Aboriginal Dance

Unit Overview

Context:

This unit focuses on exposing students to aboriginal dance, music and art.
Students will learn two aboriginal dances and, using their pre-existing knowledge of the elements of dance, use these new styles as a stimulus to create their own choreography.

Summary:

Beginning with the exploration of the term "aboriginal", students will have the opportunity to learn about the Jingle Dress and Dance and the Shawl Dance and use these as the basis for their own choreography. In additional, students will learn the importance of the drum in aboriginal dance and build their own drums to be used to create music for dancing. The unit culminates in the students using a piece of aboriginal art as the stimulus for an individual piece of choreography.

Overall Expectations

A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process, the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship), and a variety of sources to develop movement vocabulary

A2. Choreography and Composition: combine the elements of dance in a variety of ways in composing individual and ensemble dance creation

A3. Dance Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of the dance techniques and movement vocabularies of a variety of global dance forms

A4. Performance: apply dance presentation skills in a variety of contexts and performances

B1. Critical Analysis Process: use the critical analysis process to reflect on and evaluate their own and others' dance works and activities.

Unit Guiding Questions

How can we use aboriginal dance, music and art as a source and inspiration for our own creative movement?

Lesson Guiding Questions

Lesson #1 Aboriginal vs. Non-Aboriginal

How can we use movement to show how society views Aboriginals?

Lesson #2 New Discovery-Jingle dress Dance

How can the elements of dance be used in different ways to communicate?

Lesson #3 Drumming

What is the importance of the drum to Aboriginal dance?

Lesson #4 Fusion and Shawl Dance

How does nature influence certain dances?
How are the elements of dance used in the Shawl Dance?

Lesson #5 Art as Inspiration

What do we see when viewing Aboriginal art pieces?
What significance does this art have in terms of dance movement?
How can we interpret line/colour/shape through movement?

Assessment and Evaluation: How will students demonstrate their learning?

Assessment of learning

Culminating Performance Task

Students will create a solo dance piece inspired by a work of aboriginal art, and drawing on their learning from the unit. This will be evaluated using a rubric.

Assessment for Learning

Checkpoint/Lesson #1

Teacher observation
Side coaching
Peer feedback

Checkpoint/Lesson #2

Teacher observation
Side coaching
Self-reflection

Checkpoint/Lesson #3

Teacher observation
Side coaching
Peer feedback

Checkpoint/Lesson #4

Teacher observation
Side coaching

Unit Lessons: How will assessment and instruction be organized for learning?		Approx. Duration 1 class= 50 minutes
Lesson 1	Aboriginal vs. Non-Aboriginal Students will explore the concepts of aboriginal vs. non-aboriginal through both discussion and movement.	1 class
Lesson 2	New Discovery-The Jingle Dress Dance Students will create a short movement phrase depicting how they would feel is they were the founder of a new piece of land. Student will then learn steps from the Jingle Dress Dance, and compare their choreography to the choreography learned.	1 class
Lesson 3	Drumming Students will create their own drums and discuss the importance of drumming in aboriginal dance. They will have the opportunity to work with a partner to create both a short movement phrase and an accompanying drum rhythm.	1 class
Lesson 4	Fusion and the Shawl Dance Students will learn the steps of the the Shawl dance and then explore ways of using the Shawl Dance and the Jingle Dress Dance as a stimulus for their own choreography.	1-2 classes
Lesson 5	Art as Inspiration Students will create an individual dance piece inspired by a work of aboriginal art. They will have the opportunity to get peer and teacher feedback and revise their piece, prior to the final performance.	1-2 classes

Lesson 1: Aborginal vs. Non-Aborginal

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
Students will begin to explore the differences between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal.	How can we use movement to show how society views Aboriginals?
Curriclum Expectations	Learning Goals
Creating, Presenting and Performing A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process, the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship), and a variety of sources to develop movement vocabulary A1.2 create and perform phrases that combine the elements of dance in variety of ways; and A4. Performance: apply dance presentation skills in a variety of contexts and performances A4.1 revise, refine, and polish movement execution and choreography.	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: identify and express (both through movement and verbally) the differences between Aboriginals and Non- Aboriginals revise their dance pieces to include movement ideas from all members of their group
Instructional Components
Readiness This lesson is intended as the introduction to Aboriginal dance. The intention is to peak students' interest and give them insight into Aboriginal dance. Students should be able to work individually as well as in small groups to create movement phrases. Students should be comfortable performing their own work and the work of others for their peers to comment on. Students should have the abilty to give constructive feedback and observations to peers. Students should be familiar with the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship) Terminology Aboriginal Movement Phrase	Materials Chart paper Markers

