Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to …

  • show that they can move using different levels and sizes 
  • control their movements so that they are able to move in unison with a partner
Materials
  • Chart paper or white board and markers
  • Signal instrument (e.g., chime, drum, bell, etc.).
  • PDF #1 Dance Checklist
Terminology

Minds On

Whole Class > Exploring the Concepts of Grow and Shrink

Review vocabulary from the previous classes related to space: personal space, general space, and space bubble. Inform the class that today they will be learning about another way bodies can move through space: growing and shrinking.

Ask students to brainstorm a list of items that grow and shrink (e.g.; plants, people, balloons.). Write each word on chart paper, including a picture beside each word. 

Optional: You may want to create a Venn diagram of things that grow and things that shrink. Students may quickly notice that many words will appear in the centre section of the diagram, illustrating that expansion/growth and shrinkage/decay are very dependent on context.

Action

Individual > Exploring Movements that Grow and Shrink

Ask students to find their bubble space and sit with the soles of their feet together and with their spines lengthened as though their heads were filled with helium gas and were trying to float away. 

Prompt: we're going to call this neutral sitting position.

Explain that they will make a shape and freeze that in shape. Each time a signal is made, have students choose another position to freeze in that is different from the first shape. Remind students that there are different levels they may freeze in: low, medium, and high

Prompt: How are you going to get there? Are you going to spin, jump, reach up, melt, rise, wiggle?

Continue the above activity one more time with a focus on counting to 8 where students rise into a shape, and then count another 8 beats where the students sink down to a lower level and change the size of their shape. They should use the whole 8 beats to rise and the whole next 8 beats to sink.  Inform students that this is a Rising and Shrinking (or Growing and Shrinking) Dance.

Level examples:
  • Low to high, high to low
  • Medium to high, high to medium
  • Low to medium, medium to low

Prompt: Start in the smallest shape you can make. While I slowly count to 8, grow into the biggest possible shape. Now, while I count backwards from 8, slowly shrink into a different small shape. Repeat. Try with 4 counts, 2 counts, 1 count. How does the movement change? 

Pairs > Rising and Sinking/Growing and Shrinking

Ask students to find a partner and work together to create a rising and sinking dance to 16 slow counts (8 counts to rise, 8 counts to sink). You will count the beats aloud so the students don’t go too quickly or slowly. Groups must decide on what size shape they want to make at each level.  

Prompt: You and your partner will be mirroring each other during this dance so that you are making the same shapes at the same time. You will need to face your partner. 

Co-create success criteria for the dance phrase which might include both partners moving together in unison, showing different levels and sizes of movement, and showing a clear ending. 

Post these success criteria so that students can self-assess as they work. 

Consolidation

Pairs > Sharing Dance Pieces

Invite partners to present their short dance phrases to the class either one partnership at a time, two sets of partners at a time or half the class at a time depending on student comfort level and time available. Ask students to give feedback based on the success criteria and responding to what they observed (e.g.: "I saw high, stretched shapes moving sideways to low, twisted shapes." )

Prompt: Describe what you saw. What was interesting? What caught your eye? Why? (Encourage students to avoid using the phrase “I liked…”)

Assessment for Learning (AfL)
  • PDF #1 Dance Checklist