Cause and Effect Commotion 2-3

CAUSE AND EFFECT COMMOTION

CAUSE AND EFFECT COMMOTION

Learning Description

Instilling a strong understanding of “cause and effect” will increase students’ reading comprehension skills. By acting out “cause and effect” situations, students will deepen the foundation of this important concept.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify the “cause” and “effect” in various scenarios.

  • I can create a sentence to demonstrate my understanding of cause and effect.

  • I can act out a cause and effect relationship.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement be used to demonstrate our knowledge of cause and effect events?

  • How will understanding cause and effect help in reading comprehension?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

ELAGSE2RI3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

 

Grade 3:

ELAGSE3RI3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

 

ELAGSE3RI8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

TA2.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments

TA2.CN.1 Explore how theatre connects to life experience, careers, and other content.

 

Grade 3: 

TA3.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments

TA3.CN.1 Explore how theatre connects to life experience, careers, and other content.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

READING - Informational Text

Language, Craft, and Structure 

Standard 8: Interpret and analyze the author’s use of words, phrases, text features, conventions, and structures, and how their relationships shape meaning and tone in print and multimedia texts. 

8.1 Identify how the author uses words, phrases, illustrations, and photographs to inform, explain, or describe.

 

Grade 3:

READING - Informational Text

Language, Craft, and Structure 

Standard 8: Interpret and analyze the author’s use of words, phrases, text features, conventions, and structures, and how their relationships shape meaning and tone in print and multimedia texts. 

8.1 Explain how the author uses words and phrases to inform, explain, or describe.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 3: I can act in improvised scenes and written scripts.

Anchor Standard 8: I can relate theatre to other content areas, arts disciplines, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Cause - Why something happens; what happens in a given situation 

 

  • Effect - What happens; the result of what happens in a given situation 

 

  • Cause and effect - A relationship that writers use to show how facts, events, or concepts happen or come into being because of other facts, events or concepts

  • Signal words - Words that are often used in sentences or stories to show cause and effect relationships (because, so and therefore)

Arts Vocabulary

  • Improvisation - The practice of creating and performing scenes, dialogue, and actions spontaneously, without a script

  • Pantomime - A performance where the story is told through expressive physical movements and gestures

 

Materials

  • Trash can 
  • Pencil 
  • Balloon
  • Needle
  • Word visuals (cause, effect, because)
  • Masking tape
  • Sentence card visuals

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tip: This activity works best in an open space with room for students to move. 

 

REAL TIME CAUSE AND EFFECT 

  • Demonstrate the following actions to get students’ attention:
    • Gently kick a trash can. Let it fall to the ground. Ask students, “What just happened? Why did the trash can fall?” (The trash can fell because I kicked it.)
    • Hold a pencil in your hand high in the air. Drop the pencil. Ask students, “What just happened? Why did the pencil fall?” (The pencil fell because I let go of it.)
    • Blow up a balloon. Tie it. Prick it with a needle. Ask students, “What just happened? Why did the balloon blow up?” (The balloon blew up because I breathed air into it.) “What else happened? Why did the balloon pop?” (The balloon popped because I pricked it with a needle.) 
    • Walk around the room and safely trip over a desk and fall to the floor. “What just happened? Why did I fall down?” (I fell down because I tripped over the desk.) 

Say, “When I tripped, it caused me to fall down. When I dropped the pencil, what did it cause? When I puffed air into the balloon, what did it cause? When I kicked the trash can, what did it cause? Each thing I did caused an effect (or something else) to happen. That’s ‘cause and effect’ and it is all around us all day long!”.

