Grade 3, Unit 1: Dance (Ontario Arts)
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Description
The Grade 3 Dance activity packet is aligned with the Ontario curriculum expectations for Grade 3 - The Arts. This packet introduces students to what movement is, and what dance is. With this unit an emphasis is placed on the elements of body and space. Students build on the element knowledge they have gained from Grade 2. Students are asked to initiate movements found in the natural environment and use these movements into a dance phrase. Students also use dance as a language to represent ideas from a diverse span of literature sources. Students also explore patterns as a way to represent dance sequences.
Elements of Dance:
The elements addressed in this packet are:
A. Body - body awareness, use of body zones, use of body actions, body shapes, locomotor movements, non-locomotor movements, and body bases.
B. Space - levels, pathways, directions, size of movement.
C. Time - freeze, tempo.
D. Energy - force, quality.
E. Relationship - interconnected shapes.
What lessons are included in this packet?
This packet includes 18 lessons. You can split each lesson into multiple lessons depending on how well students work with the elements and movement concepts, as well as the time each dance class allows. The lessons included in this packet are:
Lesson 1.1: Introducing Dance
Lesson 1.2: Body Awareness
Lesson 1.3: Body Actions
Lesson 1.4: Body Shapes
Lesson 1.5: Movements
Lesson 1.6: Body Bases
Lesson 1.7: Body Zones
Lesson 1.8: Using Levels
Lesson 1.9: Pathways
Lesson 1.10: Changing Directions
Lesson 1.11: Size of Movement
Lesson 1.12: Moving with Emotion
Lesson 1.13: Working with Time
Lesson 1.14: Moving with Energy
Lesson 1.15: Changing Quality
Lesson 1.16: Patterns in Dance
Lesson 1.17: Exploring Dance
Lesson 1.18: Dance Phrases
This packet includes 4 rubrics and 15 anecdotal records that can be used throughout this unit to assess student understanding of the elements of dance, as well as their ability to follow directions and choose appropriate movements. There are also 19 posters included in this packet that help to address the elements of dance and the different ways in which students can move.
What assessments are included in this packet?
This packet has students work on providing feedback to their peers. Students are often asked to work together with small groups of students to create dance sequences. Students, in other groups, are provided with feedback tools that they can use to help give feedback to their classmates. There is also a final activity included in this packet where students create a dance sequence using the elements of body and space, as well as a third element of their choice.
Is this packet very different than the other dance packets?
This packet is more in-depth than the other packets. This is because students are capable of understanding more of the purpose of each dance element. While some of the activities (movement activities) might be the same, there are a majority of them that are different.
Questions? Concerns?
I am here to help! If you have any questions about this unit, or any of my units, please leave me a question under the Q&A tab below. Or, you can email me at teachingthroughthelookingglass@gmail.com.
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