Problem Solving with Movement 2-3

PROBLEM SOLVING WITH MOVEMENT

PROBLEM SOLVING WITH MOVEMENT

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will explore problem solving through creating dances and discover why problem solving skills are so important for choreographers.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify and perform the Elements of Dance.

  • I can decipher a given word problem.

  • I can solve a given word problem.

  • I can create and perform choreography that demonstrates the solution to a given word problem.

Essential Questions

  • How can math be used to inspire choreography?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

*This lesson can be used with any math standard that lends itself to being expressed as a word problem.

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.

 

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, and terminology in dance

 

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

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

*This lesson can be used with any math standard that lends itself to being expressed as a word problem.

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

*Specific content vocabulary will depend on the math concept students are learning.

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
  • Non-locomotor - This refers to a movement that does not travel through space
  • Locomotor - This refers to a movement that travels through space
  • Steady beat - An unchanging, continuous pulse
  • Elements of Dance - Body, action, space, time and energy

 

Materials

  • Sound source and music with a steady beat
  • Paper and pencils
  • Written word problems on cards

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips: Allow for some open space to create and perform. Review audience etiquette expectations before students perform for their peers.

 

  • Tell students that they will be playing the 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.

 

Work Session

    • Tell students that they will be using the Elements of Dance to enact the solution to a word problem.
  • 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.
  • Next, divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a word problem (it can be the same word problem or different word problems depending on students’ levels).
    • For example, “You must choreograph a dance combination that is 4 counts of 8 in length. The dance must have an equal number of locomotor and non-locomotor movements.”
    • Students should solve the word problem mathematically. For example, “What is the total number of counts in the dance (32)? How many locomotor movements will you have (16)? How many non-locomotor movements will you have (16)?”
    • Next, students will create choreography to answer the word problems. Students can arrange their choreography as they would like as long as it meets the criteria of the word problem.
      • Example 1: First 4 counts - locomotor movement, second 4 counts - non-locomotor, third 4 counts - locomotor, fourth 4 counts - non-locomotor, fifth 4 counts - locomotor movement, sixth 4 counts - non-locomotor, seventh 4 counts - locomotor, eighth 4 counts - non-locomotor.
      • Example 2: First 4 counts - non-locomotor, second 4 counts - locomotor, third 4 counts - locomotor, fourth 4 counts - non-locomotor, fifth 4 counts - locomotor, sixth 4 counts - locomotor, seventh 4 counts - non-locomotor, eighth 4 counts - non-locomotor.
      • Both dances have 32 counts total, 16 of which are locomotor and 16 of which are non-locomotor.

 

Closing Reflection

  • The students will perform their movement phrases for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • After students perform, groups will read their word problem to the class, show their solution and how it went with their performed choreography.
  • If all groups used the same word problem, discuss how different groups created different choreography based on the same criteria.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to make different types of movements using the Elements of Dance, ability to understand and correctly solve the word problem, and collaboration in group choreography.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify and perform the Elements of Dance.
  • Students can decipher the given word problem.
  • Students can solve the given word problem.
  • Students can create and perform choreography that correctly demonstrates the solution to the given word problem.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Raise the challenge of the word problem by including more steps, such as a minimum of four different types of movements that students will select and perform. 

Remediation: 

  • Scaffold the lesson by solving a word problem as a class and creating choreography as a class before individual group choreography.
  • Differentiate the level of word problems depending on student ability.

 

*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

 

Back to Modules

Sequence Your Steps K-1

SEQUENCE YOUR STEPS

SEQUENCE YOUR STEPS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will investigate sequences and patterns through movement. They will use their bodies to form a sequence of shapes, transforming these sequences into patterns to create unique dances. These dances will then be performed for their peers, who will identify the patterns and shapes within them.

 

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 differentiate between a sequence and a pattern.

  • I can create a sequence and a pattern that demonstrates geometric concepts.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement be used to create patterns?

  • How can movement be used to express geometric concepts?

  • What is the difference between a pattern and a sequence?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.PAR.6.1 Create, extend, and describe repeating patterns with numbers and shapes, and explain the rationale for the pattern.

 

K.GSR.8.1 Identify, sort, classify, analyze, and compare two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, number of sides and vertices, and other attributes.

 

Grade 1: 

1.PAR.3.1 Investigate, create, and make predictions about repeating patterns with a core of up to 3 elements resulting from repeating an operation, as a series of shapes, or a number string.

