The only person who genuinely knows what is learned in an experience is the student. Though the teacher is given the authority to evaluate learning, the student is the true assessor. In the final lesson of this unit, students will be given the opportunity to consider their personal journey through "Embodying the Dancer". As a group, the class will be consulted on what criteria they wish to be evaluated on. The students will learn to take partial ownership of the evaluative process. 

Guiding Questions
  • In what ways does an audience become a part of a live dance performance?
  • Based on your focal points of creating a dance piece, what criteria are you interested in having assessed?
Learning Goals

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • work cooperatively to assist the teacher in determining what should be assessed in the Dance Creation
  • determine what has been most meaningful to them through the process of the unit and the creation of their dance
  • share their dance creations for the class
Readiness
  • Students need to be familiar with the four categories of assessment and how dance course material can be assessed under each heading.
  • Students need to be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for the performance.  At the end of the first class in this lesson, it may be wise for teachers to give an overview of what the following day will look like so the students can visualize it.
  • (Optional) Invite students from grades 9 or 10 to watch the culminating task for this unit. It will provide the grade 12's with the excitement of presenting in front of an audience. 
Terminology
  • Knowledge/Understanding
  • Thinking/Inquiry
  • Communication
  • Application
Materials
  • Dancers must bring selected music for their dance creation
  • Sound System
  • Markers
  • Projector
  • PDF #8 Brainstorming Assessment Criteria
  • Completed PDFs 1, 2 and 3; ready for submission

Minds On (~30 minutes)

Individual > Conditioning Sequence

*At the start of the first class in this lesson, have students practice their conditioning sequence for the last time.  Ask students to submit PDFs 1, 2 and 3 for assessment.

Individual/Pairs/Whole Class > Think, Pair Share

Tell the class to think quietly for a moment about their opinion with regards to the following question: "What is important for the audience to appreciate when I perform?" Give the students wait time to consider multiple answers. Invite students to find a partner within the class. Instruct the students to share their thoughts with their partner and encourage the class to practice good listening skills. Inform the students in advance that you will be calling on them to share their partner's information. Invite individuals to share with the class what their partner shared with them.

Action (~40 minutes)

Small Group > Graphic Organizers, Lettered Heads

Call on students to give examples of successful co-operative learning.

Divide students into groups of 4. Direct them to letter themselves A-D. Announce that A's are recorders, B's discussion leaders, C's messengers and D's presenters. Distribute a ledger sized copy of PDF #8 Brainstorming Assessment Criteria along with a marker to each group or project a copy for the whole class and have students use whiteboards (or a variation that suits your context). Direct students to think of as many answers as possible under each heading. Allow ten minutes for this recording activity in the first group. Explain that B's are responsible for ensuring that each group member is contributing ideas while A's record the information. Instruct the C's to go and find another group. There, the messenger shares the ideas he/she recalls that the new group has not included. The new group may choose to include these ideas or not. Tell messengers to return to their original groups. Invite D's to take turns presenting their information. After the first group, ask later groups to only share ideas that have not been covered. Collect the Graphic Organizers. Use these to develop the rubric for Dance Performance.

Consolidation (~70 minutes)

Whole Class > Sharing of Dance Creations

Lead students in a short breathing or focusing exercise before giving them time to prepare for their performances. Organize in advance the order of the presentations. 

Enjoy the work of your students while using the collectively constructed rubric to assess each Dance Creation.

Time permitting, have audience members describe their experience of each dance creation. Remind audience members that each performance is a gift to its audience; all feedback should be given graciously.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Surface assumptions and prior student experiences about small group work

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Alternatively, the first class in this lesson can be done earlier in the unit so students can use the criteria they've established to self-assess while working. The current ordering of lessons allows students to give information to the teacher on what really matters in their completed work.

Differentiation (DI)

If the location that the students are performing in is different than the rehearsal space, ensure that dancers have an opportunity to practice in that space.  his is especially important for students who are nervous or who find visual/spatial tasks challenging.