Make this a new day

Minutes

Structure:

Purpose:

Description:

Day 1:

Date:

Handout:

Discovering Themes in Literature
Through Movement

Grade Level:

3

Subject:

Language Arts & Movement

Topic:

Critical Literacy

Objective:

Cognitive: Students will be able to determine and demonstrate themes of "Piggybook", by Anthony Browne.
Affective: Students will effectively communicate with teammates to arrive at common goal.
Social: Students will make final decisions by verbally contributing personal opinions, but will also be willing to consider others' ideas. Students will demonstrate social maturity and sensitivity.
Artistic: Students will use some of the following elements of dance:
- levels in space
- attack
- weight
- strength
- flow

Other Information:

Essential Question-
How can movement be used to improve the students' understanding of major themes in literature?

Background-
Students and I have previously read and "arced" this story together (recording our thinking about events, feelings and concepts). There is a chart available to them during this lesson containing class created ideas that they can refer to.

Adaptations-
Trajan Elementary is a full inclusion school. I have one student who has spina bifida. He is in a wheel chair. I have another student who wears a leg brace and moves slowly due to cerebral palsy. I am happy to share that all of my students are so comfortable with students with physical differences, they won't even need to be guided in figuring out how to adapt their movements. They will automatically create routines that will include these boys. I look forward to seeing how they accomodate my physically disabled students.


Dance Standards-
1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION

Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to Dance

Students perceive and respond, using the elements of dance. They demonstrate movement skills, process sensory information, and describe movement, using the vocabulary of dance.
Development of Motor Skills and Technical Expertise

1.1 Combine and perform basic locomotor skills, moving on a specific pathway (e.g., skip in circles, slide in zigzags, run in a variety of linear paths). Combine and perform locomotor and axial movements (e.g., walk and turn, stretch and slide).
1.2 Demonstrate the ability to start, change, and stop movement.

Comprehension and Analysis of Dance Elements

1.3 Perform short movement problems, emphasizing the element of force/energy (e.g., swing, melt, explode, quiver).
1.4 Expand the ability to incorporate spatial and time concepts in movement problems (e.g., select and combine three locomotor movements traveling in three different path-ways and using three different tempos).

Development of Dance Vocabulary

1.5 Describe dance elements used in personal work and that of others.

2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Creating, Performing, and Participating in Dance

Students apply choreographic principles, processes, and skills to create and communicate meaning through the improvisation, composition, and performance of dance.
Creation/Invention of Dance Movements

2.1 Create and perform complex improvised movement patterns, dance sequences, and studies.

Public Notes:

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Private Notes:

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Reflection:

I was thrilled with my students' engagement. They were SO excited and motivated during the entire process. They were practically bouncing in their seats when I was describing my expectations. The time seemed to fly by! But, there was something that I had to help them with. Most groups wanted to create movements based on the plot of the story. They wanted to "act out" the events with movements. This did not portray the themes effectively. I guided them to think about the feelings and concepts that we had discussed when we "arced" the story. I demonstrated creating movements for "unity", rather than the actual event that created unity. I realized that my students needed this to be modeled because they were being more literal rather than abstract. I will do more modeling when I present this lesson next year. I predict that using this technique will improve my students' "concept blurbs" which are theme summaries written about books we've read together.

Prep:

Have available to project overhead or pass out "Elements of Dance" vocabulary description sheet.

Materials:

Class created poster (made during previous lesson)
Copy of "Piggybook" by Anthony Browne

Standards Met:

IDs Only
Detail

Attach a handout