires moving from one place to another, such as step-together, step-together moving side to side.
  • Have students practice what they just learned by saying words such as “locomotor” and have students create a spontaneous locomotor movement.
  • Have students return to their seats.
• Tell students that they will be using movement to explore some of the ways that heat energy is transferred: Burning, friction, sunlight and any others you would like to include.
• Divide students into small groups. Pass out large chart paper or poster paper and markers.
• Have students divide paper (or pre-divide paper for students) into three sections. Students should label each section burning, friction, and sunlight.
• Assign each group one type of heat transfer. Students will complete their section of their chart describing the type of heat transfer using words and drawings. Students should add examples of each type of heat transfer.
• Allow groups to share. If you have a document camera, this is a great way for students to share their work.
• Groups should add responses to the two types of heat transfer that they did not include to their charts.
  • After each group shares, discuss which changes can be reversed and which cannot. For example, sunlight causing water to evaporate can be reversed but a forest fire burning down trees cannot.
• Tell groups that they will receive an example of heat transfer, such as a forest fire or evaporation. In their groups, students will create a “Heat Dance” to demonstrate the way heat energy is transferred in their example.
  • Students will need to be able to determine which form of heat energy transfer is used and whether the change can be reversed.
  • Set requirements for choreography, such as it must have at least four movements and use at least two of the following elements of dance: Energy, space, body and action.
  • Turn on music in the background.
  • Allow time for students to choreograph and practice their dances. Circulate to assist groups during this process.

Closing Reflection

• Students will perform their dances for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
• Turn up the volume of the music and help students find the steady beat by tapping their toes on the floor.
• After each performance, the audience will identify which type of heat transfer was demonstrated, whether the change can be reversed, and which elements of dance were used.

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify and perform the elements of dance, responses to discussion of each type of heat transfer, small group discussion of examples of heat transfer, and collaboration with groups to choreograph a dance demonstrating their example.

Summative

CHECKLIST

• Students can identify and explain the different types of heat transfer, which can be reversed and which cannot, and why.
• Students can create choreography using the Elements of Dance to accurately demonstrate their example of heat transfer.
• Students can identify and perform using the Elements of Dance.

DIFFERENTIATION 

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

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

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW