Curated OER
Using Rhythm to Teach Patterns and Directions
Introduce young learners to line dancing. Here are some simple movement patterns to teach them. First teach, repeat, and repeat again without music. Then when they have a pretty good grasp of the movement patterns, add music and practice...
Curated OER
Ballet and Classical Music
Fourth graders explore ballet. In this dance and music humanities instructional activity, 4th graders practice ballet positions and play a card game using French ballet vocabulary. Students count beats in rhythm patterns and listen to...
Curated OER
Swiss Ball Square Dance
Combine square dancing and a Swiss ball. There are quite a few square dance moves and how to do them while sitting on, or carrying a Swiss ball. Teach these square dance moves to the class. Then have them work together in small groups to...
Curated OER
Prepositional Relationship Dance
Students learn the meaning of prepositions through movement. In this dance lesson, students choreograph a piece showing that they understand the meaning of various prepositions.
Curated OER
Tinikling - Philippine Bamboo Dance
What is Tinikling? How is this word pronounced? Is it really a dance? Where did it originate? Is there a story about the origin of this dance? Begin this dance lesson by answering these questions. Then use the video to teach the three...
Curated OER
Fitness Dance
Get those youngsters moving! The activities put together to music are every day warm-up exercises. Jogging in place, jumping jacks, arm circles, and toe touches are a few of the movements presented to get children moving. Teach them the...
Curated OER
Moccasins Are Made for Dancing
Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior to...
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...
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
Dancing Opposites (Size)
Students create movements that illustrate opposites. For this opposites lesson, students discuss what opposites do for writing and relate to dance. Students make movements based on their opposites.
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.
Curated OER
Patterns in Dance and Math
Students analyze how repeated body movements and shapes can represent and extend patterns. For this pattern analysis lesson, students discuss patterns in dance, math, and everyday living. Students demonstrate a dance using a sequence of...
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
Self and General Space in Dance
Students explore the different themes and strategies of dancing by performing in class. In this physical education lesson, students practice moving specific joints and muscles as they train to perform a dance. Students perform a dance...
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Moving to the Poems of Angel Island
A poem carved on Angel Island's walls is the guiding text of a instructional activity that challenges scholars to put movement into a written piece of art. After warm up-activities, learners play a game of "Pass the Clap" and "Pass the...
Curated OER
March Madness
Get those boys dancing! Here's a dance activity that is choreographed around the use of a basketball. Teach them this line dance and see how they do. Watch the provided video yourself, or better yet, use the video to teach this dance....
Curated OER
Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Dance
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by teaching your class how to do an Irish jig. This type of dance is very fast. Break it all down and teach each section of the dance thoroughly. There are plenty of hops, kicks, toe touches, and stomps in...
Curated OER
Similes with Energy
Fifth graders write or dance a simile to show the relationship between two unlike nouns. In this simile and grammar lesson, 5th graders explore dance movements and identify smooth and sharp energy examples. Students review similes and...
Curated OER
Arts Impact and Math
Third graders incorporate math into dancing. In this algebra lesson, 3rd graders identify different shapes and patterns using dance movements. They relate the different creations to polygons as they incorporate the use of stretchy bands...
San Francisco Symphony
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony and the Expression of Feeling through the Arts
Here is an activity used originally to finish off a unit on country life and nature. It requires learners to have a basic understanding of harvest, rural life, and autumn. They'll use what they know to construct dance movements showing...
Curated OER
Discovering Russian Folk Dance
First graders explore the art of Russian folk dancing. In this cultural traditions lesson, 1st graders research the Troika and incorporate attributes of the Russion folk dance into their own renditions.
Curated OER
Folk Dancing Fun
First graders discuss different kinds of music they have heard. They listen to a short selection of folk music and discuss where they think it is from. Using a globe, the teacher shows students where the music is from. They spread out on...
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
Ballet, Modern, and Jazz Dance: Basic Positions
Students compare and contrast the basic vocabulary of ballet, modern, and jazz dance through observation and experience. This lesson plan correlates with the DanceSense Enhanced DVD.