Learning Goals

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

  • Use simple, everyday movement to express feelings and/or emotions
  • Move safely through the general space of the dance classroom, while respecting others’ personal space 
  • Review, explore and use the elements, language and vocabulary of dance
  • Take risks as they improvise and express themselves through movement
Materials
Terminology

Minds On

Whole Class > Moving My Name Game

Students stand in a circle in a neutral position. Start by modelling the action of saying your name and doing a movement (gesture or action) at the same time. All students repeat your name and movement back to you. The student beside you (in either direction) will then say their name and create a movement, which is repeated back to them (in unison) by the class. Let students know that there is no wrong way to do this activity and not to think too much (keep them out of their heads so they don’t have time to get self-conscious). Students may pass, but come back to them at the end to see if they are comfortable enough to try. Continue around the circle until every student has had the chance to say their name and do a movement. Go around the circle a second time, this time having students do a movement, gesture or action that expresses how they feel in that moment. Let students know they can add a facial expression and/or play with their vocal tone for extra effect, and that the class must repeat exactly what they see and hear. 

Tip: Students have fun imitating each other’s voices, and can add an extra layer of focus to the activity, as long as it is not mean-spirited.

Continue this activity as time allows, prompting students to use the elements of dance. Prompt: Don’t forget about all the many body parts you have and the shapes they can make. Use different-sized movements (big, small). Use bound energy or flowing energy. Use different levels.

The Name Game is an activity that can be used in many ways, based on any topics or stimuli. It makes a great ice-breaker and/or warm-up. 

Whole Class > Debrief

Before moving into any additional games, check in with students. This can also serve as a diagnostic.

Questions for Discussion:
  • Did you enjoy this activity? Why or why not?
  • Were you comfortable coming up with actions/movements? If not, did it get easier? 
  • How do you feel after participating in this activity? Why do you think this is?

Action

Whole Class > Simon Says

Students spread out around the room. Call out ‘Simon Says’ with any action or movement. To stay in this game, students must only move if you say ‘Simon Says’ before calling out the movement you would like them to do. Try a few slowly for practice, using “Simon Says” ahead of the movement a few times and then command a movement without saying it (e.g., Simon says march on the spot, Simon says touch your nose, Simon says spin to the right, JUMP!). Any student who ‘jumps’ would be ‘out’ because you did not say ‘Simon Says’ first. Slowly speed up how fast you call the movements, and change the number of times you say ‘Simon Says’ first to try and throw your students off. If you prefer not to play with ‘outs’, you don’t need to, or you could have students who are ‘out’ begin their own round. Students could also have a turn at being ‘Simon’.

Extension: Relate what ‘Simon Says’ to any movement concept (e.g., Simon says move like you have ants in your pants!), another Art strand concept (e.g., Simon Says paint a heart [visual arts], Simon Says pretend you’re mad at your friend [drama], Simon Says make your voice go up and down [music], or anything you like! 

This game makes a great warm-up, which you can modify the intensity of, based on the movements you choose. You can also intentionally choose movements that cover all areas of the body for a proper and effective physical warm-up. 

Whole Class > Pass the Movement

Students stand in a circle in a neutral position. Start by doing a movement and then pointing to and making eye contact with someone in the circle. The student who ‘receives the movement’ must then do their own movement, before passing it on to the next student. You can either go in order around the circle, or have a signal to show if a student has had a turn (e.g., sitting down, putting their hand up/taking their hand down, etc.), and only pass to those who haven’t had a turn. Once all students have, try it all again at a faster pace. You can use a timer to add a little competition and increase the speed and focus! 

Whole Class > Stop, Go, Freeze!

Students move freely to music (or a vocal cue of GO!). Encourage them by verbally offering a variety of elemental concepts. 

Prompt: now skip, now walk, now move at a low level, now move very slowly, move with excited energy, etc.). 

When you stop the music (or call STOP!), students must strike a frozen pose, which can be of their choice, or defined by you or both. Frozen poses are a great opportunity to review and practice making different shapes with the body. Continue as time allows, practicing using a wide variety of the elements of dance. Students could also take turns directing the movement for the class.

Tip: Choose dynamic and varied music, following the dynamics, tempo and rhythm as you call out dance elements, and/or encourage students to follow the music as they move creatively to it, and observe as a diagnostic assessment.

Whole Class > Roll the Ping Pong Ball!

Ask students to create a circle and focus on you. Roll an imaginary ping pong ball around the circle, on the floor, requiring each student to jump about an inch, just high enough to let the ping pong ball pass beneath their feet when the ball gets to them. Next, roll an imaginary tennis ball around, this time requiring students to jump a few inches. Then, an imaginary basketball. Return to a tennis ball, and then a ping pong, changing directions as you see fit to keep students on their toes!

Whole Class > Moving Numbers!

Lead students through a guided movement exploration of moving shapes, using verbal cues of action words (e.g., twist, shake, swing, explode, melt, ooze, collapse, freeze, sway, suspend, etc.) Students move through the room, exploring independently. Guide students to explore moving shapes using richer verbal image cues (e.g., your moving shape is caught in a windstorm; your moving shape is out in freezing cold weather, and the temperature is dropping; your moving shape is being dropped into a large vat of caramel). 

Next, call out a number and a moving shape (e.g., two students form an eggbeater, four students form a dragon). Students quickly get into groups of that many people, and immediately begin creating and memorizing this shape, their location in space, and their group members. This will be #1. Call out a different number and a new moving shape to cue students to rapidly change to a different group. Students quickly create and memorize the new moving shape, location in space, and group members (#2). Call out three additional numbers/moving shapes. Students quickly create and memorize each new shape with its new location and new group members (#3, #4, #5). Call out the numbers previously cued without naming the moving shape, giving sufficient time to recreate. Students must quickly recall the number, the location in space, the group members and the moving shape allocated to the number. Call a few more numbers in any order as time and interest allow. 

Teacher Note

For additional warm-up games, see the CODE resource: Circle Games. 

Consolidation

Whole Class > Reflection

Invite students to reflect on their learning. 

Questions for Discussion:
  • Were there any activities that didn’t feel good or inclusive to you? Which and why?
  • Was there anything that stood out as challenging or surprising during any of these activities?
  • How did it feel when you were all working together? 
  • How or why might these types of activities and games help benefit students in dance class?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
  • Teacher observation of students’ comfort levels moving and/or emoting
  • Teacher observation of students’ familiarity with dance terminology and concepts
  • Anecdotal notes
  • Reflection