Lesson 3 - Growing and Shrinking

Whole Class > Exploring the Concepts of Grow and Shrink

Ask students to do a Think/Pair/Share with a partner and then to share their thoughts on growing and shrinking with the class. Ask students to brainstorm a list of items that grow and shrink (e.g.; plants, people, balloons.) Write each word on chart paper, including a picture beside each word. You may want to create a Venn diagram of things that grow and things that shrink. Students may quickly notice that many words will appear in the centre section of the diagram, illustrating that expansion/growth and shrinkage/decay are very dependent on context. 

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Side-coach and provide feedback as children are dancing
Provide feedback and suggestions while the students are dancing

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

Differentiation (DI)

Allow students to choose the neutral position based on own personal preference. Whatever position is chosen, the student must be consistent about returning to the same one. 

Quick Tip

Use a visual aid to remind yourself and your students of the elements that you have studied. The dance vocabulary should always be in view for your students. You could create a Word Corner where you display vocabulary related to the concept(s). 

You may want to use a signal that is common to your classroom management style or a musical instrument for the signal.

Link and Layer

Individual > Exploring Movements that Grow and Shrink

Ask students to find their bubble space once again. Ask them to sit with the soles of their feet together and with their spines lengthened as though their heads were filled with helium gas and were trying to float away (we're going to call this neutral sitting position). Explain that they will make a shape and freeze that shape for three counts. Each time the signal is made, have students choose another position that is different than the first. Students will think about how to move from a low position to a higher position.

Prompt: How are you going to get there? Are you going to spin, jump, reach up, melt, rise, wiggle?

Questions incitatives : Comment te rendras-tu? Vas-tu tourner, sauter, t’élever, fondre, te lever, ou encore te tortiller?

Repeat several times so that the students explore different body shapes and levels.

Have students start in a low shape. Count to 8 while they rise slowly to a high level shape. Ask them to freeze in that shape by count 8 – not before or after. Then count backwards from 8 as the students sink back down to make a new low level shape.  

Prompt: On what count should you be making a middle level shape? (count 4)

Questions incitatives : Sur quel temps devrais-tu exécuter une forme à un niveau moyen?

Prompt the students to move slowly and smoothly and to change their shapes every time. Prompt students to make BIG, MEDIUM and SMALL shapes on all three levels. Try with 6 counts, 4 counts, 2 counts. Movements will become faster and sharper. Add walking, running, skipping, galloping, sliding... to the rise and fall.

Prompt: Start in a low shape, take four steps in any direction rising slowly – pause in a middle shape – take four more steps in any direction continuing to rise slowly and freeze in a high shape.

Questions incitatives : Commence avec une forme à un niveau bas, fais quatre pas dans n’importe quelle direction en te levant lentement. Prends une pause à un niveau moyen, fais encore quatre pas en continuant de te lever lentement, puis fige dans une forme à un niveau haut.

Try with other locomotor movements on different levels – combine locomotors (i.e., start crawling, then walk, then leap or skip).

Pairs > Rising and Sinking/Growing and Shrinking

Ask students to find a partner and work together to create a rising and sinking dance to 16 slow counts (8 counts to rise, 8 counts to sink). They must decide on what SIZE shape they want to make at each LEVEL. Make the beginning and ending of each rise and fall clear (by holding their shape) and different.  

Prompt: You and your partner will be mirroring each other during this dance so that you are making the same shapes at the same time. You will need to face your partner.  Déclencheur : Ton partenaire et toi ferez le miroir dans cette danse, et donc vous ferez les mêmes formes en même temps. Vous devez vous placer face à votre partenaire.

Co-create success criteria for the choreography which might include both partners moving together in unison, showing all three levels and all three sizes of movement and showing a clear ending to each phrase of movement. Post these success criteria so that students can self-assess as they work. 

Pairs > Sharing Dance Pieces

Partners will present their short choreography to the class either one partnership at a time, two sets of partners at a time or half the class at a time depending on student comfort level and time available. Ask students to give feedback based on the success criteria and responding to what they observed e.g.: "I saw high, stretched shapes moving sideways to low, twisted shapes."  

Prompt: Describe what you saw. What was interesting? What caught your eye? Why? (Encourage students to avoid using the phrase “I liked…”)

Questions incitatives : Décris ce que tu as vu. Qu’as-tu trouvé intéressant? Qu’est-ce qui a attiré ton attention? Pourquoi?