 

Work Session

TRAVELING WITH REAL TIME CAUSE AND EFFECT

  • Ask students, “Have any of you ever driven a car? Why can’t you drive a car? (because you don’t have your license) Would you like to?” 
  • Say, “Well, today I am giving each of you a special license to drive your own imaginary car. Sound fun? Okay. Let’s go!”
  • Tell students to imagine a car in front of them. Tell them to open the door to a car. Pause. Ask students, “Why did the door open?” (because we pulled the handle).
  • Say, “Now sit in the driver’s seat of the car and put on your seatbelt. Let me hear you buckle it”.
  • Ask students, “How do we start the car?” Put the key into the ignition, push a button, etc. Tell students, “Turn the key. What happened when we turned the key?” (the car started). “Why did the car start?” (because we turned the key in the ignition).
  • Say, “Okay…let’s drive around for a little bit. Where would you like to go? The movies? Let’s go. Take a right. Oh wow. I just saw that we are low on gas, so we’ll have to stop by the gas station and get some gas first”. 
  • Say, “I see a big red light up there. What does that mean? Stop. Yikes! Let’s all stop. How do we stop? What causes the car to stop?” (putting my foot on the brake). 
  • Say, “Okay, let’s all put our foot on the brake at the same time when I say three. 1, 2, 3”.
  • Say, “Now the light turned green. What does that mean?” (go). All right, let’s put our foot on the gas on the count of 3. 1, 2, 3…Uh oh. Our cars won’t move. Let’s try it again. 1, 2, 3. Now it’s shaking and sputtering and it just stops. Let me see your car shake and sputter. OH NO! What happened? Does anyone know why it won’t move? (because it ran out of gas). Oh well! I guess we better get out and walk to the movie theater.” 
  • Say, “Take your keys, undo your seatbelt, open the door and run to the theater before the movie starts. We need to get some popcorn!”
  • Have students return to their seats.
  • Ask students, “Did we just experience any cause and effect situations? Can you name one? 
  • Tell students that cause and effect is why something happens and the result or effect of what happens. 
    • Ask students to identify a cause in the driving scenario. 
      • Say, “The cause is why something happens. When I can figure out the cause (hold up ‘cause’ visual), then I can figure out the effect (hold up ‘effect’ visual)”. 
      • Tell students, “Always see where you can add the ‘because’ and that will be your clue to what the cause is in the sentence”. 
      • Say, “Let’s think about the car we just drove. Listen to this sentence: ‘I pulled the handle and the door opened’. Now I want you to use the word ‘because’ (hold up ‘because’ visual) to find the cause. You see, every time you insert the word because it leads you to the cause!” 

 

CAUSE AND EFFECT DANCE

  • Say, “Every time we say the word ‘because’, we are going to spin our hands in front of our bodies. (Note: Stress the word ‘cause’.) Remember, the ‘because’ shows us the ‘cause’.”
  • Say, “Every time we say the ‘effect’, or the result of what is happening, let’s put our open hands and arms high in the air above our heads!”.
  • Tape the visuals “Cause” and “Effect” on the wall about three feet apart from each other.
  • Practice the dance by saying an example sentence with students. 

 

WORDS IN MOTION

  • Say, “Now let’s try to break this down with some of the actions (causes and effects) we experienced when driving our cars. I’ve put them into sentences to help us.”
  • Ask students, “What was the first thing that we needed to do to get into the car? Okay, let’s start with this sentence.” 
    • Show visual of sentence: “I pulled the handle and the door opened”. 
    • Ask two students to come to the front of the class. Tell them they are each going to get to act out one part of the sentence or activity, either a cause or an effect. 
    • Give the first student “pulling the handle” (cause). Give the second student “opening the door” (effect). 
    • Ask each student to show you his/her activity using a sound, whole body and the space around them. Encourage them to exaggerate and have fun with it. 
    • Read the sentence one more time and then guide the class through finding the cause and effect by prompting with “because”. 
    • Say, “Let’s try to decide which action is the cause and which is the effect.” 
    • Say, “Now let’s see if ‘because’ (do action) can really help us find the cause.
      • Ask students, “Where could we use the word ‘because’ with these words and make it make sense? If we put it in front of ‘the door opened’, would that be right? Because I opened the door, I pulled the handle? Does that make sense? (no). If we put it in front of ‘I pulled the handle’, would that be right? Because I pulled the handle, the door opened. Does that make sense? (yes). 
      • Say, “It looks like we found our cause by using the word ‘because.’ So we figured out that the ‘because’ comes before which action? (pulling the handle). Can you tell me what the cause part of this sentence is? (because I pulled the handle – pulling the handle). 
      • Ask students, “Where should our ‘pulling the handle’ actor stand while he/she does his/her action? (under the word “cause”). 
      • Ask students, “If that is the cause, which action or part of the sentence is the effect? (the door opened). Where should our ‘effect’ actor stand?” (under the word “effect”).
      • Say, “So, let’s see our actors do their actions when I call ‘action’. When I say ‘freeze’, the actors will freeze. Let’s practice that.” 
      • Say “action” and “freeze” several times while the actors respond. 
      • Say, “Now let’s say our sentence two more times while the actors are acting out their actions when it’s their turn in the sentence. This time, let’s add our hand motions when we say the cause and when we say the effect. 
        • Remind students to spin their hands in front of them when the cause is stated (because I pulled the handle) and to put their open hands and arms high in the air above their heads when the effect is stated (the door opened).
  • Divide students into partners. Assign each partner a different cause and effect sentence from the car scenario. Have the partners repeat the same process that the class used to identify the cause and effect of opening the door. 
    • I turned the key in the ignition and the engine started. 
    • The car moved when I pressed the pedal with my foot. 
    • The car stopped when I hit the brake with my foot. 
    • The car turned off when it ran out of gas.
  • Allow time for students to perform their causes and effects for the class. Students should do the hand motions for cause and effect as the sentence is read and the actors act out the sentence. 

