LESSON PLAN FORMAT- DANCE CONTENT AREA

WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
Educator: Brittany M. Johnson
Date: 10/03/2014
Target Age Group/ Grade: 6th English Language Learners
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes
Focus of Lesson: Today students will be introduced to the basic concepts of the four categories
used in the dance elements; body, space, time, energy.
Materials: Dance Elements Charts, Matching Game Sheets, Visuals, white board, markers,
eraser, Promethean board, PowerPoint Presentation
Resources: http://opd.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/ElementsOfDance_organizer.pdf ,
http://opd.mpls.k12.mn.us/the_elements_of_dance , National/ SC State Dance Standards, English
Language Learner Standards
National/ State Curriculum Standards:
Standard 1: Technique
The student will identify and demonstrate movement elements and skills and apply them while
performing dance.
Indicator:
D6-1.7 Demonstrate and use correct dance vocabulary to describe the actions (for example, skip,
gallop, swing, bend) and movement elements (for example, levels, direction) in a brief
movement study.
English Language Learner Standards:
Standard L2: Listening
The student will comprehend essential elements of oral discourse in such forms as speeches,
conversations, and texts read aloud in English.
Indicator:
L2.1 Comprehend words, phrases, and simple sentences.
Standard S2: Speaking
The student will participate in a conversation in English by making clear, logical, and detailed
responses.
Indicator:
S2.1 Identify people, places, objects, and basic concepts (e.g., number of days of the week,
foods, occupations, time)
Standard W1: Writing
The student will demonstrate pre-/early English writing skills.

Indicator:
W1.1 Identify a relationship between oral and/ or visual communication and written words.
Vocabulary:
Introduced Vocabulary
Body- movement: locomotor or non-locomotor
Energy- flow: balanced or off-balanced
Space- level: low or high
Time- tempo: fast or slow

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to:

1. Identify the four categories of the dance elements

Instructional
Procedures

Introductory Activity: (10 minutes)

1. This lesson will begin with an ice breaker activity beginning
in a circle formation. In this activity, each student has an
opportunity to introduce themselves and create a dance
movement or any movement that represents their personality.
2. After one student introduces their self, the next student who
introduces their self must not only perform their own
movement, but remember the previous students name and
perform their movement.
3. The activity continues this way until we reach the end of the
circle, then everyone will recite one anothers name and
perform each of the movements together.
Developmental Activity: (30 minutes)
1. Students will go over to the promethean board to view a
PowerPoint for an introduction to the dance elements.
2. Students will engage in brief movement activities in between
slides to them recall the dance elements terminology.
a. For example, for the body category slide there will be a
picture of the body. We will rehearse the saying the
word body while associating the word with the picture.
While viewing and reciting the word students will
repeat a movement where they are touching their torso.
Visuals or signs of these pictures will be used for
repeating and recalling new vocabulary. The word
locomotor will be associated with a picture of a car and
the word non-locomotor will be associated with a
flower. When referencing locomotor students will

gallop side to side. When referencing non-locomotor

students will bend and straighten their knees.
b. Energy: Picture of lightning: Big Slash
i. Balanced: Scale: T- shape
ii. Off-balanced: unbalanced scaled: asymmetrical
T-shape
c. Space: Picture of galaxy
i. High: Airplane: Soaring through space
ii. Low: Snake: Slithering
d. Time: Picture of a clock
i. Slow: Turtle: Slow motion walks
ii. Fast: Cheetah: Running in place
3. I will have tangible visuals as well.
4. Once students have become comfortable with saying the
terminology, some of the students will be asked to hold the
visual signs during this activity.
Concluding Activity: (20 minutes)
5. After repeating the words with the visual and kinesthetic
associations, we will choose at least three students
movements from the ice breaker activity to identify which
elements their movement fits into on the chart.
6. Matching Game: Students will be broken into four groups and
will be asked to complete the matching activity attached.
Assessment of Each
Objective

I will use the matching activity and how the students identify which
elements fit their movement from the ice breaker activity to assess
how well students can understand and recall the four dance elements;
body, energy, space, and time.