Approximately 10 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Whole Class > Brainstorming Divide the class in half. Give one piece of chart paper to each group. On one sheet write ABORIGINAL and on the other write NON-ABORIGINAL. Ask students to brainstorm words and ideas referring to the words on the papers. Have them write their phrases and words on the sheet paper. Be aware of some offensive or stereotypical phrases or words. Have the groups switch papers and add any other words or phrases that they come up with. Switch the papers back.	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Student dicussion during brainstorming can be used as a diagnostic tool of students prior knowledge. Provide feedback as students are preparing movement phrases. Differentiation (DI) Work with each group to assist in choosing proper words and phrases. Quick Tip If the students are having difficulty with finding words or phrases, you can prompt them with ideas. Link and Layer Remind students of the elements of dance and encourage the use of these elements in the lesson.
Approximately 50 minutes Action!
Individual > Creating Movement Phrases Individually, have students choose four words or phrases from the chart paper. Ask them to create four-movement phrases based on these four words. They should flow together. (Half the class should be working on the word aboriginal the other group is working on non-aboriginal). Pairs > Creating Movement Phrases Once this has been established, pair up a student from the non-aboriginal group with a student from the aboriginal group. Have them link their movement phrases by starting with one and ending with the other. Show these pieces to the class. Have students provide constructive criticism. Have students go back to their partners and combine their phrases differently. Either they may switch the beginning and the end or intertwine them to overlap. Show to the class. Again, commment on these dances. Small Group > Creating Movement Phrases Combine 2 pairs together and have them combine their dances - again either one whole sequence and then on to the other or combine by intertwining them to overlap. Show movement phrases to the class.
Approximately 10 minutes Consolidation
Whole Class > Debrief Discuss the differences between the two original groups. Prompt: Were they obvious or did they blend together? By viewing these dances, are there any visible differences between aboriginals and non-aboriginals? Discuss how society views aboriginals.

Lesson 2: New discovery - Jingle dress dance

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
The Jingle Dress Dance is a healing dance. Although it is a dance that is distinct from any other, it uses the elements of dance as the building blocks of movement.	How can the elements of dance be used in different ways to communicate?
Curriclum Expectations	Learning Goals
Creating, Presenting and Performing A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process, the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship), and a variety of sources to develop movement vocabulary A1.2 create and perform phrases that combine the elements of dance in variety of ways; and A2. Choreography and Composition: combine the elements of dance in a variety of ways in composing individual and ensemble dance creation A2.3 use a variety of compositional approaches to express a range of ideas and moods through dance. A3. Dance Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of the dance techniques and movement vocabularies of a variety of global dance forms A3.2 accurately reproduce timing and phrasing patterns found in a variety of dance forms from around the world. Reflecting, Responding and Analysing B1. Critical Analysis Process: use the critical analysis process to reflect on and evaluate their own and others' dance works and activities. B1.1 use the critiical analysis process to describe and compare a wide variety of dance forms.	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: convey their feelings through movement replicate some of the movements of the Jingle Dress Dance reflect on the differences between how they used the elements of dance in their own choreography and how they are used in the Jingle Dress Dance
Instructional Components
Readiness This lesson is intended to make each student more aware of the dances that are embedded in Aboriginal culture. Students should be able to work in small groups to create movement phrases. Students should be comfortable performing their own work and the work of others for their peers. Students should know how to give constructive feedback and observations to peers. Students should be familiar with the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship) Terminology Regalia Midewinini	Materials Student journals Blank paper and pencils Video clip of Jingle Dress Dance BLMs BLM # 1 Jingle Dress Dance

