Curated OER
Flip and Flop: An Adaptation Through Dancing Echoes with Shapes and Locomotor Movement
Dancers practice echoing through dance. They listen to a story "Flip and Flop" and then are put into pairs. One partner is Flip, while the other is Flop. Flip creates a shape by dancing, and Flop, the other student, echoes that shape by...
Curated OER
Dancing Polygons and Non-Polygons with Patterns
Second graders study movements. In this dance lesson, 2nd graders draw patterns selecting one to represent through movement with their body.
Curated OER
James Wyeth: Capturing Dance
Students draw portraits of a dancer. In this visual-arts lesson plan, students study the work of James Wyeth online. They then watch a dance performance and sketch 10 - 15 pieces depicting dancers. Five of these sketches will be selected...
Curated OER
Changing Energy: Landforms and Dance
Third graders choreograph a dance to represent the changes in nature. In this dance and nature lesson plan, 3rd graders use sharp quick movements to demonstrate changes.
Curated OER
Exploring and Using Shapes to Make a Dance
Second graders use their bodies to create various shapes to make a dance when given various music and beats. In this shapes and dance lesson plan, 2nd graders create lines, curves, twists, and angles with their bodies.
Curated OER
Elementary School Health and Wellness Fair
This is a nice idea for high school students to organize and present a Health and Wellness Fair at a local elementary school. It looks like it would take a lot of organization, but would certainly build community relationships. There are...
Curated OER
Leaf Dances
Students spend time on their school grounds collecting different types of leaves. Using the leaf, they take watercolors and paint one side and make leaf prints on their paper. To end the lesson, they hang their pictures on the wall to...
Curated OER
La Raspa, Mexican Hat Dance, and Cinco De Mayo Celebration
Learn two dances that your class can perform at a Cinco De Mayo school celebration. This is really an outline and would be better used if there were plans for how to teach the dance steps. The idea is good to teach the cultural...
Curated OER
Beyond the AB Pattern in Dance
Learners demonstrate various patterns using dance. In this expressive arts lesson, students are led in a warm-up to demonstrate the AAB pattern, which includes spinning and jumping. Learners are broken up into groups and perform several...
Curated OER
Swing Your Partner!
This was written for ESOL learners, but could work for any elementary class. Learners read about the American dance style known as Square Dancing. They explore its use in literature, write a friendly letter about it, and then use their...
Curated OER
Analyzing Two Dances and Making a Dance Map: The Nutcracker
Students discuss dance elements and create a dance map. They choose a dance theme and incorporate movement into their dance maps and choreography. They also experiment with different types of music.
Curated OER
1920s Variety Show
To better understand the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and become familiar with its major figures, class members examine a painting by Aaron Douglas and a poem by Langston Hughes and compare how the artists develop...
Curated OER
Grand Canyon Suite
Take a trip to the Grand Canyon! Lesson one explores how Ferde Grofe painted a musical landscape of America when he wrote the Grand Canyon Suite. Learners then examine art that shows the Grand Canyon in lesson two. Finally, lesson three...
Curated OER
Dance Transitions
Students create a small group dance that addresses free-flowing techniques and transitions for in-class performance. This lesson meets state arts standards and includes rubric for assessment.
Curated OER
Pantomime vs. Abstract Gesture
Students explain dance as a way to create and communicate meaning and demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture.
Curated OER
Aerobics/Dance Project
High schoolers create original dances or aerobics routines in groups.
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The Dancing Flute
Students use a cardboard tubes as props as they create their own dance steps to express the emotions invoked in a portion of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.
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Dancing a Christmas Carol
Students explore dance. They analyze and outline the movements of the dance "Roger de Coverly" from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Students choose music and choreograph a dance similar to "Roger de Coverly." They perform the dance....
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Aztec Dance
Seventh graders study Aztec dance to learn about their culture and civilization. In this Aztec study instructional activity, 7th graders watch a video of Aztec dancers and describe the dance on an index card. Students visit a website to...
Teaching Tolerance
Artistic Expression Showcase
No one is too young to create a masterpiece. Elementary artists delve into the topic of social justice with original artwork. Scholars keep journals to reflect on their experiences before putting paintbrush to paper. Final artwork is...
Curated OER
Aerobics/Dance Project
Students, in groups, create original dances or aerobics routines.
Curated OER
Dancing with Dionysus
Sixth graders research Ancient Greek culture by acting in a play for the festival of Dionysus. In this Greek culture instructional activity, 6th graders study an ancient Greek map and the Sarcophagus Dionysus from the Walters Art Museum...
Curated OER
Weather Dance
Fourth graders discuss the many elements of weather. They research an aspect of weather they find most interesting. They create movements to go along with the element they have chosen.
Curated OER
A Closer Look
Students observe an ordinary scene and look for elements of design, dynamics, spatial elements, and music. they then create their own everyday dance.