John F. Kennedy Center
Baila! Latin Dance in the Spanish Classroom
One, two, three. One, two, three. Invite your language learners to practice the steps for researching and presenting information. Each small group has the task of explaining one Latin dance in full detail.
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Weather Dance
Students study weather and focus on specific dance concepts. They are introduced to different ty es of clouds and how they are formed. Next, they study wind and why it occurs.
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Telling Stories Through Dance
Examine the movement of characters in the story, Caps for Sale. Using the text, pupils invent gestures and movements for some of the actions and major events. They practice retelling a story by using the movements they developed. They...
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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.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Poems That Dance
Combine the elements of dance with the actions in a poem. Learners review basic grammar, write an action-packed cinquain poem, and then choreograph a dance based on their cinquains. After the dances are done, they'll discuss the elements...
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Making a Dance Involving Balance
Students make choices about dance elements and organize them in expressive ways. They plan and present dance works for a familiar audience. They identify dance elements in their and classmates work.
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Clerihew Dances II
Third graders explore rhythm and quality of word and phrased to that of dance. They move to the rhythm of poetry.
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Identify the Element of Line
Students explore the element of "line." In this beginning art lesson plan, students listen to the book Harold and the Purple Crayon, then describe the types of lines Harold drew. Students identify straight lines, jagged lines, curvy...
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The 'Language of Dance'
Learners choreograph dances. In this dance choreography lesson plan, students evaluate musical selections, then create a dance that capture the emotion of the music.
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Planet Dance
Students examine Anna Halprin's philosophies and choreography and perform one of her Planet Dances. They find a site that inspires them to create a dance based on the environment's design, levels, textures, and atmosphere.
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Exploring Force: The Nutcracker
Students explore basic dance element of force, compare and contrast the use of force as it distinguishes the expressive qualities of a given dance, and explore the use of force in several of its many expressions.
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Hispanic Arts: Visual Arts, Dance and Music
Students observe global cultures by listening to music and watching videos. In this Latin American dance lesson plan, students define merengue, salsa and other dances from the Hispanic culture while listening to Latin rhythm music....
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Celebration and Satire- Beginning Level
Young scholars examine art elements in a late-19th-century self-portrait painting. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze the painting "A Centennial of Independence" and identify the color, shape, and symbols in the art piece....
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Character Traits in Fables
Combining art, music, dance, and reading comprehension, this lesson plan is geared to reach all ability levels. After reading a variety of fables and discussing story elements and character traits, class members select a moral to use as...
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-Body in Motion - Axial and Locomotor
Students practice increasing their movement and dance vocabulary through axial motion and locomotor step skill-building. They work with a partner and create and perform short sequences utilizing the vocabulary their practicing. Each...
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Solo Dance Composition
Students conclude the semester with an individual movement study utilizing basic elements of dance and choreography previously covered in class. They will choose from three choreographic prompts presented a few days before giving them...
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Chance Dance Compositions
Fourth graders create dances through a randomly generated process (such as throwing a dice) and perform their dances for the class. Class work is based on Merce Cunningham's "Chance Dance" and includes walking, skipping hopping, and...
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Dancing Hands, Abstract Drawings
Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances. In this musical lesson, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created. Students listen to Yoruba drum music and experiment...
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Locomotor Dances
Students explore and perform locomotor movements. With partners, they combine the locomotor movements into a simple dance. The partner identifies three movements they observed. Students may be grouped into dancers for a performance.
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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.
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Creative and Cultural Dance
Students study dance as a way to communicate and represent oneself in the world. They perform and articulate movement skills from the "dancer's toolbox". They solve problems in dance using the "dancer's toolbox" composing, witnessing,...
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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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Space and Time in Dance
Learners move with control in general space. They move with three different spatial distances and tempi. Students demonstrate understanding of the distance and speed of particles in matter: solid-close and slow; liquid-medium distance...
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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...