Lesson Overview
Estimated Time: 2-3 periods
Subject: Primary/Junior Dance and Drama
Through the exploration of “gathering places” found in the Aga Khan Museum students will discover the relevance of gathering places and the different roles that they play in our communities. Students will also make connections into the different ways the meeting places are used to communicate ideas and thoughts and transmit culture. Through the inquiry process students will analyze the spaces provided and share their creations using drama and dance conventions.
Curriculum Expectations
Dance
A1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to the composition of a variety of dance pieces, using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas;
A2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences
Drama
B1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to process drama and the development of drama works, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and multiple perspectives;
B2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23–28) to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of drama works and experiences
Learning Goals
- Develop short movement phrases inspired by the community gathering places identified.
- Develop and present a dance phrase inspired by the mood and ambience of the gathering place
- Imitate movements found in their natural environment in a variety of ways and incorporate them into a dance phrase
- Or present tableaux with different positions that represent the space in the picture they have been provided.
Instructional Components and Context
Readiness
It is important that students have a solid understanding of tableau before beginning this lesson. Students should be comfortable creating and presenting in groups.
Terminology
Caption
Materials
Images of gathering spaces
Lesson Plan
Minds On
Whole Class > Brainstorming
Ask students to consider places that communities gather. Teacher prompt: Where do we all gather together at school? Where are some gathering places in our community? What are the places you and your family gather in your home?
Small Group > Tableau
Create groups of 4 or 5, and ask each group to create a tableau of one of the gathering places brainstormed in the previous activity. Alternately, you may assign one gathering place to each group from the list created by the class. Invite groups to share their tableau. Ask students in the audience to collectively come up with a caption for each tableau that captures the mood/feeling. Teacher prompt: What makes a good gathering space? Why do families or communities need gathering spaces? What are gathering spaces used for?
Connections
Connections: Refer back to the students’ work on journeys. How are they related to the idea of gathering spaces?
Assessment for/as learning: Co-construct criteria for tableau. Ensure students have the opportunity to engage in self and peer reflection and are given descriptive feedback in preparation of the culminating task.
Action!
Small Group > Centres: Gathering Places
Create centres using the following pictures of gathering spaces:
Syrian Fountain (preferably pic of fountain from aga Khan Museum)
Each centre should include an image of the gathering space and a few key details about the place. Divide students into six groups. Students in each group number themselves off 1-5. (Depending on numbers, some groups may have two students who are number 1 etc.).
Student #1 will be the Presenter (share ideas with the whole class), Student #2 the Recorder (writes down ideas), Student #3 is the Moderator (ensures everyone is speaking and taking turns), Student #4 is the Energizer (asks questions, creates discussion) and Student #5 is timekeeper (ensures group is on task and on time).
Please note: for primary students you may wish to assign roles and have students explore only one gathering space centre.
Assign each group to a centre and have them discuss the following questions at each centre. Rotate students to a new centre every 10mins. The discussion roles will also rotate so students have the chance to experience each role. Instruct students that 1st minute of looking at the picture at each centre is silent so that students may come up with their own thoughts and ideas of the picture before discussing as a group.
Key Questions for Discussion:
What do you think happens in this gathering space?
What is the form of communication that takes place in this gathering space?
How is the gathering space designed?
What is the mood or feeling you get in the gathering space?
What are some movements that you would associate with that feeling or mood?
Have each group pick one of the gathering places and create a tableau of how they think this gathering space is used and what is communicated during the gathering.
Whole Class > Introducing the Culminating Task
Put students in groups of 3-5. Explain to students that they will be in role as architects who are designing a gathering space. Their task will be to plan and design a gathering space for their community, using the elements discussed or seen in other gathering places. (You may choose to use google sketchup for older grades or other forms of technology to create the gathering space).
The task is broken down into the following components:
Part A
Design a community gathering space in your community (this can be represented through a sketch, drawing, technology such as google sketchup etc).
Part B
Create a series of tableux’s that would help to answer some of the following questions.
Key Questions for Consideration:
Where would your gathering space be?
What function would it serve?
What would we expect to see there?
Who should we expect to see there?
When would it be used, daily, yearly, monthly?
What would people be communicating in this gathering?
Whose voices should be heard in the creation of this gathering space? (i.e. do you need to consult with key stakeholders)
By the end students will create a community gathering place of their own indicating why they have incorporated some of the many different elements.
Note: Primary students may do this as a whole class activity.
Connections
Connections: Remind students to consider all the work from previous lessons to inform their thinking.
Differentiation: Some students may require or prefer the use of assistive technology (e.g. Google Sketchup).
Assessment for/as learning: Revisit co-constructed criteria and add/refine as necessary. You may wish to use or adapt this Tableau Rubric. Ensure that students have the opportunity to receive peer and teacher feedback prior to presenting.
Consolidation
Whole Class > Sharing of Gathering Space
Invite groups to share their gathering spaces with the class.
Assessment of learning: Students are evaluated based on co-constructed criteria.
