Objectives:
Students will be able to explain what being STARS means. Students will do a yoga sun salutation to stretch and warm up before we dance. Students will learn what storytelling through dance is, and will practice storytelling through dance and expressing emotion through movement.
Materials:
iPad to show dance video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jugQE4m_nfo
Speaker to play music/ sound effects
Instructional Methods:
I will begin the lesson with everyone seated in a circle then individual students will read my STARS posters. Then I will ask "who are we?" to which they will reply, "we are STARS, we are serious, trustworthy, attentive, respectful, and successful."
Then, I will have the whole group follow me in a sun salutation. I will ask each student to introduce themselves and then do a dance move of their choice. Then, I will ask the students if anyone can tell me how you can tell a story through dance and how you can show emotion through dance. I will then show the students the dance video. After the video, we will do the flower dance, a dance that tells a story about a flower blooming and becoming a flower bouquet (the flower dance can be found in the "notes" section.. scroll down). I will teach the students how to do the dance as we do it together, move by move. Then I will split the students into partners. I will have the partners choose one scenario on paper out of a hat (these scenarios can be found in the "notes" section.. scroll down). The partners will then practice their dance story. The last 10-15 minutes will consist of the partners showing the rest of the students their dance along to corresponding music/ sound effects chosen by me.
Engaging Exercises:
In order to meet the objectives, students will answer what STARS means, I will ask different students to read each blurb for STARS.
Students will be engaged during our sun salutation.
Students will be engaged while doing the flower dance.
Students will clap for their fellow students performance at the end of class.
Group Activities:
-Students will be actively engaged while doing (and saying) this sun salutation for kids:
breath in, lift your arms up and say "I'm thankful for the sun!"
breathe out, let your finger tips rain down to the ground (forward fold, uttanasana) and say "I'm thankful for the rain!"
breathe in, look in front of you (half lift, ardha uttanasana) and say "I'm thankful for the grass!"
lower all the way to the ground then do cobra pose and say "I'm thankful for the animals!"
push your hips back into downward facing dog pose
step one foot forwards into a low lunge, lift your arms and say "I'm thankful for the flowers!"
we will repeat this one more time, stepping the opposite foot forward in low lunge.
Students will do the flower dance all together (the flower dance can be found in the "notes" section.. scroll down).
Students will watch their fellow students perform together.
Partner Activities:
Students will choose partners to practice their story telling dance (these scenarios can be found in the "notes" section.. scroll down).
Individual Activities:
Students will do their own dance move of their choice after introducing themselves.
Students will answer the question: “how can you tell a story through dance and how can you show emotion through dance?”
Students will be encouraged to guess if they are not sure.
Closure:
Students will watch their fellow students perform together.
Assessment:
Students will be asked “what is expressive movement?” And “how do you tell a story through dance?”
Notes:
Flower dance:
start as "seeds" (child's pose)
begin to grow, staying low to the ground
spinning in a circle
keep spinning as you grow tall
all the way to tippy toes
spin on tippy toes
pull sunlight down, in towards your stomach
bloom (do a C jump or a star jump)
blow in the wind (move side to side, reaching)
everyone comes into the center to make a "bouquet of flowers"
everyone reaches their hands up and wiggles their fingers or does jazz hands
everyone pulls sunlight down, their hands come into the center on top of each others
we count "1, 2, 3" then say "will you grow with me? 1, 2
I’ll grow with you. All together 3, 2, 1 BLOOM" on "bloom" everyone reaches their hands back
up to the sky.
Storytelling through dance scenarios (students randomly pick):
You are a caterpillar. You make a cocoon around yourself. Then, you break free from your cocoon and grow into a beautiful butterfly.
You are an alien from a planet far away. The only way you know how to communicate to humans is to do funky dances. Communicate something through dance.
You are a magical fairy, but you don’t want anyone to see you. You tip toe quietly around until you find a safe place to fly away.
You are a monster but you are mute, meaning you can’t make a sound. The only way you can scare people is to dance.
Example: you have claws, you make yourself large, you slither like a snake, you show your teeth, you have spikes or a tail.
You are a mermaid. A sea witch puts a spell on you and you grow legs. You are not used to your legs so you keep falling down while you dance. Finally you get used to your legs and you can dance as much as you want.
You are a bug that suddenly starts to grow. You grow so huge!
Example: you wiggle, you have antennae.
You are a rockstar and you are performing on stage for thousands of people. You play your instrument and you dance around on stage.
Example: you are playing guitar, you are playing drums, you are singing,
but remember you can not make a sound.
You start as a seed and you grow into a tree. You blow in the wind. Suddenly a lumber jack comes along and chops you down. Choose one person to be the lumber jack.
You are Cupid and it’s Valentines day. You fly around and you use your magic bow and arrow to make people hug each other. Choose one person to be Cupid.
You are in a synchronized swim team. You dance together in the water, doing the same thing at the same time. Remember, you are in water!
I will explain to the students that you can be expressive and tell a story through many forms of dance
Ballet, lyrical, hip hop, jazz, etc.
I will encourage students to use any style of dance that they prefer, if they have knowledge of a particular style of dance.