Responding to and Analyzing Dance Lesson Plans

Students become familiar with dance steps of colonial dances through pictures.  In this colonial dance step lesson, students view photographs in a multimedia presentation and describe the dance steps.

Second graders examine colonial music. In this historical perspectives lesson, 2nd graders explore primary sources available from the Library of Congress that feature colonial music. Students create skits featuring the music. Analysis of best practices and technology integration articles are included to further support the teacher of this lesson.

Students explore butterfly life cycles and movement.  In this integrated fine arts and biology life cycle lesson, students listen to the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and identify the related life cycle stages. Students view a slide show about metamorphosis, then brainstorm ways in which a butterfly moves. Students identify and practice elements of dance (explained in the lesson), then work with a group to choreograph a "butterfly dance."

Tenth graders examine various dances focused on issues faced by society. While viewing, they identify and analyze the movements and how they relate to the sociocultural issues. To complete the lesson, they develop their own dance with costumes describing their own feelings about one issue.

Fourth graders explore dance as creative expression and a form of communication. In this dance study lesson, 4th graders discuss dance and categorize their class list. Students then participate in dance movements. Students discuss the communicative elements of dance and then work in groups to choreograph signature dances. Students complete a dance  activity as well as several journal activities.

Learners research Margaret Jenkins. In this modern dance instructional activity, students discuss the life of Margaret Jenkins and the art of modern dance. They create their own modern dance focusing on time, shape, movement, and energy.

Students study the art of Bharata Natyam Indian dance. In this Indian dance lesson, students read text about Indian dance Bharata Natyam dance. Students may create their own dance and a television story about the topic.

Students choreograph a dance that creates emotion and feelings. In this dance lesson plan, students learn how to choreograph an emotional piece, choose supporting music, and write about the connections in their choreography.

Students analyze and describe Reggae music using correct musical terms to discuss tonality, instrumentation, meter and tempo. They experiment with singing and dancing to Reggae music in a style appropriate to the genre.

Combining art instruction and reading comprehension, this is  geared to reach multiple intelligences. First, read a variety of fables, discussing story elements and character traits. Then, have kids create and illustrate their own fable. This leads to a collaborative class mural, an interpretive xylophone composition, and a dance, all of which reflect the traits of a character in the stories they wrote. These projects are documented on a class website. Extensions included.