Approximately 15 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Individual/Small Group > Reflection Ask students to place themselves in a situation where they are the founder of a piece of land and write about their feelings in the dance journals. Prompt: What does it feel like to be the first person to discover something brand new? How would you express this feeling to others? Once they have reflected on this in their journals, have them get in groups of four and discuss their thoughts.	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Circulate and side coach groups as necessary during the creation of their movement phrases. Observe students' movement skills as they are learning the jingle dress dance movements. Assess the student journal reflections from the beginning and end of class. Assessment as Learning (AaL) Reflection in dance journals. Differentiation (DI) By working in groups of four, this takes the pressure off of them as individuals. If students are not volunteering ideas, offer some of your own to get them started. Link and Layer Remind the students of the words and phrases that were created in the previous lesson. Can they be used in this dance? Hyperlinks in the Lesson Jingle Dress Dance- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZaF1EuDOK0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iCNVcxEs9U
Approximately 45 minutes Action!
Small Group > Creating Movement Phrases Put students in groups of four and ask them to create a dance piece based on the feelings and ideas recorded in their journals. They may choose to create the choreography as a collective, or each dance may create a movement phrase based on his/her journal and then the group combines them, as in the previous lesson. Show these dances to the class. Discuss the similarities and differences between each group's dance piece. Prompt: Were any of the feelings or sentiments expressed in each group's dances similar? Were there differences? Overall what feelings were expressed at the idea of being the founder of a new piece of land? How did the groups use the elements of dance to help convey their ideas? Small Group > Designing a Costume Have students design an outfit that would reflect this pride and new hope from their dance. Encourage them to think not only in terms of something appropriate to dance in, but also colour, texture, accessories etc. Whole Class > Learning about the Jingle Dress Dance Show students a clip of a "Jingle Dress Dance". (See hyperlinks). Discuss any similarities and differences between their dances as well as the outfits they created. Distribute and discuss BLM #1 Jingle Dress Dance. Teach the students some of the movements from the "Jingle Dress Dance".
Approximately 10 minutes Consolidation
Individual > Reflection Have students go back to their journals and reflect on the similarities and the differences they found from their original dance and from the Jingle Dress Dance. Key Questions for Reflection: How was your choreography similar or different from the Jingle Dress Dance? What elements were most evident in the Jingle Dress Dance? How did this compare to your own choreography?

Lesson 3: Drumming

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
In this lesson students will gain a better understanding of what music means to the Aboriginal dance and the dancers.	What is the importance of the drum to Aboriginal dance?
Curriclum Expectations	Learning Goals
Creating, Presenting and Performing A3. Dance Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of the dance techniques and movement vocabularies of a variety of global dance forms A3.3 arrange and present multiple sequences using the dance vocabulary and technique from an identified dance form..	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: identify the importance of the drum to the Aboriginal dance; create their own interpretation of the Jingle Dress Dance
Instructional Components
Readiness Students should be able to follow instructions to create a final product. Students should be comfortable performing their own work and the work of others for their peers. Students should know how to give constructive feedback and observations to peers. Students should be familiar with the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship) Terminology Grand Entry Honour Beats	Materials Cylindrical tin containers of varying sizes Electrical or masking tape Construction paper Coloured pencils Gluesticks Other decorative embellishments(eg. sparkles, sequins, etc.) Students journals A variety of music that features the drum BLMs BLM #2 Drums and Songs

Approximately 10 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Whole Class > Discussion on the Importance of Drums As students are entering the class, play a variety of drumbeats. Discuss with the students the importance of the drum to the Aboriginal dances. Without the drum, there would be no dance! Handout and discuss the BLM #2 Drums and Songs	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Assess student input during the class discussion. Observe and side coach while the students experiment with the drum and movement. Assessment as Learning (AaL) Peer feedback during partner work and journal reflections. Differentiation (DI) By creating a drum of your own will help students by giving them a visual on which to base their drum on. Quick Tip If students are having difficulty beginning their song, provide other music sources for them to listen to. Link and Layer When discussing the importance of the drum, ask students to think of the Jingle Dress Dance learned about in the previous lesson. Hyperlinks in the Lesson How to make a Homemade Drum- http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Drum
Approximately 50 minutes Action!
Individual > Making a Drum Instruct students to make their own drum with the materials provided. If you have a large class, ask them to bring in their own materials. (See hyperlinks for complete instructions on making a drum). Whole Class > Drumming As a class, drum out some basic rhythms - emphasizing different counts - having them experiment with the drum and its sounds. (Different size cans will produce a different sound). Pairs > Creating Movement and Music Organize students into pairs and ask them to create a dance as well as a song with their drum. Instruct student to use movements from the Jingle Dress Dance to create their choreography. One partner drums while the other dances and then half way through - switch so that both have the chance to perform the dance and play the drum. Encourage students to think about the elements of the Jingle Dress Dance while they are creating. Whole Class >Sharing Show these dances to the class. Provide constructive feedback. Prompt: What similarities did you see between this dance and the Jingle Dress dance? How well was the drum used with the choreography?
Approximately 10 minutes Consolidation
Individual > Reflection In their journals, ask students to reflect on how they felt being the drummer as well as the dancer in their piece. Prompt: Comment on the sense of empowerment the drum gave you, knowing you were in control of the dance and the dancer.