 

1.GSR.4.1 Identify common two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, sort and classify them by their attributes and build and draw shapes that possess defining attributes.

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.ATO.6 Describe simple repeating patterns using AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC type patterns.

 

K.G.2 Identify and describe a given shape and shapes of objects in everyday situations to include two-dimensional shapes (i.e., triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, and circle) and three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cone, cube, cylinder, and sphere). 

 

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.ATO.9 Create, extend and explain using pictures and words for: a. repeating patterns (e.g., AB, AAB, ABB, and ABC type patterns); b. growing patterns (between 2 and 4 terms/figures).

 

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

  • Sequence - An ordered list of items that follows a specific rule

  • Pattern - A repeating sequence

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

 

Materials

  • Sound source and music with a steady beat
  • Four-section chart (each pair will need three)
  • Pencils

 

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.).  
  • Next, lead students in a simple warm-up incorporating sequencing concepts (Examples: Arms high, arms low, arms to the right and arms to the left).  
  • Allow students to explore other simple dance movements (Examples: Clap, jump, walk and turn).  
  • After incorporating these simple dance movements, demonstrate a movement sequence. Have students immediately follow and perform teacher led movement sequences.

 

Work Session

  • Divide students into partners. Pass out a four-section chart and pencil to each student.
    • Students should select four different movements from the warm-up and draw or write the movement in their sequence chart.  
    • Have students practice their created movement sequences.  
    • Students will perform their movement sequences for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
      • Challenge audience members to correctly identify the movements in the created sequence.  
  • Next, discuss and demonstrate how a sequence can be turned into a pattern.
    • Have students repeat their movement sequence three times in a row to create a pattern.
  • Review the types of shapes and attributes of shapes that students are learning about.
    • Ask students to think creatively about how they can create shapes with their bodies. Allow students to share ideas with the class or demonstrate a few for students to help scaffold the activity.
    • Pass out a new sequence chart to each student. 
    • Students should work with their partner to draw shapes on their sequence chart. 
    • Allow students time to practice their sequence. 
    • Now, tell students that they will turn their sequence into a pattern by repeating their sequence three times.
    • Allow students time to practice.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will perform their dance for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • After each performance, the audience will determine the pattern of the dance and the shapes the dancers made with their bodies.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to collaborate with their partners to create a sequence, turn a sequence into a pattern, and create shapes with their bodies.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify and differentiate between a sequence and a pattern.
  • Students can create a sequence and a pattern that demonstrates geometric concepts.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Challenge students to create their own pattern and turn it into a dance.

Remediation: Simplify the pattern to an ABAB pattern.

 

*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

 

Back to Modules

States of Matter 2-3

STATES OF MATTER

STATES OF MATTER

Learning Description

In this lesson, you and your students will have fun moving and generating choreography to understand different states of matter. Emphasizing multiple learning styles will allow students to explore concepts in the way they learn most effectively.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can choreograph a movement phrase that uses movement qualities, body shapes, and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to communicate the characteristics of atoms in the different states of matter.
  • I can describe the three states of matter.
  • I can explain the correlation between heat and states of matter.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement enhance comprehension of various states of matter?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

S2P1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the properties of matter and changes that occur in objects.

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.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2-PS1-4. Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

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

  • States of matter - The distinct forms that different phases of matter take on
  • Liquid - Particles are close together but can move past one another, allowing liquids to flow and take the shape of their container while maintaining a constant volume
  • Solid - Particles are closely packed together in a fixed arrangement; solids have a definite shape and volume
  • Gas - Particles are far apart and move freely; gasses have no definite shape or volume and will expand to fill their container
  • Heat energy - Also known as thermal energy, is the energy that comes from the movement of particles within a substance; it is a form of kinetic energy due to the vibration and movement of atoms and molecules; the more these particles move, the higher the temperature and the more heat energy is present

Arts Vocabulary

  • Movement phrase - A series of movements linked together to make a distinctive pattern
  • Non-locomotor - This refers to a movement that does not travel through space
  • Locomotor - This refers to a movement that travels through space
  • Sustained - A quality of movement that is smooth and unaccented; there is no apparent start or stop, only a continuity of energy
  • Percussive - A quality of movement characterized by sharp starts and stops; staccato jabs of energy
  • Vibratory - A quality of movement characterized by rapidly repeated bursts of percussive movements; like a jitter
  • 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
  • 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
  • Tempo - The pace or speed of movement
  • 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
  • States of matter written on cards

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips - You will need open space, so push desks/chairs to the side or go outside if that is an option. 

