Lesson 1 - Weather and Movement

Whole Class > Generating Ideas for a Stimulus

Show students images related to different weather forms (i.e. tornado, thunderstorm, hurricane) and ask them to brainstorm the first descriptive words that come to mind when considering those images. Show images one at a time and direct students to consider what that type of weather "looks like," "sounds like" and "feels like" as an observer. Direct students to consider what type of weather prefaces destructive or aggressive weather (i.e., the "calm before the storm").

Pairs > Discussion

Arrange students in pairs. Have students draw a strip with one of the components of a thunderstorm on it (e.g., thunder, lightening, wind, rain) to create a focus for the pair discussion. To encourage elaboration of first responses, pose questions one at a time.

Prompt:

What type of images come to your mind when thinking about your weather form?

What sounds do you associate with that type of weather?  

What describing words can you use to discuss those sounds?

If you were exposed to that type of weather, how/what would you feel?

Students should spend 4-5 minutes in pair discussions. Ask students to generate a list of actions that show various weather forms. These will be used in the body storming activity. Have students return to the whole groups and share one important idea from their pair sessions. 

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Can students convey the idea of specific weather elements using the elements of energy and time?

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Student self-assessment:

• which types of movement effectively represented the components of weather?
• how did the relationship between weather groups convey the idea of the thunderstorm?

Differentiation (DI)

Students finding creative expression difficult might benefit from the use of sounds (i.e. weather based music, noise makers such as a rain stick to inspire movement).

Written self assessment can also be done orally with the teacher, or can be audio recorded. 

Quick Tip

Depending on the number of students, this could be done in smaller groups, creating two smaller collaborative pieces rather than a single whole class presentation. 

Link and Layer

Students should have prior knowledge of the elements of dance.

Individual > Body storming

Ask students to spread out in the room and body storm specific elements in weather.
Prompt:  How can you use your body to demonstrate rain? What does thunder look like?

Whole Class > Sharing the Learning Goal

Share learning goal with students: Students will be working to create a sequence of movements representing weather forms before, during and after the storm.

Small Group > Creating a Movement Sequence

Separate students into four groups; each representing the specific components of a thunderstorm (wind, rain, thunder, lightening). Give each group a specific component of a thunderstorm (rain, wind, thunder and lightning) and ask them to come up with a collaborative piece of creative movement that illustrates that element. Students should focus on the use of energy to and time to convey this idea. Ask groups to share their movement pieces with the class. Once all the groups have shared, ask the students to explore relationship in weather. Pair together the wind and rain groups, as well as the thunder and lighting groups. Students should consider the movement in connection to the other group. 

Prompt: Which weather element would come first? How can you demonstrate a connection between weather elements using energy and time?

Whole Class > Sharing

Ask the groups to share the connection piece they created in collaboration with the other group. Have students in the audience look for specific movements that use time or energy to communicate the idea of wind, rain, thunder or lighting.

Extension: The class can collaborate in a whole group presentation of a "thunderstorm" maintaining the ideas from each group's previous representation. Begin with one group (i.e. the rain group) initiating the storm. The other groups (wind, thunder and lightning) should join in at specific intervals (or as a response to the other groups' movement) to create a collaborative piece.  As a result, each group representing the elements of a thunderstorm (lightning, thunder, wind and rain) will present simultaneously as a class, and create a class "thunderstorm."  The class should reflect on how they can work together to create a presentation that highlights the elements of the thunderstorm using creative movement.