Lesson 4: Fusion and Shawl Dance

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
Many aboriginal dances have connections to or are inspired by nature. The Shawl Dance, uses the elements of dance to show the life of a butterfly.	How does nature influence certain dances? How are the elements of dance used in the Shawl Dance?
Curriclum Expectations	Learning Goals
Creating, Presenting and Performing A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process, the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship), and a variety of sources to develop movement vocabulary A1.1 use the elements of dance to develop and perform a series of connected dance phrases inspired by a source A1.2 create and perform phrases that combine the elements of dance in variety of ways; A3. Dance Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of the dance techniques and movement vocabularies of a variety of global dance forms A3.1 apply knowledge of the movement vocabularies of a variety of dance forms from around the world; A3.2 accurately reproduce timing and phrasing patterns found in a variety of dance forms from around the world. A3.3 arrange and present multiple sequences using the dance vocabulary and technique from an identified dance form.	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: create a short movement phrase inspired by the life of a butterfly accurately reproduce the steps of the shawl dance use the dance vocabulary learned from the Jingle Dress Dance and the Shawl Dance to create their own choreography
Instructional Components
Readiness Students should be able to work in small groups to create movement phrases. Students should be comfortable performing their own work and the work of others for their peers. Students should be able to link prior knowledge of dance to new instructions to create a movement piece in progress. Students should be familiar with the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship) Terminology Regalia	Materials Student journals Video clip of a Shawl Dance Drums from previous lesson BLMs BLM #3 Shawl Dance

Approximately 5 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Individual/Whole Class > Brainstorming In their journals, have students brainstorm ideas and phrases about the birth of a butterfly. Ask students to share their ideas with the class and write these words and phrases on the board and add to them if necessary.	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Assess student input during the class discussion. Give feedback while the students work in partners. Observe and coach the students' movement skills while learning the Shawl Dance movements. Assessment as Learning (AaL) Students will give peer feedback when they work with their partners. Differentiation (DI) Circulate to each student providing any extra help they may need to enable them to create a movement piece they are comfortable with. Quick Tip Calling out the words on the board will help the students clarify and boost their confidence with their movement piece. Link and Layer Remind the students of the Jingle Dress Dance from the previous lesson as well as aspects of modern or creative movement. Hyperlinks in the Lesson Shawl Dance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCjiyiqU7pI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCjiyiqU7pI
Approximately 60 minutes Action!
Individual > Creating Butterfly Dance Phrase Ask students choose five words or phrases from the list and create a five movement dance piece. Circulate and side coach the students as necessary. Have half of the class share their dance pieces while to other half watches, switch roles. Whole Class > Learning the Shawl Dance Distribute and discuss BLM # 3 Shawl Dance. Show clip of Shawl Dance. (See hyperlinks). Teach some of the aspects of the Shawl Dance and discuss with the students similarities between the Shawl Dance and the butterfly inspired dance pieces they just created. Pairs > Creating a Dance Piece In partners, have students create a dance based on what has already been taught (Jingle Dress Dance and Shawl Dance). Explain to students that they do not need to create exact replicas of these dances, but rather they are using these two dances as a stimulus to create their own creative movement dance piece. Small Group > Adding Music to the Movement Once their dance piece has been rehearsed, connect each pair with another pair and while one pair is dancing the other pair will drum out an appropriate song, using the drums from the previous lesson. Show these pieces to the class.
Approximately 5 minutes Consolidation
Whole Class > Debrief As a class, discuss the process of using these two dance pieces as a stimulus for the students' choreography. Prompt: What was challenging, what did you enjoy? Do these two dances remind you of other piece of choreography you may have seen?

