University of Minnesota
Mirroring Emotions
Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our mirror...
Curated OER
Connecting Literature, Writing and Music
High schoolers assess the impact of music to portray emotions and tell stories. Examples are taken from the life of Rosa Parks and a piece of band music called "A Movement for Rosa". Evaluation is accomplished through in-class...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Puppet Scenes
Explore character, plot, and setting through dramatic puppet play. Second graders discuss basic story elements and then practice making a character with their sock puppets. After they've crafted a dynamic puppet, they pair up to create a...
Curated OER
The Leaves of Autumn
First graders express the words of Autumn through creative dance movements.
PBS
Robot Body Language
Don't be so emotional! Scholars take part in an activity where they consider how future robots will be able to show emotions. They place paper bags over their heads, act out emotions through body movements, and have others guess the...
Curated OER
Exaggerated Poetry
Learners use physical poses and vocal choices to create emphasis in communication. In this exaggerated Poetry lesson, students use physical movement and vocal choices to exaggerate an expression make a connection between literary content...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: A Guided Tour
Albert Bierstadt's painting Wind River Country shows viewers how a reader progresses through a story. Your class studies the light and dark areas, how the eye moves across the painting, and what attracts the audience to the work, and...
San Francisco Symphony
Washington Portrait
Fifth and second graders pair up to create mini dance scenes based on the image Washington Crossing the Delaware. Second graders create the movements while their fifth grade partners play the musical accompaniment. Leadership skills,...
Curated OER
Feminism Does Not Have to be an F-Word
Students analyze social activism messages in music. In this feminism activity, students explore selected music that expresses sentiments voiced in the women liberation movement in the United States. Students compare the lyrics of the...
Curated OER
Sports Action Figure
Fourth graders identify art elements and design principles in art such as movement, unity, space and color planning.
Nosapo
Body Language
When it comes to learning a language and literacy, understanding nonverbal communication is often as important as verbal communication. An interactive body language activity incorporates role play to demonstrate the difference between...
Curated OER
Multicultural Music: Israel
Do a grapevine to the left, lift your hands in the air, and sing out, "Hey!" These are the steps second graders will do when they sing and dance the Israeli folk song, "Achshav.” They will explore the concept of multicultural music and...
Curated OER
THE LEAVES OF AUTUMN
Dance gives children an opportunity to express creativity through free flowing movements developed in the mind of the child. Creating these dance movements involves discovery and exploration using different parts of the body in personal...
Curated OER
Abstractions/Gestures
Students examine and display the differences between literal, and non-literal movement and abstraction using a creative project in movement. This project originates as an individual item, culminating in a small group performance.
Curated OER
Acting Out The Story, Jane And The Dragon
Third graders reflect on and discuss the story, Jane and the Dragon, and portray their understanding of stereotyping through the actions of their character. Through the use of legends, drama can be used to educate understanding for other...
Curated OER
What is Canadian?
Students explore how artworks can become symbols of national identity. They examine and analyze Song of the Nations, a site specific sculpture by Quebecois artist Armand Vaillancourt that expresses his views of Quebec's position...
Curated OER
The 1980s Series - Breakdancing
Students examine how breakdancing influenced Keith Haring. They translate a flat image into movement. They breakdance along to music of the 1980's to experience the energy and innovation of that decade. They create flipbooks of their own...
Curated OER
JANE AND THE DRAGON
Third graders act out a play called Jane and the Dragon. Students develop vocabulary through dialogue. They delve into the feelings of others through learning about the characters. They also identify the characteristics of various types...
Curated OER
Coping With Violence
Students conduct surveys to see how the media influences their lives. In this media lesson plan, students make art projects that reflect their reactions to current conflicts and violence that is spread through the media.
Curated OER
Ribbon Wand Dancing
Pupils construct a ribbon wand which, through the use of line, color, contrast and shape can be used to better express a given emotion. Students improvise a brief dance created through manipulation of ribbon wand using three distinct...
Curated OER
Bear Hunt
Young scholars are introduced to the technique of pantomime. In groups, they take a story and create a pantomime for it to perform in front of the class. They also practice ways to change their body posture and facial expressions to...
Curated OER
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
Dramatic activities promote enjoyment of literature, increase reading comprehension, and help develop oral expression. It is important for children to engage in activities which help to develop their creative potential. Drama allows...
Curated OER
Dance Production
Students go through the experience of creating a dance. They use the correct vocabulary when creating the dance in writing. Students choreograph the steps needed to perform the dance in sequence. Then they perform the dance for final...
Curated OER
Cubist Self Portraits
Students investigate how other artists have expressed their ideas in a visual way. They practice on how to use oil pastels. Students consider what ideas about them are important and what ideas they want to visually communicate about...