 

    • Have students form a circle.
  • Begin the lesson by engaging students in movement that introduces students to the locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
  • Have students arrange themselves in a circle 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.).
  • Introduce non-locomotor movements to students by directing them in the following movements.
    • Bending and Stretching: Bend the knees and stretch up high.
    • Twisting: Twist the torso to the left and right.
    • Swinging: Swing the arms gently from side to side.
    • Swaying: Sway the body from side to side with feet planted.
    • Turning: Spin in place, both directions.
    • Invite students to create their own movement.
  • Introduce non-locomotor movements to students by directing them in the following movements.
    • Walking: Walk around the room with different styles (tiptoeing, heel walking, big steps, small steps).
    • Jumping: Jump in place, then move forward and backward.
    • Invite students to create their own movement.
  • Tell students that they will be playing the Name Game.
    • 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.
    • Debrief by asking students to identify examples of movements from the name game that were locomotor and non-locomotor.
    • Discuss movements in terms of movement qualities such as sustained, percussive, vibratory, swinging, and suspended.

 

Work Session

  • Divide students into small groups, assigning locomotor or non-locomotor movements to each group.
  • Tell students to create a movement phrase using two movements. Students will perform for a partner group.
    • Ask students to identify the movement type (locomotor/non-locomotor) of their partner group.
  • Discuss the three states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) and the effect that heat energy has on them.
    • Identify the speed (tempo) of atoms in each state and how the atoms move (locomotor/non-locomotor) in each state.
    • As you discuss each state of matter, ask students for ideas for how they could use movement to represent the atoms in each state.
  • Assign each group two different states of matter (solid, liquid or gas).
  • Tell students that they will create a brief movement phrase that will represent how atoms move in one state and then to the other state demonstrating understanding of both states of matter. Students should use tempo (fast, medium or slow) and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to demonstrate how atoms move.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will perform their movement phrases for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • After each performance, have audience members identify the group’s two states, offering rationale for their identification.
  • Discuss the correlation between heat and states of matter.
    • Discuss with students whether these changes can be reversed. Why or why not?

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify the characteristics of the states of matter, and ability to work collaboratively to use movement to accurately and meaningfully represent the states of matter.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can choreograph a movement phrase that uses movement qualities, body shapes, and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to communicate the characteristics of atoms in the different states of matter.
  • Students can describe the three states of matter.
  • Students can explain the correlation between heat and states of matter.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Provide more guidelines for choreography (i.e., must have eight movements, must have multiple level and spatial pattern changes, must select a particular dance style for choreography, etc.).
  • Have students choose one of the five movement qualities of dance to explore in greater depth: Sustained, swinging, suspended, vibratory, or percussive. Explore how these qualities aid in expression of the changes in states of matter.
  • Create a Thinglink (via app or website) on the states of matter as individuals or in groups.

Remediation: Provide a graphic organizer with each state of matter in the first column, a section to write or draw characteristics of atoms in a second column, and a section to write or draw types of movements that could be used to represent the state in the third column. Students can use the graphic organizer to assist them in their choreography.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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

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

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

Back to Modules

States of Matter 4-5

STATES OF MATTER

STATES OF MATTER

Learning Description

In this lesson, you and your students will have fun moving and generating choreography to understand different states of matter. Emphasizing multiple learning styles will allow students to explore concepts in the way they learn most effectively.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can choreograph a movement phrase that uses movement qualities, body shapes, and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to communicate the characteristics of atoms in the different states of matter.
  • I can describe the three states of matter.
  • I can explain the correlation between heat and states of matter.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement enhance comprehension of various states of matter?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

S4E3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to demonstrate the water cycle.

  1. Plan and carry out investigations to observe the flow of energy in water as it changes states from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor) and changes from gas to liquid to solid. b. Develop models to illustrate multiple pathways water may take during the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation).

