Elementary School Unit (Grade 5)

DAY ONE DANCE WORKSHOP

The unit continued with a dance and music component that reinforced the students' reading of THE CAY.

Indicators of Achievement: Students will:

• begin to form their own definitions of dance through brainstormin
• develop their critical thinking skills by describing, interpreting and evaluating exemplary dance works
• compare and contrast two of three dances viewed

Materials:

• VCR and monitor
  
• Videotapes - "Sinner Man" by Alvin Ailey, "Ostrich Dance" by Asadata Defora, "Riverdance" excerpt
• "Elements of Dance" handout (Adapted from Anne Green Gilbert and used only for teacher reference here. See end of Day ONe Workshop for copy.) The handout was modified from the Green list as a result of their brainstorming and given to the students during the next class
• THE CAY, Theodore Taylor (Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1995)

Vocabulary: derived from student brainstorming and related to the "Elements of Dance"

Activities: Brainstorm about dance. Ask students to write three or four words that come to mind when they think of dance. Have them share their lists. Categorize the words to conform to the "Elements of Dance" handout.

Suggest that there are many ways to think and talk about dance. One way is to DESCRIBE it (the first category on Deciphering Dance)--dancers, costumes, music, storyline, etc.. Relate the concepts to those they brainstormed earlier. Assign students a subcategory from the second area on "Deciphering Dance"--ANALYZE (space, time force, body, movement, form). View "Sinner Man" twice. Have them look for their analysis category. Students share and discuss their observations. Continue to relate the concepts to those they brainstormed earlier.

Discuss what it means to INTERPRET a dance (the third area from "Deciphering Dance"). Talk about "Sinner Man" and what they thought it meant. Continue to relate the concepts to those they brainstormed earlier.

Discuss the process of EVALUATION (the fourth area from "Deciphering Dance"). Explain how it is important to go beyond a "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" response and that evaluation often involves COMPARING AND CONTRASTING. Watch the "Ostrich Dance." Compare and contrast it with "Sinner Man." Go back to the first two categories, DESCRIBE and ANALYZE, for areas on which to focus.

View the excerpt from "Riverdance." Compare and contrast it to the other two dances.

Discuss THE CAY, (The students were currently reading it in class.) Discuss how the two main characters, Timothy and Phillip, are very different from one another. Note that they, too, can be COMPARED AND CONTRASTED in terms of how they move through time and space, and their energy.

Assignment: Have the students answer the questions and put them in their Integrated Arts portfolio. JOURNAL QUESTIONS, DAY 1
Write about two of the three dances you saw today. Describe each briefly and give three to five differences and three to five similarities.

Assessment: To check for understanding, you may ask the following questions:

• Did the students use the dance elements terminology correctly to discuss and write about the dances?
• Can the students differentiate between the four steps in the critical inquiry process?

The Elements of Dance based on list from Anne Green Gilbert

The Concept of Space

• place - self space/general space
• size - big/small, far reach/near reach
• level - low/middle/high
• direction - forward/backward, right/left, up/down
• pathway - curved/straight/zig zag
• focus - single focus/multi focus

The Concept of Time

• speed - fast/slow
• rhythm - pulse/pattern/breath

The Concept of Force

• energy - sharp (sudden)/smooth (sustained)
  
• weight - strong/light
  
• flow - bound/free

The Concept of Body

• parts - head, neck, arms, wrists, elbows, hands, fingers, pelvis, spine, trunk, legs, knees, feet, toes, ankles, heels, shoulders, etc.
  
• shapes - curved/straight, angular/twisted, symmetrical/ asymmetrical
  
• relationships - body parts to body parts, individuals to groups, body parts to objects, individuals and groups to objects: near/far, meeting/parting, alone, connected, mirroring/shadowing, unison/contrast, over/under, above/below, around/through, beside/between, on/off, gathering/scattering, in/out, etc.
  
