Creative Dance

Lesson Plan

DIRECTION

 

Megan Cercone, Lindsey Fish, Nickie Anderson, Josh Krug

Grades 2-3 (Ages 7-8)

 

Materials:

-         Sound system

-         1 CD

-         20 streamers

-         20 balloons

 

Objectives:

The student will:

1. be comfortable in the dance environment.
2. use dance vocabulary introduced in the lesson.
3. name the different directions of movement presented in class.
4. cooperate in small and large group activities.
5. manipulate an object while performing directional skills.

 

Pennsylvania Dance Standards:

9.1.3.A – Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts    and humanities.

ª          Elements

·        Dance:  space

9.1.3.C – Recognize and use fundamental vocabulary within each of the art forms.

 

National Standard:

1.  Identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing dance

ª          traveling forward, backward, sideward, up, down, and diagonally.

 

Vocabulary:

Direction

  -  forward, backward, right side, left side, up, down, and diagonal

Locomotor movement

Non-locomotor movement

Pathway

Level

Shape

Place (personal or self-space and general)

 

 

 

Opening:  (3 minutes) – pg. 121-122 Creative Dance

1.  Introduction:  The teacher will inform the students that today’s lesson will be exploring the six different directions the body can move.  Ask the class what they think those directions are (forward, backward, right side, left side, up, and down.)  Ask the students which parts of the body lead us in those certain directions (ex. What part of the body leads you forward through space? – front surface.)  Which part leads you backward?  (Back surface.)  Sideways?  (right sides lead right, left side leads left.)  Up?  (usually the head or top surface.)  Down?  (Feet.)

2.  Have the class move around the room in a forward direction.  Ask the class if they reach a wall, do they have to stop moving forward?  (No, we can turn away and let our front lead us to a new place in the room.)  Have the class move around the room in the different directions the teacher assigns.

3.  Ask the students if they think diagonal is a separate direction.  Explain that it is three directions occurring at the same time.  For example, up/side/forward, down/side/forward, up/side/back, down/side/back.  The diagonal begins in the center of our body and stretches through our fingers and toes, making three-dimensional shapes.  Have the students move in a diagonal direction (up/side/forward.)

 

Warm-Up:  (4 minutes) – pg. 125 Creative Dance

1.  The students will be scattered around the dance floor.  Each student will have a streamer or balloon to manipulate for the warm-up.

2.  With the streamer or balloon, the students will move in different directions assigned by the teacher around the dance floor.  By holding the streamer or balloon in different positions, the students will be able to see the different directions they are performing.

3.  The teacher will then lead the class in performing different upper and lower body stretches while manipulating the streamer or balloon.  The stretches will be performed in different directions using different body parts to manipulate the objects.

 

Exploration:  (7 minutes) – pgs. 123, 126 Creative Dance

1.  Add-A-Part:  The students will make a shape with one body part stretching forward, one down, and one backward; try the same directions with three different body parts.  The students will add another body part reaching sideways; then a fifth part reaching up.  Add one more body part reaching to the other side.  The students may use any body part they want including fingers, eyeballs, hips, head, etc.  The students will repeat this once more, making a different shape with their body parts.    

2. Magnets:  The students will find a partner to work with.  One person in each group will raise their hand; this student will be the leader.  The object is to imagine their hands are magnets and the leader must ‘push’ or ‘pull’ their partner through space in different directions.  As they become more comfortable moving together, they may increase their speed around the dance floor.  They may also perform different locomotor movements the teacher assigns them.  The teacher will signal when to change leaders.

 

Creation and Cool-Down:  (6 minutes) – pg. 127 Creative Dance

1.  Shape Museum:  One student from each group will kneel on the ground.  Those students who are kneeling will find a spot in the room and make a shape pointing in a certain direction.  The other half of the class will dance around the different shapes.  The students must copy one shape and hold that shape until someone copies them.  When someone copies another student, that student must dance around the ‘statues’, but must dance in the direction that their statue was pointing.  For example, if you were in a forward shape, you must dance forward to a new shape.  The teacher will demonstrate the object of the activity if the students do not understand.

2.  Review:  After the activity, the teacher will ask the class what the six different directions are and what the diagonal direction means.