Class Tip: Review audience etiquette and expectations before students perform for their classmates.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion to summarize the lesson.
    • Ask, “What’s a cause? What’s an effect? What word can we use to find the cause in a sentence?” (because). 
  • Ask students to write their own cause and effect sentence that uses “because”. Students should label the cause and the effect in the sentence.
  • Finish the lesson by saying, “Let’s do our hand motions. The next time you have a sentence in front of you and have to figure out the ‘cause and effect’, whisper the word ‘because’ to yourself and try to figure out where it would fit in the sentence. This will alert you to the ‘cause’ which will leave the ‘effect’.”

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding by observing students’ responses to class discussion and their participation in the cause and effect scenarios.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST 

  • Students can demonstrate understanding of cause and effect by identifying the “cause” and “effect” in the scenarios and sentences. 
  • Students can create a sentence to demonstrate understanding of cause and effect.
  • Students can act out a cause and effect relationship.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Show students multiple comic strips that demonstrate obvious examples of cause and effect. Students will create a four or five picture comic strip to illustrate cause and effect. When completed, they will compose a fluid/flowing dance using the hand motions for cause and effect with additional self-created movements. 

Remediation: 

  • Use body language when demonstrating each role play for English Language Learners.
  • Act out simple cause and effect relationships with students prior to this lesson.
  • Provide/add picture cards for each cause and effect scenario. 
  • Provide pictures for students to choose from for the “because” sentences.
  • Provide new pictures with cause and effect. Invite students to complete framed sentences (______ because _____) using pictures and/or words. 
  • Act out sentences beginning with both the cause and effect and have students determine which is correct.

*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: Susie Spear Purcell. Modifications, Extensions, and Adaptations Contributed by: Peggy Barnes, Candy Bennett, Lindsey Elrod, Jennifer Plummer, and Vilma Thomas. 

Revised and copyright:  June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

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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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Counting with Cups K-1

COUNTING WITH CUPS

COUNTING WITH CUPS

Learning Description

Help students recognize and cultivate creative and critical thinking using various activities that connect math and music! Consider valuable curriculum connections that assist in the development of problem solving skills through fun and engaging learning experiences.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify, speak, and move to a steady beat.
  • I can demonstrate my understanding of counting, patterns, and addition through music.
  • I can compose music.
  • I can explain how I used math to create my musical composition.

Essential Questions

  • How can connecting math and music aid students in their problem solving abilities and cultivate creative and critical thinking?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.NR.5.1 Compose (put together) and decompose (break apart) numbers up to 10 using objects and drawings.

K.NR.5.2 Represent addition and subtraction within 10 from a given authentic situation using a variety of representations and strategies.

K.NR.5.3 Use a variety of strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems within 10.

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

 

Grade 1: 

1.NR.2.1 Use a variety of strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems within 20.