Arts Standards

Grade 4: 

ESD4.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

 

ESD4.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

 

ESD4.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance

 

ESD4.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

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

  • States of matter - The distinct forms that different phases of matter take on
  • Liquid - Particles are close together but can move past one another, allowing liquids to flow and take the shape of their container while maintaining a constant volume
  • Solid - Particles are closely packed together in a fixed arrangement; solids have a definite shape and volume
  • Gas - Particles are far apart and move freely; gasses have no definite shape or volume and will expand to fill their container
  • Heat energy - Also known as thermal energy, is the energy that comes from the movement of particles within a substance; it is a form of kinetic energy due to the vibration and movement of atoms and molecules; the more these particles move, the higher the temperature and the more heat energy is present

Arts Vocabulary

  • Movement phrase - A series of movements linked together to make a distinctive pattern
  • Non-locomotor - This refers to a movement that does not travel through space
  • Locomotor - This refers to a movement that travels through space
  • Sustained - A quality of movement that is smooth and unaccented; there is no apparent start or stop, only a continuity of energy
  • Percussive - A quality of movement characterized by sharp starts and stops; staccato jabs of energy
  • Vibratory - A quality of movement characterized by rapidly repeated bursts of percussive movements; like a jitter
  • 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
  • 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
  • Tempo - The pace or speed of movement
  • 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
  • States of matter written on cards

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips - You will need open space, so push desks/chairs to the side or go outside if that is an option. 

 

    • Have students form a circle.
  • Begin the lesson by engaging students in movement that introduces students to the locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
  • Have students arrange themselves in a circle 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.).
  • Introduce non-locomotor movements to students by directing them in the following movements.
    • Bending and Stretching: Bend the knees and stretch up high.
    • Twisting: Twist the torso to the left and right.
    • Swinging: Swing the arms gently from side to side.
    • Swaying: Sway the body from side to side with feet planted.
    • Turning: Spin in place, both directions.
    • Invite students to create their own movement.
  • Introduce non-locomotor movements to students by directing them in the following movements.
    • Walking: Walk around the room with different styles (tiptoeing, heel walking, big steps, small steps).
    • Jumping: Jump in place, then move forward and backward.
    • Invite students to create their own movement.
  • Tell students that they will be playing the Name Game.
    • 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.
    • Debrief by asking students to identify examples of movements from the name game that were locomotor and non-locomotor.
    • Discuss movements in terms of movement qualities such as sustained, percussive, vibratory, swinging, and suspended.

 

Work Session

  • Divide students into small groups, assigning locomotor or non-locomotor movements to each group.
  • Tell students to create a movement phrase using four movements. Students will perform for a partner group.
    • Ask students to identify the movement type (locomotor/non-locomotor) of their partner group.
  • Discuss the three states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) and the effect that heat energy has on them.
    • Identify The speed (tempo) of atoms in each state and how the atoms move (movement quality, locomotor/non-locomotor and formations) in each state.
    • As you discuss each state of matter, ask students for ideas for how they could use movement to represent the atoms in each state.
      • Discuss and provide examples of movement qualities such as sustained, percussive, vibratory, swinging, and suspended.
  • Assign each group two different states of matter (solid, liquid or gas).
  • Tell students that they will create a movement phrase that will represent how atoms move in one state and then to the other state demonstrating understanding of both states of matter. Students should use movement qualities, body shapes, and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to demonstrate how atoms move.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will perform their movement phrases for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • After each performance, have audience members identify the group’s two states, offering rationale for their identification.
  • Discuss the correlation between heat and states of matter.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify the characteristics of the states of matter, and ability to work collaboratively to use movement to accurately and meaningfully represent the states of matter.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can choreograph a movement phrase that uses movement qualities, body shapes, and locomotor/non-locomotor movements to communicate the characteristics of atoms in the different states of matter.
  • Students can describe the three states of matter.
  • Students can explain the correlation between heat and states of matter.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Discuss how creating dance is like writing a story in that both contain a beginning, middle, and end. This means that students’ movement phrases would be more complex. Provide more guidelines for choreography (i.e., must be two minutes long, must have multiple level and spatial pattern changes, must select a particular dance style for choreography, etc.).
  • Explore the five movement qualities of dance in greater depth: Sustained, swinging, suspended, vibratory, and percussive. Explore how these qualities aid in expression of mood/emotion of choreography.
  • Create a Thinglink (via app or website) on the states of matter as individuals or in groups.

Remediation: Provide a graphic organizer with each state of matter in the first column, a section to write or draw characteristics of atoms in a second column, and a section to write movement qualities or types of movements that could be used to represent the state in the third column. Students can use the graphic organizer to assist them in their choreography.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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

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

Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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