Middle School Lesson Plan

Standard: Students will understand and demonstrate choreographic principles, processes, and structures

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• use improvisation to solve movement problems with a group
• demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in a small group during a collaborative choreographic process
• describe specific choreographers' movement vocabularies and compositional techniques

Standard: Students will demonstrate and evaluate the making of dance.

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• choose a topic of personal choice and create a dance that communicates a particular interpretation or meaning
• compare and contrast two dance compositions in terms of space, time, and force/energy

Preparation: (Students must know and be able to memorize basic movements.) Students brainstorm a list of contrasting emotions. Then they are divided into groups. Each group selects two contrasting emotions from the list generated by the entire class.

The dance problem to solve is presented: create a group movement study about the selected contrasting emotions.

The guidelines for the assignment are:

1. Pay attention to the element of "transition." Transition is defined as the necessary bridge which connects one movement to the next. Transition is the key element of the group movement task.
2. Consider and utilize ideas from all group members in the movement study.
3. Be able to explain the reasons for your choreographic choices.

Activity: Groups collaborate to create their movement study based on the two contrasting emotions they've chosen. (Expect some conflicts to emerge and remind them of guideline #2, an essential part of conflict resolution.)

After consensus is reached, the groups have a brief rehearsal period. They then perform their completed project for their peers. After each movement study is presented, the entire class discusses the choreographic choices of the group, as well as the use of contrast and transition.

Assessment: Students may write a portfolio/journal entry evaluating their group's choices and their role in the process of creating the movement study.

Based on a lesson by Jean Hedrich, Delaware