100 Years of Dance: Popular Dance Trends of the 20th Century (videos+questions)

All kids love to dance and watch other people dance - it's something that stands us apart from from the rest of the animal kingdom. You could say it is our art that makes us human. This thematic unit is a PowerPoint presentation filled with mini-lessons, video clips, discussion questions, and activities to introduce this generation to the popular dance trends over the last 100 years.

The Essential Question is reviewed first: Why might people dance, and how have dance trends changed in America since the 1920s? The introduction/hook activity then invites kids to show us their moves - it's hysterical - and share how they think dancing has changed over time.

There are many links already embedded in the presentation slides. Students will discuss and view experts speaking about beat and rhythm, why humans dance, and how we move different parts of our body when we're "dancing". There are clips provided of babies and birds dancing, a stomp team (showing how prehistoric dance and music possibly looked and sounded), and a clip from the film Hitch (when Will Smith gives his client a "dance lesson".

Next, there is a nonfiction article for students to read. Neurologists discuss the human brain and what's happening to us on the inside when we dance. There are comprehension questions provided too for an after-reading activity. Specific dance trends from the 20s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s are then shown in separate video clips - a decade project could be added here an as extension activity.

Next, introduce students to dances from West Africa - show the video clip and ask students to look for similarities to other dances we've seen. Bring everyone back to the Essential Question and use the closure questions in the final slides to bring them back to many different topics discussed along the way.

Finally, students will create their own dance move taking inspiration from all the dancing of the 20th century and teach it to the class.