Lesson 5: Art as Inspiration

Critical Learning	Guiding Questions
Visual art can be a rich stimulus for dance.	What do we see when viewing Aboriginal art pieces? What significance does this art have in terms of dance movement? How can we interpret line/colour/shape through movement?
Curriclum Expectations	Learning Goals
A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process, the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship), and a variety of sources to develop movement vocabulary A2. Choreography and Composition: combine the elements of dance in a variety of ways in composing individual and ensemble dance creation A3. Dance Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of the dance techniques and movement vocabularies of a variety of global dance forms A4. Performance: apply dance presentation skills in a variety of contexts and performances B1. Critical Analysis Process: use the critical analysis process to reflect on and evaluate their own and others' dance works and activities.	Learning Goals (Unpacked Expectations) At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: identify several pieces of Aboriginal art works; develop a dance piece based on a visual source give and receive peer feedback revise and refine their dance pieces based on feedback present a polished dance piece to the class reflect on how the art world may be connected to the dance world.
Instructional Components
Readiness This lesson is intended for the student to gain a better understanding for the Aboriginal art and how it can be connected to the dance world. Students should be able to work individually using a visual source to produce a dance piece. Students should feel comfortable performing their own works for their peers. Students should know how to give constructive feedback and observations to peers. Students should be familiar with the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy and relationship)	Materials Several works of Aboriginal art (of varying colour and style) Student journals Instrumental music of varying speeds (or music of your choice) BLMs BLM #4 Rubric

Approximately 10 minutes Minds On	Pause and Ponder
Individual > Gallery Walk of Art Work Place several pieces of Aboriginal artwork in various locations around the room, making sure that they differ in style and colour. These can be originals, prints or printed from the internet. The number of art pieces you will need will be determined by your class size. Have students circulate around the classroom viewing all of the pieces. Ask them to choose three pieces of art and comment on these in their journals. Prompt: What do you like about these three pieces? What do they make you think of? Comment of the shape, size, colour etc of the piece of art.	Assessment for Learning (AfL) Observe students and give feedback as the students are creating their pieces. Assessment as Learning (AaL) Peer feedback Differentiation (DI) Have the students that have chosen the same art piece perform together, this takes the pressure off of the individual student as a performer. Quick Tip If students are having difficulty creating a movement sequence based on the artwork, ask them questions that will make them look deeper into the piece. Do you see more than one image? Why do you think the artist included both images? What did the artist want you to see? Link and Layer Remind students of the previous lessons on the Jingle Dress Dance and the Shawl Dance. You may wish to continue with these pieces in future lessons for a larger evaluation Hyperlinks in the Lesson Sites for native art pieces www.willatuk.com www.needlenart.com www.spiritofthewestcoast.com
Approximately 70 minutes Action!
Individual > Choosing a Stimulus Once they have commented on three pieces, have students narrow their choice down to one favorite piece of art and explain to them they will use this piece of artwork as an inspiration and jumping off point to create a dance (using any form of dance - or if you want to specify a form). Students should consider the following: What do I see? How are the images portrayed? Do I see more than one image? How can I show the line/texture/colour of the art through movement? Individual > Creating a Dance Piece Encourage students to explore several movement ideas while they are working to create their choreograph. While students are creating and rehearsing, play several different pieces of instrumental music to help guide them. (You may want to use several pieces of Aboriginal drumming). Small Group > Sharing Works in Progress Combine students together with other students that have chosen the same piece of artwork. Have them show each other their work and provide constructive feedback to each other. Give students time to revise and refine their dance pieces based on the peer feedback. Whole Class > Presenting As a class, set an audience. Select one of the pieces of art and have it displayed where the audience can see it. Have all of the dancers that used that piece as their stimulus present at the same time. When they have finished, select the next piece of art work and continue until all dancers have shared their work. Since dancers are presenting solo works, having them all present at the same time give students a lower risk performance opportunity.
Approximately 15 minutes Consolidation
Whole Class > Debrief Discuss each dance piece and how each related to the works of art. Key Questions for Discussion What kinds of differences existed between dancers that used the same piece of art? What did they see differently? The same? How did this vision lend itself to the dance piece?

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