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Shadow Dances
Students explore the physical phenomenon of shadows through movement improvisation and dance. They create an original dance phrase based on this imagery. All students then reproduce accurately the movement choices of another dancer.
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Collaborative Choreography, Contrasting Emotions
Middle schoolers demonstrate choreographic principles, processes, and structures.
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The Water Cycle: States of Water
Elementary schoolers explore states of matter by concentrating on the ways in which water moves between its solid, liquid, and gaseous states in a variety of Earth environments. Learners interpret these movements through dance. The...
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EXPRESSIVE QUALITIES
Students create a dance that expresses a specific mood. They describe the composition in writing and explain how they would alter actions, movement qualities and spacing to convey a new mood. They perform the dance they created...
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Arts and the Olympics/Dance and Athletics
Young scholars study and perform dances with a dance specialist, while others photograph their movements. The resulting slides were used to help both these students and others explain dance and write creatively.
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Create-A-Line Dance
Students demonstrate knowledge of the processes, principles, and structure of line dance. In groups students choreograph their own line dance, implementing moves learned from previous dances taught in the line dance unit.
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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. Learners improvise a brief dance created through manipulation of ribbon wand using three distinct...
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Planting a Garden Through Dance
Students create a dance study based on the growth cycle of a flower. They improvise movements that relate to each stage of growth. They create artwork on the growth cycle of a flower. They perform their dances for the whole class.
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Rhythmic Movement Skills
Learners practice using their physical skills while performing physical activities. In this physical education lesson, students participate in musical orchestrated dances with their classmates. Learners utilize a jump rope and musical...
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Mapas Bailados: Creating Visual Representations of Dances Using Maps
Third graders listen to "Frank the Monster..." and discuss the dance map on the inside cover of the book. They create their own dance map using sentence strips to record the types of movement.
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Take the Stage
Eighth graders explore kinesthetic movements. In this kinesthetic movements lesson, 8th graders explore how to enter the stage properly. Over two days, students investigate how to hold their own on the stage during a dance.
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The Water Cycle: Revising the Drafts
Students explore states of matter by concentrating on the ways in which water moves between its solid, liquid, and gaseous states in a variety of Earth environments familiar to the students. Students represent these movements in dance.
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Cinquain
Students create an original Cinquain (five-line poem) and choreograph movement to their poem, performing movement for class and video. This lesson addresses standards in the arts and requires a video recorder.
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Plodding Along: The Dan Wagoner Experiment
Learners research Dan Wagoner and apply his choreographic ideas in "Plod" to dance study. In this art lesson plan, students discuss Dan Wagoner. Learners select four shapes from "Plod" and connect in a dance.
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Moving Rhythms
Young scholars explore the elements of tempo, beat and rhythm. They create rhythm patterns and an original dance. In groups, students perform their phrases for their peers. As a class, they explore choreographic principles, processes...
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Choreographic Variations on "Plod"
Young scholars examine the choreography of Dan Wagoner. In this art lesson plan, students create their own choreography based on the work of Dan Wagoner's dance "Plod."
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Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride
Students participate in a partner dance. In this dance lesson plan, students listen to the song "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" and repeat dance steps according to the music.
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Lesson Plan for Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (1938)
Students study the life and music of composer, Samuel Barber. In groups, representing trees, water, and stars they use interpretive dance to tell the story of the musical composition, 'Adagio for Strings, Op. 11' by Barber.
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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.
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Choreography Project
Students produce a short choreography composition. Specific guidelines and choice of music are provided. The grade/evaluation takes place in the form of video documentation and a teacher-created rubric.
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,...
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Gesture Drawing
Students investigate the use of proportion using gesture drawing as the subject matter. They create a painting using the elements of art and principles of design.
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Emotions in Motion
Students use dance as a form of communication. In this meanings of dance lesson, students create dances to communicate a variety of emotions.
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The Macbeth Tango
Students examine how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth relate to each other in individual scenes and throughout the play. By taking elements of that relationship and making them physical, students analyze the Macbeths' marriage on many different...