Lesson Overview

Estimated Time:  70 minutes

Applying for grants is one way for dancers to amass the necessary resources to put together a production. Knowing which granting organizations exist, and what each requires is a meaningful way to understand what sponsors value in artists. In this lesson, students will individually research national, provincial, municipal and private granting organizations. They will come together in small groups to share their findings.

Connections to Financial Literacy

Navigating one’s way through granting organizations can be overwhelming. In this lesson, students are given one organization to learn about in depth. While searching a designated website, students may come across information about what makes a dance project worth financing, how much one can expect to be granted if their application is successful, what the ratio is of grants applied for/grants given and the expectations of what should be on a dancer’s application/resume.

Dance

Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing
B3. Connections Beyond the Classroom

  • B3.1: identify and describe a variety of post-secondary destinations in the field of dance and the training or education required for each

Curriculum Expectations

Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing
B3. Connections Beyond the Classroom

  • B3.1: identify and describe a variety of post-secondary destinations in the field of dance and the training or education required for each

Foundations
C3. Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of safe, ethical, and responsible personal and interpersonal practices in dance activities.

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will know, understand and/or be able to:

  • identify granting organizations
  • discuss the mandate, application process and scope of one organization

Instructional Components and Context

Readiness

For this lesson, students will need to be able to research an internet site independently. The guiding questions used to help the students navigate are general and not specific so a certain level of competency on the computer is necessary.  

Terminology

Grant

Materials

Computer Lab
BLM #2 Websites for Dance Related Granting Organizations
BLM #3 Investigating a Granting Organization

 

Lesson Plan

Minds On

Whole Class > Guided Internet Search and Discussion

Direct students to sit at a computer in a lab. (Ideally there should be one student per computer.) Introduce the class to the Dance Umbrella of Ontario Website. Tell them to skim and scan the sections under “Step by Step, Running a Dance Business.” Give students five minutes to explore the linked page silently. Begin a discussion with the questions below. Alternately, students can be assigned to browse the Dance Umbrella of Ontario website as homework and come to class prepared to discuss.

Key Questions for Discussion:

Based on what you’ve read, what does this website say that dancers should be concerned about?
What is a vision statement?
What recommendations are given to dancers about how their resumes should be presented?
Describe some parallel careers that a dancer might pursue.

Connections

Connections:  When guest artists visit the classroom, ask them if they can talk about how they personally manage their career. Letting the students know about grants guest artists have received and alternative forms of income needed to sustain a creative lifestyle is important information.

Differentiation:  An alternative to having students examine this site independently is to use a projector and highlight important points from the DUO website at the front of the class.

Assessment for learning:  Ask the students how knowledgeable they feel about the business of dance so far. Invite them to raise their hand for one of the three statements:

  1. I feel foggy - I don’t really understand how dance artists make a living and/or I don’t really care.
  2. I feel clear - I understand that there are many ways that dance artists make a living and I’m looking forward to learning more.
  3. I am a master!  I can explain the business of dance to anyone.  Arts Administration is probably in my future.

 

Action!

Individual > Internet Research Assignment

Choose five funding bodies in advance of the lesson; ideally you have representatives from the international, national, provincial, municipal and private sectors. See BLM #2 Websites for Dance Related Granting Organizations for suggestions. Number the students one to five.  Assign numbers one to five a different organization (i.e. All two’s in the room, you will be researching the Ontario Arts Council) Distribute BLM #3 Investigating a Granting Organization. Direct the students to complete the handout. Inform them that they will be sharing their findings in small groups at the end of the lesson.

Connections

Connections:  Ask students to suggest strategies they know for researching from a website.  (i.e. Reading sub-headings, examining graphics, exploring links).

Differentiation:  Auditory and kinesthetic learners may benefit from being in the same group and sitting beside one another. They can read aloud sections of the site, point out interesting facts or engage in quiet discussion when necessary.

Assessment as learning:  Collect BLM #3 Investigating a Granting Organization at the end of the lesson. Provide written feedback on completion, detail and accuracy. Redistribute on the following school day.


Consolidation

Small Group > Jigsaw

Direct students to form small groups; each group should have a representative from numbers one through five. Instruct students to take turns sharing details from their research.  Note that each presenter should not just read from their page; it is more interesting for others when a few key ideas are communicated articulately.

Connections

Connections:  As an extension, students could independently be required to research an organization from all five sectors.

Differentiation:  Visual/Spatial learners may also want to print some photographs/graphics from their website if this better communicates information to them and would assist with their Jigsaw presentation.

Assessment for learning:  Observe each small group as they are presenting.  Note which students seem to be engaged and confident with the material and which are distracted/disinterested.  The culminating task introduced in the next lesson requires small group work and this activity can inform groupings.