• balance - on balance/off balance

The Concept of Movement

• locomotor - basic: walk, run, jump, hop, leap, gallop, slide, skip, crawl, roll
  
• combined: step-hop, waltz run, schottische, two-step, grapevine, jog, prance, slither, creep,etc.
  
• non-locomotor - bend, twist, stretch, swing, push, pull, fall, melt, sway, turn, spin, dodge, kick, poke, lift, carve, curl, lunge, slash, dab, punch, flick, float, glide, press, wring, shake, rise, sink, burst, wiggle, etc.

The Concept of Form

• recurring theme - theme in variation, canon, round
  
• ABA - a = one phrase, b = different phrase
  
• abstract - a geometric form, not representational
  
• narrative - in the form of a story, representational
  
• suite - moderate beginning, slow center, fast end
  
• broken form - unrelated ideas, often used for humor

Performance Elements

• dancers
  
• music
  
• costumes
  
• lights
  
• sets and props (create the environment for the dance)
  
• theme, idea, story

The students, list was not nearly this elaborate and it was THEIR list that they put in their notebooks.

Other Thoughts: (example from the Broadmor students) talent, skill, good at it, graceful, strength, flexible, practice, freedom, peaceful, feelings, floor, barre

DAY TWO DANCE WORKSHOP

Achievement Indicators: Students will:

• continue to develop a dance knowledge base through experiencing and exploring the dance elements introduced in the first lesson.
• students will understand the differences between Phillip and Timothy (the two characters from THE CAY) as they relate to movement

Materials:

• CD player and CDs
• hand drum and mallet
• large dance concepts chart to display
• 30 copies of modified "Elements of Dance" handout
• 30 journal copies of questions

Vocabulary:

• warm-up
• improvisation
• dance elements:

  space - levels, focus
  force - bound and free
  movement - locomotor and non-locomotor

Activities:
Warm-up Wiggle and Shake. Beginning on the ground, using a drum for accompaniment, students perform each of the following movements for approximately eight counts. Repeat once or twice.

wiggle and shake
slap and tap
spin or roll
run or jog
freeze in a shape
change shapes several times vmelt to the floor

• Isolation Stretch. Students stand in a circle. Explain that each student will be responsible for leading the class in a stretch that focuses on one part of the body (neck, shoulders, back, etc.). The teacher provides an example and then one by one, in order, students demonstrate a movement which the entire class performs. Emphasize that they are responsible for their own bodies and must work carefully.

Explorations:

• SPACE/levels - Timothy, who can see, moves at more levels that the blinded and frightened Phillip. Phillip stays close to the ground until he becomes more comfortable with his environment. Ask students to listen and move to the music. It's pitch or dynamic can indicate the level to move at. (High sound = high movement. Low sound = low movement. Loud sound = high movement. Soft sound = low movement.)
• FORCE/bound and free - Timothy moves freely about his environment. He is confident because he can see where he is going. Phillip is tense and afraid because of his blindness.

  1) Do a resistance exercise where students, in pairs, take turns holding their partner's arms down by their sides for 15-20 counts and then releasing the arms to experience the sensation of bound and free movement qualities.
  2) Water and Ice

  • Students form lines at one end of the room.
  • The first person in each line begins to move freely through the space.
  • On a drum and/or verbal cue such as "cold," dancers begin to move less freely.
  • On a second cue ("colder"), students move in an even more bound or restricted fashion.
  • On the third cue ("coldest"), students slow down and move with even more effort until the teacher says "freeze."
  • Repeat until everyone has gone across once.
  • Students can turn around and come back from the other side to reverse the process by starting out in a frozen shape and "thawing" out little by little on cue.

• MOVEMENT/locomotor and non-locomotor - Timothy can travel through space moving from one place to another. Phillip tends to stay in one location and move in the space immediately around his body.
  • Explore several locomotor movements such as walking, running, sliding, skipping, hopping, etc..
    
  • Put four locomotor movements into a sequence and perform each for eight to sixteen counts to music.
    
  • Explore several non-locomotor movements such as twisting, turning, reaching, melting, bending, etc..
    