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.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

ESGMK.CR.1 Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

ESGMK.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

ESGMK.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

ESGMK.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

ESGMK.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

ESGMK.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

Grade 1:

ESGM1.CR.1 Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

ESGM1.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

ESGM1.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

ESGM1.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

ESGM1.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

ESGM1.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.NS.1 Count forward by ones and tens to 100.

K.ATO.3 Compose and decompose numbers up to 10 using objects, drawings, and equations.

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

 

Grade 1: 

1.ATO.2 Solve real-world/story problems that include three whole number addends whose sum is less than or equal to 20.

1.ATO.5 Recognize how counting relates to addition and subtraction.

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).

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can arrange and compose music.

Anchor Standard 2: I can improvise music.

Anchor Standard 4: I can play instruments alone and with others.

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

Anchor Standard 9: I can relate music to other arts disciplines, other subjects, and career paths.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Pattern - A repeated sequence that can be found in various contexts, such as art, mathematics, nature, etc; it involves a sequence of elements (like shapes, colors, numbers, or sounds) that follow a particular order or rule
  • Addition - A basic mathematical operation that involves combining two or more numbers to get a total or sum

Arts Vocabulary

  • Body percussion - Sounds produced by striking or scraping parts of the body; typically includes snapping, clapping, patting, and stamping
  • Steady beat - An unchanging continuous pulse
  • Timbre - The unique quality of a sound; also known as tone color or tone quality
  • Dynamics - Volume of sound (loudness, quietness)
  • Found sound - Sounds produced by non-traditional sound sources in the environment (e.g., scraping a ruler along a binder spine, tapping a pencil on a desk)
  • Phrase - A musical sentence
  • Retrograde - A musical line which is the reverse of a previously or simultaneously stated line
  • Rondo - A form of composition in which the first section recurs throughout the piece, alternating with different sections (e.g., A-B-A-B-A or A-B-A-C-A, etc.). This form is found especially in compositions of the Baroque and Classical eras.
  • Tempo - The speed of the beat

 

Materials

  • Variety of unpitched percussion instruments (can be “found sound”, such as, scraping a ruler along a binder spine, tapping a pencil on a desk)
  • Plastic cups in various colors and sizes
  • Rhythm sticks or dowel rods
  • Sound source (e.g., computer and speaker)
  • Musical recordings
  • Large pads and markers
  • Paper and writing utensils (pencils, markers, crayons, etc.)
  • Note cards with mathematical equations

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips - You may find it helpful to discuss proper use of, and care for, instruments prior to use. Discuss “resting” position, meaning no sound at all from instruments. Also discuss moving through “space” without touching anything else around. Pretend you are in a bubble and cannot touch anything or anyone in your surroundings.

 

  • Turn on music with a steady beat that is easy for students to follow (or, simply play a steady beat without accompanying music).
  • Students stand in the space (no formation).
  • Leader claps (or plays) the beat while students walk to the pulse.
  • Leader plays four beats (while students move); then students stop and clap four beats (same tempo as leader).
  • Continue the game, moving around the room freely.
  • Have students stop in front of someone and clap their partner’s hands for the second set of four claps.
  • Thus, the sequence becomes:
    • Move to leader’s beat (set 1 = 4 beats)
    • Stop and clap beat alone (set 2 = 4 beats)
    • Move to the leader's beat (set 3 = 4 beats)
      • Stop and clap your partner's hands (set 4 = 4 beats).
  • Have students move to a new partner each time.
  • Extend the sequence by adding additional movements and/or body percussion for subsequent sets of four beats (e.g., move to leader’s beat; clap beat alone; move to leader’s beat; clap partner’s hands; move to leader’s beat; pat beat; etc.).

