One of the most positive safety realities for the teaching of drama and dance is that few materials are needed by our elementary teachers. What will be used most often by classroom teachers is no different than for most subjects. Because costumes and props are not essential for classroom work, relatively little or no equipment requires cleaning or sharing.
The biggest challenges for elementary teachers working with drama and dance will be the same ones they will face for most subjects: creating social distance and maintaining it in their classrooms while engaging their students in their learning. Having said that, drama takes place primarily in the imagination through creative and critical thinking and can help to make sitting in desks for longer periods of time more palatable. Movement can be made smaller and can also be done spread out in the classroom with desks moved to the side. Travelling movements will be defined by the space available. When weather permits, the school yard will provide a safer environment for the students to move around at a distance exploring different energies and ways to move in horizontal space. However, movement on the spot, exploring and creating shapes at different levels, and exploring vertical space and body energies can all be done safely apart in classrooms. Students can learn body control as they develop shapes on the spot to communicate what it is they wish to say through their bodies. Partnering can mean someone as close as 2 metres or as far away as across the room. Groups can use mirroring, breath, and flocking to coordinate their movements from far away. Drama and dance work will be very useful in providing students with more body control and spatial awareness.
Elementary drama and dance is most often used in the teaching of Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Social Studies. Tableaux, role-playing and spoken word are frequently used as drama instructional strategies as are games and activities to physically engage the students as they explore ideas, find solutions to a problem, or develop responses to an inquiry question.
Learning about Personal Space through Play
With floor tape, mark areas where students can stand in the classroom with a metre grid, X on the floor or a peripheral circle so that they can participate in drama/dance conventions at a safe distance from one another. Floor tape that is slip-resistant and made of vinyl to prevent wear and tear during cleaning is recommended. Suggested activities to teach the concept of space and physical distance:
Space Exploration ---- To teach students about personal space and social distancing, students will need to be able to maintain a cushion of space around their bodies (called personal space) Ask students to explore the size of their personal space bubble while remaining in one spot (you may want to designate spots using pieces of tape or small mats). Ask students to glue your feet to the floor and reach their hands way out into the space (up, to the side, low to the ground, in front, behind). How far can they go? What happens if you bend your knees? Try it on a low level, close to the floor. This space you've just explored is called your bubble space; it can't touch anyone else's bubble or it will pop. Have students try moving in their bubble to different types of music. Have students imagine they have a paint brush. Have them "paint" the inside of their bubbles with imaginary paint. Try moving the imaginary paint brush to different body parts and "paint" the inside of their bubble (elbow, nose, knee etc.) For more resources on creative movement and the elements of dance: CODE Resources: Exploring dance elements Introducing Creative Dance Video: Body, Movement, Space Demonstration Classroom
Zap! --Note: In an open space, have students spread out in their own bubbles, with arms outstretched. Tell them that this is their imaginary magic wand. This magic wand has a long lightning bolt stretching out from the tip. Tell students the object of the game is to move through the space without touching anyone's lightning bolt. Tell students to imagine the lightning bolt will ZAP if it touches another lightening bolt. If two lightning bolts get too close, both participants say "ZAP" and sit down on the floor. The teacher may wish to bang a drum or ring a triangle when she/he sees two lightning bolts come close. At this signal, students can all freeze, look around and see who may be too close. You may want to practice this game with one half the class to demonstrate while the other half observes at a safe distance. If students are unable to maintain a safe distance from one another, consider using pool noodles or hula hoops if permitted by your school board. Make sure to disinfect any materials before and after use.