  • Put four non-locomotor movements into a sequence and perform each for eight to sixteen counts to music.
    
  • Put the two sequences together by alternating 4-8 locomotor and non-locomotor movements and perform to music. (i.e. walk/twist/ skip/melt/run/leap/hop/turn)

Closure:

• Discuss the compare and contrast assignment from the previous day.
• Review the dance concepts explored in class and how they related to the characters.
• Distribute and briefly discuss their modified "Elements of Dance" handout.
• Distribute the journal questions.

Journal Questions, Day Two
1. What did you learn about Timothy and Phillip today? How might it feel to move like them?
2. What did you learn about dance today? What else would you like to learn about dance?
3. What did you enjoy most about dancing today? The least?

Assessment: To check for understanding, you may ask the following questions:

• Can the students respond correctly to verbal cues which include dance vocabulary?
• Do the students use the dance elements terminology correctly to discuss and write about their dance experiences?
• Are the students beginning to see and respond physically to the relationship between dance, music and the main characters in THE CAY?
• Are the students able to connect and recall a simple sequence of movement?
• Are the students moving more confidently and freely in their improvisations?

DAY THREE DANCE WORKSHOP

Achievement Indicators: Students will continue to explore the relationship between Timothy and Phillip through mirroring and shadowing activities that require sensitivity and attention to the movement of a leader and the group. (This is based on the need for Timothy and Phillip to cooperate in order to survive. They must work together even though they don't know each other very well and come from very different cultures.)

Materials:

• CD player and CDs
• large dance concepts chart to display
• 30 copies of journal questions
• assortment of percussion instruments including a hand drum with mallet

Vocabulary:

• mirroring
  
• shadowing
  
• cooperation
  
• trust

Activities: Warm-up

• Stretch - Students begin in a seated, cross-legged position, the teacher leads them through a series of stretches to music which are each held for approximately 30 seconds (or 32-48 counts of music). The stretches are:

release the body forward while seated
release the body over the right and then the left leg
uncurl the spine to sit tall and curve and reach sideways (perform to both sides)
stretch the legs forward and release the body over the legs
open the legs to a second or straddle position, stretch forward and to both sides
bring legs together and return to cross-legged position

• Repeat "Wiggle and Shake." Students can be invited to provide the accompaniment by playing the drum or another instrument of choice

Exploration: Timothy and Phillip had to learn to work together and cooperate in order to survive on the island. Students learn to pay close attention to each other through mirroring and shadowing exercises.

• Mirroring

  The teacher leads the group.
  Student volunteers lead the group.
  Student volunteers are placed on four sides of the group, one at a time each leads with the rest facing them, students will need to make a 1/4 turn to change their facing and reorient themselves to the new leader.

• Shadowing - It is more difficult to lead someone when you can't see them; you have to TRUST that they are following you. Sometimes leadership roles change within a group and individuals must learn to give and take for the good of the group.

  The teacher leads the group.
  Student volunteers lead the group.

Square Dance

• Students get into groups of 4 and form a square with one student standing on each "corner" of the square facing inward.
  
• Each foursome chooses a leader and has him or her face outward, the other three students then shift their orientation to SHADOW the leader.
  
• The leader begins to move and remains the leader until he or she passes the leadership by changing his or her facing - the leader is always the only one who cannot see the others.

Circle Dance - This activity requires the students to focus on only one person and ignore peripheral movement; they must be attentive and patient.

• The entire group forms a circle and faces either clockwise or counter clockwise.
  
• Students may not move until the person directly in front of them moves and then they can only copy exactly what that person does. Movement will be quite subtle at first.
  
• Discuss what happened. (Sometimes someone will deliberately move instead of waiting; often students will make the movement bigger than what they saw or focus on the movement they anticipate will come around rather than what the person in front of them is actually doing.)
  
• Give them a chance to initiate movement. Designate the first person to start. "Wavelike" movement will be sent around the circle.
  
• Repeat the dance if time allows.

