Pearson
Musical Theater Performance
Musical theater is a trifecta, requiring cast members to be actors, singers, and dancers. Help theater arts students develop these skills with a unit designed to prepare them for a staging of a musical.
Art Institute of Chicago
Act It Out
Examine two works of art and use these pieces as inspiration for dialogues. The whole class discusses Renoir's Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise and Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge. Then, in groups of either three or ten, pupils...
Curated OER
Clerihew Dances II
Third graders explore rhythm and quality of word and phrased to that of dance. They move to the rhythm of poetry.
Curated OER
Clerihew Dances III, 4 and 5
Third graders relate dance movements to chants. They tap out the rhythm of poetry on different body parts.
All for KIDZ
Giraffes Can’t Dance Concepts: Giraffes Can't Dance
Teach young children that with a little perseverance and the help of a good friend, anything is possible. This two-part lesson series based on the book Giraffe's Can't Dance starts with a shared reading about Gerald and his attempts to...
Curated OER
Balloon Dance
Young learners love creative movement. Here is a instructional activity that allows them to imitate balloons floating away by doing a "Balloon Dance." They start on the ground as if they are flat balloons with no air in them. The music...
Curated OER
Mirror Exercise
Kids get up and act! To promote inventiveness, timing, and clowning, they pair up and act as though they are looking in a mirror. Child A does a move while child B attempts to mimic it as closely as possible. This is a fun activity that...
Johnny Mercer Foundation
The American Musical
General music students learn about the history of popular American music by creating and performing a one-act musical. After researching and creating an American Musical timeline, class members write a song with lyrics using Jam Studio,...
Curated OER
Lesson: Daria Martin: Body as Language
There is a wonderful magic that happens when artists collaborate. Kids examine storytelling through collaborative art. Inspired by Rodin's sculpture Minotaur, Daria Martin and Anna Halprin create a filmed dance sequence. Kids analyze the...
Curated OER
Tug of War Exercise
Learners hone their acting and imagination by playing tug-o-war with an imaginary rope. Each group works together and pretends to pull the other group over the imaginary line with an imaginary rope. This could be a good improve warm up...
Curated OER
Israel
The class creates and performs a movement performance of the creation story found in the Jewish tradition. This lesson begins with the research of Israeli culture and culminates in a performance of the narrated creation story....
Missouri Department of Elementary
Friendship Line Dancing
Develop social awareness with a lesson that challenges scholars to properly communicate with their peers. Standing in two lines, participants practice introducing themselves, asking how their partner is feeling, asks if they want to...
Curated OER
1st Grade - Act. 16: Dancing Mice
First graders creating mouse attached to a helium balloon, and dance around to the sound of some fun music.
Curated OER
Movement
Students experiment and explore a variety of instruments and movements. They play rhythms on instruments, spell words using their bodies, act out the movements of a song, role-play machine parts as a group, pantomime an activity, and...
Curated OER
Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Do the Animal Dance!
Students create a dance based on animal movements. In this kinesthetic lesson plan, the students will read and imitate animals in a creative way and share their dances with the group. The lesson includes a take-home activity and a math...
Honors College at Scholar Commons
From Start to Strike: A Lesson Plan for the Whole Theatre Experience
Introduce young thespians to all aspects of the theater. A syllabus for a one-semester drama course provides lessons that take learners from the history of drama to the many facets of play production.
Curated OER
The Nutcracker
First graders define a ballet as a story told through dance. They listen to melodies and demonstrate beat and accent through body movement. They watch the ballet.
Curated OER
Dancing Into History from Dance in America: Acts of Ardor: Two Dances by Paul Taylor
Students watch a video of a performance choreographed by Paul Taylor. They research the Great Depression and issues facing teenagers today. They create a dance that shows a historic period of the United States.
Curated OER
Deadly Dancing: Failure Proof Field Trips
Students are given an opportunity to role play a particular period of American History. They engage in a field trip that is then reflected upon and further research is done in the class. Their final project is to act out a play they...
Curated OER
Integrated Dance Curriculum: Snow
Students, through the leading questions, guided imagery, and dance, gain a greater comprehension of snow, weather, and the five senses.
Curated OER
Pantomime Exercise
Learners of any age can learn to communicate using gestures and their bodies. They create a pantomime of a specific activity without using any words. This resource includes a link to an Off-Broadway Workshop for kids.
Curated OER
Culture Commotion
Exposing young children to the wonders of world cultures is very important. Here is a sweet lesson which does just that! In it, learners listen to music, and stories from cultures around the world. They learn greetings in different...
VH1
Lesson 3: Marketing of Pop Music
Pop music and marketing are thrown into the mix to make a fun and engaging lesson. Learners listen to several pop songs and discuss the differences in musical style. They then get into groups and work together to decide how they are...
Curated OER
Movement And Rhythm In Modern Art
Students gather around the three selected paintings. The teacher guide students in looking at different elements of the paintings and help students make the connections between the visual art and movement skills.