Lesson 1 - Body Parts and Personal/General Space // Parties du corps et espace personnel/général

Whole Class > Establishing Personal Space

With students, practice moving in personal space and general space using a variety of locomotor movements and responding to a freeze command (using a bell or drum to cue). Review the terms "personal" and "general" space.  

Prompt: Let’s make a list of body parts (perhaps using the suggested warm-up as a starting point). Discuss and move body parts that students suggest – record on chart paper. (See BLM #1)

Déclencheur : Faisons une liste des parties du corps

Isolate each body part, trying to only move that part without involving any other part of the body. Prompt: Are some body parts harder to move on their own? Why do you think that is? 

Déclencheur : Certaines parties du corps sont-elles plus difficiles à déplacer par elles-mêmes ? Pourquoi penses-tu que c'est le cas ?

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Side-coach and provide feedback as children are dancing
Teacher and peer feedback after performance

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Creation of success criteria for movement response
Self-assessment and group self-assessment during creation of movement response using success criteria
Reflective journaling after performance

Differentiation (DI)

Students self-select the body parts whose movement they are able and interested in exploring. Students with limited voluntary movement will be able to participate fully by choosing those body parts that they are able to move. For students with extremely limited voluntary movement, teachers may want to use or create a tool such as the Simpson Board that will allow those students to direct the movement of others.

Anchor charts listing body parts and success criteria should be available for students to refer to throughout the lesson. 

Quick Tip

Comments should focus on describing and highlighting students' efforts without passing judgment or suggesting that one response is better than another.
The writing of the cinquain could be done as a whole class or in smaller groups.

Hyperlinks in the Lesson

The Arts in Every Classroom: A Video Library (K-5) 

Warm-up  

Individual > Body storming / Remue-corporelle

Use the following teacher prompts to engage students in exploring the movement of their body parts in personal and general space.  

Prompt: Glue your feet to the floor and move only the top half of your body…how can you move another half of your body? Are there other halves that we haven't thought about? Can you balance on two, three, four, five, one...parts of your body – is there another way of doing that? Try balancing on different body parts. When you balance, are you in personal or general space? Can you travel on two, three, four, five…parts of your body – is there another way of doing that? Try traveling on different body parts. When you travel, are you in personal or general space?

Déclencheur : Colle ton pied au sol et ne bouge que la moitié supérieure de ton corps... comment peux-tu bouger une autre moitié de ton corps ? Y a-t-il d'autres moitiés auxquelles nous n'avons pas pensé ? Peux-tu te tenir en équilibre sur deux, trois, quatre, cinq, une... parties de ton corps - y a-t-il une autre façon de le faire ? Essaie de te tenir en équilibre sur différentes parties du corps. Lorsque tu te tiens en équilibre, te trouves-tu dans l'espace personnel ou général ? Peux-tu te déplacer sur deux, trois, quatre, cinq... parties de ton corps - y a-t-il une autre façon de le faire ? Essaie de voyager sur différentes parties du corps. Lorsque tu voyages, es-tu dans ton espace personnel ou général

Whole Class > Writing a Cinquain

(adapted from Creative Dance for All Ages by Anne Green Gilbert) 

Write a cinquain collaboratively that describes the qualities and movements of a particular body part.

Record on the board or chart paper. 

Ex:

Legs
Long, flexible
Bending, leaping, stretching
We jump with them
Strong supporters

Individual > Creating Movement in Response to the Poem

Read the poem as the dancers improvise (create on-the-spot) movement in response to the poem. Ask students for volunteers to share their movements with the class.

Whole Class > Co-constructing Criteria

As a class, co-create success criteria for assessing the movement the students create to accompany the poem. Record criteria on the board or chart paper and post where students can refer to them as they work in their groups.

Criteria might include the use of a variety of body parts, movement in both personal and general space, movement that reflects the meaning of the words, active participation, and cooperative creative work with other group members. 

Small Group > Creating Dance Phrases

Create groups of three or four. Ask the students to share their created movements with their group. Have groups sequence the movements together to create a short dance phrase. As an extension, you may have the students read the poem as a choral dramatization while they are moving.

Small Group > Sharing Works in Progress

After reviewing appropriate audience behaviour, groups will present their movement responses and students will provide oral feedback related to the success criteria.
Students will also reflect on their experiences creating their dance piece by describing their feelings and reactions to both creating and watching these movement responses to the cinquain. This can be done in a variety of ways (e.g. orally, in written journals, through video journaling etc.)

Sample Journal Prompt:

How did creating the dance make you feel? Which element (body, space, time, energy and relationship) do you think you used the most? What was the most challenging part of creating the dance piece? What part did you like the most?
Extension: Groups may be given time to revise their dance pieces based on the feedback given by the class prior to presenting again for evaluation.

Exemple d'invitation à tenir un journal :

Qu'as-tu ressenti en créant cette danse ? Quel élément (corps, espace, temps, énergie et relation) penses-tu avoir le plus utilisé ? Quelle a été la partie la plus difficile de la création de la pièce de danse ? Quelle est la partie que tu as le plus appréciée ?