Closure:

• Discuss their responses to the previous journal questions.
  
• Relate the day's activities to the relationship between Phillip and Timothy.
• Distribute new journal questions.

Journal Questions, Day Three

1. What did you learn about Timothy and Phillip today? How do you think it would feel to be Phillip? How would it feel to be Timothy? Think about what it means to trust others and be responsible.
2. What words would you use to describe Timothy's movement? What words would you use to describe Phillip's movement? What sounds or instruments do you hear or can you imagine when you think of these two characters?
3. What did you enjoy the most about dancing today? The least?

Assessment: To check for understanding, you may ask the following questions:

• Do the students use the dance elements terminology correctly to discuss and write about their dance experiences?
  
• Are the students continuing to develop an awareness of the relationship between dance, music and the main characters in THE CAY?
  
• Are the students able to listen and follow directions?
  
• Are the students moving more confidently and freely in their movements?
  
• Are the students becoming more sensitive to their individual roles and responsibilities in the large and small groups?
  
• Are the students becoming more aware of the potential for using movement to communicate feeling?

DAY FOUR DANCE WORKSHOP

Achievement Indicators: Students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of tempo by moving slow or fast
• demonstrate an understanding of acceleration and deceleration as they relate to the dance element of force by moving smoothly or sharply
• find their way through a maze with tone color clues

Materials:

• CD player and CDs
• crepe paper cut into yard long pieces (one for each student)
• 4 different instruments
• 1 blindfold

Vocabulary:

• echoing
• TEMPO/fast and slow
• accelerate/decelerate
• FORCE/smooth and sharp energy

Activities: Warm-up

• Repeat "Wiggle and Shake."
  
• "Je Je Kule." This is a West Afridan game chant that requires listening and watching. The teacher sings the song and improvises movement for each phrase. Students echo the movement and song. As students learn the words and tune, they take turns making up the movement. The words are:
  Je Je Kule (jay jay kool-ay)

  Je Kovisa (jay ko-vee-sa)
  Kovisa Lunga (ko-vee-sa lunga)
  Bya tu lunga (by-a-too-lun-ga)
  Um a le a le a (um a laya laya)
  Um a le a le a (um a laya laya)

Explorations: Timothy can move quickly when he needs and wants to because he can see where he is going. Phillip must inch along, moving cautiously and slowly.

• TEMPO
  Each student is given a piece of crepe paper and asked to move with it to two selections of music. One selection will be very slow, the other very fast. Discuss which tempo they preferred and how it felt to dance with the music.
  Divide the group in half. Ask one group to dance against the tempo of the music while the other watches. If the music is fast they must move slowly; if the music is slow they must move quickly. Discuss how this made them feel, both as performer and as spectator.
  Have the students move to music that changes tempo, that accelerates and/or decelerates.

• FORCE/sharp and smooth energy flow
  The Odd Couple
  Students experiment with smooth and sharp movements. Discuss how sharp movement tends to be quick while smooth movement is usually slow.
  Have the students work in pairs and move together, connected in some way.
  Experiment with moving smoothly and then quickly. Discuss how easy or difficult this was to do, note how important it was for partners to work together to coordinate their movements.
  Designate one partner as the smooth mover and the other partner as the sharp mover. Experiment with trying to move through space (using locomotor movement) and/or in place (using non-locomotor or axial movement) with these contrasting qualities.
  Discuss how this felt to them and how Timothy and Phillip must have felt when trying to work together.

• THE MAZE. One student is the director. Four students play an instrument at the direction of the director. One students is blind-folded. The class then sits on the floor in a random pattern. Once the students create the maze, they cannot change it. The director then guides the "blind" student through the maze with pre-arranged tone color clues. No verbal clues are allowed. Examples of the the pre-arranged clues could be:
  
  triangle - move to the right
  drum - move to the left
  quiro - move forward
  wood block - move backwards

Closure:

• Review and discuss activities and dance and music concepts and how they relate to THE CAY.
• Discuss assignments and pass out assignment information.