 

Work Session

Wake-up and Warm-up  

  • Tell students that they will continue the activator, but now, they will turn it into a mathematical equation!
    • Example: 4+4=8
  • Experiment with different tempos and different numbers of beats (i.e., slower tempo, use body percussion or instruments to show 3+3=6).
  • Introduce a variety of rhythm instruments if available (rhythm sticks, drum, wood block, triangle, tambourine). Otherwise, use objects around the classroom, such as scraping a ruler along a binder spine, tapping a pencil on a desk.
  • Take time to discuss the various shapes of each instrument (compare and contrast both shapes and sounds—timbre).
  • Use students to demonstrate to group various equations that can be solved.
  • Teacher will have two students play 5+5=10.
  • Arrange students in pairs and pass out equations. Then have students “play” equations and have partners solve the equations.
    • For example if a notecard shows 4+4=8, one student would play 4 beats with one instrument or body percussion (such as clapping) and the other student would have to solve by saying “you demonstrated 4+4=8”.
    • Then switch roles.
    • Then challenge the students to just play the answer (for example, 8). The other student must find a way to “play” 8, such as 2+2+2+2.

 

Question and Answer

  • The format of this strategy will have the question being asked on the first eight beats and the answer on the second eight beats); reverse. Display visuals of numbers.
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -
    • Have students speak numbers in a given tempo.
    • Have students clap once on each number while speaking; repeat, eliminating speech.
  • Divide the class into two groups.
  • Have students clap twice on one number of their choice; extend to clapping twice on two numbers.
  • Now, incorporate questions and answers. Leader provides a question via clapping the first eight beats; students use part of the question in their answer in the second eight beats (e.g., “use the first part of my question as the first part of your answer”).
    • Extend to other body percussion, found sound, and/or unpitched percussion.
  • Try the strategy using pairs instead of two groups. Divide students into pairs, with one person providing the question and another, the answer; reverse.
  • Incorporate movement; add to a recording if desired (for example, “Hora Agadati” or “Jai Ho”).
    • Have students walk eight beats and then “answer” using body percussion for the next eight beats.
  • Tell students that a phrase in music is a musical sentence. Ask mathematical questions such as, if each phase is eight beats and we have two phases, how many total beats?
  • Extend to ask questions about the patterns.
    • If we walk the first phase, use body percussion the next phrase and then walk the next phrases, that could be called A B A pattern.
  • Have students work in pairs to create a “composition” using rhythm instruments that has four phrases (each phrase must have four beats).
  • Have them label the phrases with capital letters to show the pattern and then show equations for “how they play” each phrase (as demonstrated in the previous activity).

 

Composing with Cups

  • Display different colored cups and have students reach consensus about desired sound for each (e.g., blue – quarter note, yellow – eighth notes, clear – quarter rest).
  • Introduce silently, having students use creative and critical thinking to figure out the values (number of sounds for each cup) independently first.
  • Teacher should lead this activity in silence, changing cups (number of sounds) and even length of phrase prior to any discussion.
  • Pause and discuss what students observed about the values of each cup.
  • Next, have individual students create rhythmic patterns for others to perform using the different colored cups.
  • Have students “conduct” their patterns by leading other students in performing them.
  • Variations:
    • Experiment with performing multiple patterns at the same time (having two groups perform simultaneously), reading in retrograde (reverse order), adding dynamics (loud/soft), etc.
    • Add to a recording as desired (such as Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Together”).
    • Have one group stand behind another group. Have the group standing behind the other group perform a pattern. The group in front will try to recreate it. This can also be done with the two groups facing each other if needed.
  • Finally, have students work in small groups or with a partner to create their own composition with cups. Students should be able to explain mathematical concepts embedded in their composition, such as addition and patterns.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Students will perform their compositions for the group. Discuss appropriate audience participation prior to performances.
  • Ask the audience to help identify mathematical connections.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to “play mathematical equations”, ability to move and speak to a steady beat, and collaboration with groups to compose a musical piece.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can identify, speak, and move to a steady beat.
  • Students can demonstrate understanding of mathematical concepts, such as patterns and addition, through music.
  • Students can compose music.
  • Students can explain how they used math to create their musical compositions.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Challenge students to add dynamics to and/or change the tempo of their performances and discuss how these changes alter the music.

Remediation: 

  • Scaffold the lesson by composing together as a class and discussing how pattern and addition were used.
  • Reduce the length of the composition students create at the end of the lesson to one phrase of four beats.

*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: Pamela Walker and Maribeth Yoder-White.

Revised and copyright: September 2024 @ 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

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Dance Graphs

DANCE GRAPHS

DANCE GRAPHS

Learning Description

Students will interpret data on graphs and use the information to explore dance composition, form, and order of choreography.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: Dance & Math
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can group and interpret data.
  • I can recognize different types of graphs.
  • I can interpret data in a graph to create choreography.

