Creative Dance Curriculum Design: Unlocking the Imagination

NATIONAL DANCE ASSOCIATIONAAHPERD, CHARLOTTE, NC

APRIL 24, 2013 7:30AM

HANNAH PARKLANDER UNIVERSITY

Sample Lesson Plan: Dance and Drama — The Narrative of the Imagination

Dance and Drama Objectives Dance

Explore the elements of dance, space, time, and energy.DramaExplore the theatrical elements of setting, character, conflict, and resolution.

Language Arts: The Eight Literacy Standards

In using the term literacy, we refer to reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Oral Language is the foundation of all literacy. Oral language correlates with reading comprehension. It involves any kind of communication, including non-verbal communication.

Curriculum Objectives/Springboards

Concepts of Print includes right to left, up to

Concepts of Print: Concepts of print include right to left, up to down, front to back, and one to one matching of words to speech. How do you read a book? Where do you finish?

Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Phonological awareness is an umbrella that covers phonemic awareness, as well as rhyming words, syllabi, and onset/rhyme. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the smallest sounds in speech.

Phonics and Spelling: Phonics and spelling involve how words work, and how sounds are applied through letters to create and decode words. Example: Evaporate is a verb, while evaporation is a noun. Read is a verb, while reader is a noun.

Fluency: Fluency is the ability of students to accurately read texts at an adequate rate, with appropriate prosody (expression and phrasing). Good reading fluency frees students from decoding and allows them to easily understand what is read.

Curriculum Objectives/Springboards

Vocabulary can be expanded through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In our current language arts programs, we need to do a better job of teaching tier-two or “robust” words that enhance language. This means expanding vocabulary.

Comprehension is the reason for reading. It involves the understanding of meaning.

Writing creates meaning. When we write, we improve comprehension.

Life Skills involve students working individually and in groups, solving problems, performing, and reflecting.

Moving & Investigating

Whole body stretches, focusing on lines in 8, 4, 2, 1.

Move through space for 8 counts. Create a shape for 8 counts. Create a combined shape with a partner that becomes a scene.

Expand the scene to create a tableau (conscience tracking). Allow the shapes to move.

Move in space for 8 counts and create a shape for 8 counts. Your shape is a character. Interact with your partner’s character.

With a new partner, determine who is the predator and who is the prey. Move for 16 counts, chasing and being pursued. Reverse roles. Resolve the conflict.

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Curriculum Tie-InMath: Counting.

Language Arts: Parts of speech, creating sentences, exploring parts of a story (tell it and write it).

Life Skills: Sharing space, working individually, with partners, and in a group, solving problems, performing, reflecting, and assessing.

Brainstorm with the listening chart.

Listen to four sections of music, for setting, character, conflict, and resolution. Create phrases or sentences. Create a first draft of four spectacular sentences.

Create a setting and make it move, as explored in the warm-up and investigating section. This is the entrance into space. Bookend the beginning and the ending of a drama with the setting.

Build characters and dialogue from conscience tracking. Develop the conflict and the story. Create a resolution. Exit the space.

In groups, share the dramas. Connect them, moving from one drama to the next to create an entire piece of three to four stories. Watch the dramas and assess, contextualize, and expand.

Music Suggestions, Props, and Teaching Aids

Music with a clear setting and climaxPercussion instrumentsVisuals to tell a story

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“Arts integration allows us to build chefs who make choices, not cooks who merely follow recipes"- Susan Riley

Thank You!