Study Guide

Spatial awareness is a developmental skill that is emerging in early elementary school, so my lesson is about teaching third graders how to use various pathways (straight, curved, zigzag, spiral) to move through space, a basic element of dance. Dancers need to develop an understanding of navigating and negotiating space in order to support artistic intention.

The specific learning goal is: students will demonstrate various pathways dancers use to move through space.

In previous lessons, I would have worked with the students to ensure that they know that a pathway is a specific way of moving through space. For this lesson, I would set up 4 stations, each with a different poster illustrating one of the pathway terms we have already discussed. I would divide the class into four groups and assign each to one of the stations. Groups would then be instructed to practice ‘walking' across the room using that particular pathway. I would remind students to be aware of their fellow classmates as they practice walking across the room using their pathway and I would monitor each group as they move, providing guidance as needed. Each group will have the opportunity to rotate through all four pathway stations. Next the students choose a different locomotor movement such as skipping, crawling or galloping to travel across the room, following their pathway. I will demonstrate and allow each group to test different ways of traveling its pathways.

I would then work with the class to create a model of a pathway map. On chart paper, we would decide on a starting and ending point, marking them with an O and an X. I would ask students for suggestions to connect the points, including ideas about how my pathways might change. Each pathway would be "mapped" using the visuals from the posters. I would then "perform" the dance that the students helped me to create on the map. Finally, students, working in their groups, will use the different locomotor movements they have practiced to follow the pathway map that was created as a class. The pathway map or dance map, which is in fact a choreographic tool, provides the students with a visual pattern for negotiating space.

As a culminating activity, student groups would take turns "performing" the pathway map.

This instructional strategy supports my learning goal in two ways. By having students practice pathways using a variety of locomotor moves they are demonstrating navigating and negotiating space, a cornerstone of dance. In addition, students are taking the first step in learning to use mapping pathways as a choreographic tool.

My assessment is twofold. First I would be monitoring groups practicing the pathways. I would also evaluate how students negotiate space using the various pathways during their final performance. I would use a checklist to determine if student(s): demonstrated the variety of pathways and were able to move following the map. This will help track progress towards the goal and shape future lessons to meet students' needs.

Grade: This lesson is for a 9th grade high school proficient dance class.

Learning Goal: Students will be able to describe and apply the 5 elements of dance (body, action, space, time and energy) as a way to interpret meaning in an artistic work.

This is important because ultimately, we want students to be able to create their own masterworks and have the background to do this. This lesson is an introduction to that end.

Activity: At the beginning of the class, I will post the essential question "How can dance be interpreted?", letting students know we will investigate this question as we watch an excerpt of Rennie Harris' work Exodus. I chose this particular piece because Harris is an acclaimed hip-hop choreographer who brings street dance to the concert stage, appealing to students of this age. I will direct the students to make note of what they see and feel as they watch the video. This is important because 9th graders are beginning to learn the process of viewing and analyzing dance. The teacher will then solicit comments about what students observed and their initial unfiltered response to the work, charting their comments without judgment. This would also serve as a form of pre-assessment for the teacher, helping me to gauge the students' knowledge by how they verbalize what they saw. After a quick review with the class of the elements and how they are demonstrated in dance, students will be assigned one element to focus on and document during the second viewing of the same video clip. After the second viewing, students will form groups of 5. Each group will be made up of students who focused on a different element. These groups will share their observations in order to show their understanding of their designated element. Each group works together to complete a graphic organizer, where students provide three to five examples from the video to illustrate each of the 5 elements of dance. For example students might record: particulars about how dancers are moving specific body parts; types of locomotor and non-locomotor movements used; the use of direction, pathways or how the dancers use personal or general space; information about tempo or rhythm for time; and descriptions of flow or quality for energy. As a group, the students chose one example from each element to create a short movement phrase to perform for the class.

How the instructional activity supports the learning goal: This activity will help students to apply dance vocabulary and use it to understand the meaning of dance by helping them internalize what they have observed and extend it to movement. Once my students are able to identify and understand these basic elements it will help them not only in talking about a dance performance, but also in giving them insight in how to get their own message across through movement. Recognition of how the elements work together is fundamental to the creative process and supports student analysis.

Evaluation: The students will use the graphic organizer as a tool to create a movement phrase to further demonstrate their understanding of the elements of dance. By using their observations and analysis from the preassessment and observing the movement phrases, I will assess how well my students are able to organize the elements of dance described on the graphic organizer to interpret or create meaning. In a future lesson, students will continue to build on their movement phrases.