Essential Questions

  • How can dance and movement be used to demonstrate understanding of graphs and data interpretation?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

MGSE2.MD.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph.Grade 1:

MGSE3.MD.3 Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs. For example, draw a bar graph in which each square in the bar graph might represent 5 pets.

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

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.

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

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

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

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

Grade 1:

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

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

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.

Anchor Standard 2: I can choreograph a dance.

Anchor Standard 3: I can perform movements using the dance elements.

Anchor Standard 5: I can describe, analyze, and evaluate a dance.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Graph - A diagram that shows the relationship between two or more things.

Data - A collection of individual facts or statistics.

Analyze - Examine a subject methodically and in detail, typically in order to explain and interpret it.

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.

Level - The vertical distance from the floor that a dancer occupies during a movement

Plane - An imaginary flat surface running through the body.

 

Materials

  • Music source and speakers
  • Graphs/Data, printed or projected

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Teacher tallies the number of students born each month. Students group birthdays into seasons.

As a group, lead students in a warm up that includes these dance elements:

  • Levels, body shapes, plane
  • Locomotor and non-locomotor movements
  • Identify these dance elements so that students learn dance vocabulary.

 

Work Session

Movement Discovery
Look at a variety of types of graphs and discuss:

  • The basic, overall shapes of each graph, i.e., a bar graph may be described as rectangular while a pie chart may be called a circle
  • Looking inside the graphs, how different shapes and symbols express data in each example, i.e., a pie chart contains angles while a picture graph may contain hearts and stars.

Collaboration:

  • Divide the class into small groups and assign either a picture or a bar graph to each group, using various examples of graphs.
  • Students describe the graph form (overall form and form of value symbols) using the dance vocabulary and concepts from warm-up
  • Students assign dance movements to the visual expression of the form of the graph, i.e., bars on a bar graph may be jumps; stars on a picture graph may be spins.

Choreographic Process:

  • Students analyze the data that the teacher gathered at the beginning of class: How many students have birthdays in each season?
  • Students draw the data in their assigned graph.
  • Create a graph dance by sequencing the movements from the previous step so that they reflect the data, i.e., a bar graph with data of 5 and 2 may include a person standing on their toes and extending their arms overhead 5 times and another person repeating the movement 2 times.
  • Students decide how to order the data, such as least to most or progression of seasons in the calendar year.
  • Students decide how to demonstrate the type of graph, as well as data.

Performance and discussion:

  • Perform each group dance.
  • The audience identifies which type of graph the peer group is presenting.
  • The teacher asks questions about the data represented in each graph dance (How many? How many more? How many fewer? Which season had more birthdays? the most? fewer? the least?).

 

Closing Reflection

The audience explains how movement observed represents the form of the graph, as well as the data.

Groups explain why they chose certain movements to express the data and form of their graph.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students engage in a collaborative discussion about movement choices, graph form, and data.
  • Students correctly use dance vocabulary during the discussion.

 

Summative

  • Students correctly interpret their assigned data.
  • Students present choreography that accurately portrays their assigned data.
  • Students/audience will accurately identify and interpret the data expressed in peer choreography.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: Show dance photos that contain multiple dancers; count the dancers and then express the data in scaled picture or bar graphs. Suggested photos in Additional Resources, below.

Remediation: Analyze data and draw it in different types of graphs as a whole class and then divide into small groups to create choreographies.

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.

Suggested dance photos for first grade acceleration:

Two dancers:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MX_MM_BALLET_FOLKL%C3%93RICO_DE_M%C3%89XICO_-_40289925045.jpg

Four dancers
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ballet_Flamenco_de_Andaluc%C3%ADa19_(48628989227).jpg

Six dancers
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opening_Performance_and_Address_(52146422509).jpg

Eight dancers
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dance_Ensemble_Sofia_6_Women.jpg

Ten dancers
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NIGERIA_Group_Dance1.jpg

Remediation: Analyze data and draw it in different types of graphs as a whole class and then divide into small groups to create choreographies.

*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

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