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Bleacher Dance - Adding to School Spirit
Looking for some moves to do in the bleachers while at a school sports event? This lesson teaches two sets of 32-counts. The moves can basically be done while standing up in the bleachers!. The amount of movement will be determined by...
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Stuck Like Glue 4 - Wall Line Dance
Heel, toe, heel, toe, grapevine, stomp. Put some basic dance steps together and get moving. Teach this 32-count series to your class and when they've got the steps down add some music. "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland has a great beat and...
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Celebrate Oktoberfest with the Polka
Here's a pretty comprehensive instructional activity on the polka. There is information on the origins of the polka and the history of Oktoberfest. There is even a list of how to count to ten in Polish, Czech, and German. Include or skip...
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Firework Dance
Teach some dance moves to "Firework" by Katy Perry. It's such an upbeat song, you will have those dancers moving and wanting to move more! There are four 16-count parts to learn. It's not too complicated. Teach them the steps, then put...
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Occupy the Gym Floor
There are eight different steps in this line dance lesson: angle step, jump step, punch step, marching step, grapevine step, turn step, stop step, and down step. Each step has it's own eight-count. Teach these steps to youngsters and...
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Yoga Ball Bash
This line dance lesson involves the use of PE equipment. If you have yoga balls and rhythm sticks then take a look at this lesson. Of course there are other things that could be used instead of yoga balls. This is a 48-count dance...
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Triple Step Stomp
Here's a 32-count line dance to the song "Disturbia" by Rihanna. This dance introduces the triple-step. It's a quick right-left-right or a quick left-right-left step. It's not complicated. The really nice thing about this lesson is that...
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Adapting "List/Group/Label" to Literature
Need a prereading activity in line with the Common Core Standards for Language? Although designed for grades 11 and 12, the procedure detailed in this resource could be used with most grade levels. Prior to reading, select 20 – 25 words...
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KWHL Questioning Strategy for Briar Rose
Whether new to the KWHL strategy or not readers of Briar Rose will benefit from the detailed procedures and templates designed for Jane Yolen’s novel. Links are provided for research into the Holocaust and activities reveal the many...
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Michael Jackson's “Beat It” Dance
Looking for a line dance? Look no further. This dance is performed to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". It is comprised of four eight-counts. The moves consist of walking forward, swinging the hips, doing the grapevine, walking backwards, and...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit - Lesson 20
“A primary reason for communication is to reach UNDERSTANDING — not necessarily AGREEMENT.” Black Tiger Academy’s final martial arts lesson of 20 is bringing it all together to review what has been learned in the previous 19 lessons....
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit - Lesson 19
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."—Father James Keller. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson plan 19 of 20 focuses on the class recognizing their peers for the positive qualities that each one of them brings to the...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit - Lesson 16
“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.”—Author Unknown. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson 16 of 20 begins talking about calories. The class takes a look at menus from Burger...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 5
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson five of 20 has a great team building activity in which a small group is...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 4
“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”—William James. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson plan four of 20 introduces several other styles of martial arts and a...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 3
“A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up.” Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson three of 20 focuses on cardiovascular exercise and activities that get that heart pumping. There are quite a few activities to...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 2
”If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.”—Henry Ford. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson two of 20 continues with the class getting to know each other. There is review of the crane stance, the cat...
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Landforms of Illinois
Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...
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Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Middle schoolers take a close look at the prairie environment. They identify common plants and animals of the prairie. In addition, pupils work in teams in order to put together a presentation on a certain aspect of the prairie...
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Rural Life During the Great Depression: A Year Down Yonder
“Anyone who thinks small towns are friendlier than big cities lives in a big city.” Mary Alice, the fifteen-year-old narrator of A Year Down Yonder, is forced to leave Chicago and spend a year with her Grandma Dowdel in a small rural...
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Sediment Sleuths
Are you looking for a good, solid activity on sedimentary rocks? This one, produced by the Illinois State Museum, is just such a activity. Middle schoolers identify common rocks and minerals by analyzing sediments from local water...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 18
“There are no short cuts to any place worth going."—Beverly Sills. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson 18 of 20 focuses on goal setting. Discuss the difference between short-term goals and long-term goals. Then practice setting a...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 17
“Well begun is half done."—Aristotle. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson 17 of 20 continues to discuss fast foods and their cumulative effects. This lesson not only looks at calories, but also at the amounts of fats and sugars in...
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Black Tiger Academy Martial Arts Fitness Unit – Lesson 15
“A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself … He belongs to whatever can make captive of him.”—John Foster. Black Tiger Academy’s martial arts lesson 15 of 20 teaches the class about positive character...