Journal Questions, Day Four 1. In your own words, DESCRIBE the storm. How did it begin? What happened in the middle? How did it end?

2. Next, begin to think like a choreographer. Look at the description you wrote. Underline any words that give you movement ideas. Then, look at your list of dance elements and words. Make a list of dance words that relate to the storm. for example, think about how the element of time would be seen in a dance about the storm. Does the storm have a particular rhythm? Is there a sense of beat or pulse? What would the tempo be? Would the energy of movement be sharp or smooth? Free flowing or bound? When during the storm would these qualities occur?

3. Begin to brainstorm about a storm dance. Write and draw your own ideas. Think about the movement and think about the instruments that could accompany it. Bring this information to our next class. It will be helpful when we begin to choreograph.

Assessment: To check for understanding, you may ask the following questions:

• Do the students use the dance elements terminology correctly to discuss and write about their dance experiences?
  
• Are the students continuing to develop an awareness of the relationship between dancer, music and the main characters in THE CAY?
  
• Are the students able to listen and follow directions?
  
• Are the students demonstrating confidence and increased creativity when improvising?
  
• Did the students work together effectively in the improvisations?
  
• Are the students becoming more aware of the potential of using movement to communicate an idea?

DAY FIVE AND SIX DANCE WORKSHOP

Achievement Indicators: Students will:

• work in groups to synthesize the story, dance workshops, music lessons and in-class language arts activities to produce a "Storm Dance" which will be shared with the class and videotaped
• analyze and evaluate their work using the "Critical Thinking Activity" form

Materials:

• CD player and CDs
• pencils and paper
• assortment of instruments
• dance chart
• "Critical Thinking Activity" form for each student

• choreography
  
• abstract
  
• literal
  
• gesture

Activities: Warm-up
Repeat "Wiggle and Shake" and call to the students' attention how they use the dance elements in the activity.
Repeat "Je Je Kule" using sports movement to illustrate the abstraction of gestures that occurs in dances.
Mirroring - The teacher leads the students through the activity three times talking through it and changing the emphasis of the movement in order to review the dance elements of FORCE, TIME AND SPACE.

• Read a few of their storm descriptions and discuss.
• Group-work - Form three groups; give each group a pen and piece of paper to record their ideas. The classroom teacher, the dance instructor and the music specialist each supervise one group.
  • Share the ideas generated by the assignment given the previous class.
    
  • Work together to connect them to dance movements.
    
  • Sketch out the structure of the dance.
    
  • Try as many of their ideas a possible.
    
  • Share their "rough drafts" or "sloppy copy" with the whole class, recording any feedback for use when revising.
    
  • Work again to make changes and further develop ideas.

Closure: Tell the students that on the next day they will have some additional time to work and rehearse. The music specialist will help them select instruments to accompany their dances.

Tape the dances after the students have been able to create the music and rehearse their dances to the music.
Give each student the "Critical Thinking Activity" form to complete and put in their notebooks.

Assessment: To check for understanding, you may ask the following questions:

• Do the students use the dance elements terminology correctly and fluently to discuss and write about their dance experiences? (in discussions, journal entries, and other writing assignments)
  
• Have students developed sufficient understanding of the dance and music elements and THE CAY to create a brief dance? (Story Dances)
  
• Did the students demonstrate confidence and increased creativity when improvising and choreographing? (directed improvisations and Storm Dances)
  
• Did students work together effectively on their choreography? (Storm Dance)
  
• Have students developed an understanding of how it is possible to communicate an idea through dance and music that was originally experienced in another form? (the storm near the end of THE CAY)
  
• Are students able to use this knowledge to describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate their own work? ("Critical Thinking Activity")

Dance, Music and Language Arts lessons by Kathy Lindholm Lane, Dance Department, ASU; Bev Hamilton, music specialist for Broadmor School; and Darlene Johnson, 5th grade classroom teacher, Broadmor School, Tempe, AZ