Lesson 3 - Time // Temps

Whole Class > Review and Setting the Context

Review the elements previously taught: body and space. Discuss the experiences of the previous two lessons. Introduce the focus for this lesson: time.  Ask the students to look at the clock face.

Prompt: Notice that there are three different speeds of movement happening simultaneously; the second hand is moving quickly, the minute hand is moving at a slower speed and the hour hand is moving very slowly, so slowly, in fact, that we hardly notice that it's moving at all. Are there any other examples that you can think of where different parts are all moving but at different speeds? (e.g., machines, cars, musical instruments, etc.)

Déclencheur : Remarque qu'il y a trois vitesses de mouvement différentes qui se produisent simultanément ; la trotteuse se déplace rapidement, l'aiguille des minutes se déplace à une vitesse plus lente et l'aiguille des heures se déplace très lentement, si lentement, en fait, que nous remarquons à peine qu'elle se déplace. Peux-tu citer d'autres exemples où différentes parties se déplacent toutes à des vitesses différentes ? (par exemple, des machines, des voitures, des instruments de musique, etc.)

Record responses on a blackboard/whiteboard. Ask students if they can think of some words that we can use to describe the speed or tempo of something. (e.g., fast, slow, lazy, speedy, medium, presto, allegro, etc.) Record responses. (See  PDF #4)

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Side-coach and provide feedback as children are dancing
Providing feedback to other groups after their performance

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Creation of success criteria for dance phrase

Individual and group self-assessment  using success criteria

Group discussion of the impact of changing the tempo of a phrase of movement on how the audience perceives the movements and how it feels to perform it

Reflective journaling after performance

Differentiation (DI)

Students self-select the shapes they are able and interested in exploring. Those with limited voluntary movement will be able to participate fully in this way. For those with extremely limited voluntary movement, teachers may want to use or create a tool like the Simpson Board that will allow them to direct the movement of others. 

Anchor charts should be available for students to refer to during 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.

Link and Layer

Mathematics: patterning

Music: rondo form, tempo

Dance: general space, personal space, body parts and shape 

Hyperlinks in the Lesson

Elements of Dance Lesson, Kennedy Centre, ARTSEDGE

Warm-up

Start in the smallest shape you can make. While I slowly count to 8, grow into the biggest possible shape. Now, while I count backwards from 8, slowly shrink into a different small shape.  Repeat. Try with 4 counts, 2 counts, 1 count. How does the movement change? 

Individual > Follow the Music

Choose music with at least two distinct tempi (speeds). Ask the students to match the speed of their movements to the speed of the music as they move through general space. Encourage them to move on different levels, in various directions, through various sizes, etc. Once they have experienced dancing with the music, try dancing against it.   

Prompt: What does it feel like to move slowly when the music is going quickly or vice versa? Which do you prefer, dancing with the music or in contrast to it? Why? Discuss.  

Déclencheur : Qu'est-ce que cela fait de bouger lentement quand la musique va vite ou vice versa ? Que préfères-tu, danser avec la musique ou en contraste avec elle ? Pourquoi ?

Extension: Try watching half the class dancing with and in contrast to the music and comment on the experience as an audience member. Switch roles. 

Whole Class > Machines

Ask one student to begin this improvisation by doing a simple, repetitive movement that maintains a rhythmic tempo (they might also create a sound to accompany the movement). Each subsequent student will connect somehow to this collective machine, adding a movement (and sound) that keeps to the same tempo that the first person established (medium works well for the first time). Prompt students to use a variety of body parts, levels and facings. Once all of the pieces of the machine are assembled, prompt students to gradually accelerate and decelerate their movements/sounds. Discuss how the change in tempo changed the quality of the movement.

Prompt: Did they have to change their movement? How? Why? Repeat this activity using different movements at varying speeds. 

Déclencheur : Ont-ils dû modifier leur mouvement ? Comment ? Pourquoi ? Répéter cette activité en utilisant différents mouvements à différentes vitesses.

Whole Class > Classification

As a class, brainstorm a list of locomotor and non-locomotor movements. (See  BLM #5 and  BLM #6) Ask students how they would organize them in terms of time. Prompt: Which movements are usually fast, slow, medium? / Déclencheur :  Quels mouvements sont généralement rapides, lents, moyens ? Record responses. Some elements might fit into more than one "time category". Walking, for instance, can easily be done at almost any tempo, whereas flick, jab, skip and run, are harder to do slowly. If students are struggling with the classification, have them get up and try some of the movements. 

Small Group > Tempo Rondo

In groups of three, ask students to compose a short dance phrase using the locomotor and non-locomotor movements listed on the anchor charts. Ex.: walk, stretch, run backwards, roll, spin, flick. Once students have composed their movements, have them practice the phrase so that everyone in the group knows it well. Explain that performing the movements at this tempo will be their "A" section. Have each person in the group work on changing the tempo of the phrase. One person will work on performing it very quickly, one very slowly, and the third at a moderate tempo. Each tempo must be distinctly different from the tempo used in the "A" section. The phrases will then be organized as a rondo so that the "A" section is followed by one of the changed tempo sections in an "ABACADA" format, so that the "A" section both starts and finishes the piece. Dancers who are not dancing should choose a shape to freeze in. All dancers will perform the "A" section whereas the "B, C, and D" sections (very fast, very slow, medium) will be performed by only one dancer as a solo. The dancers should choose a final shape to end the piece with. 

Whole Class > Co-Constructing Criteria

Co-create success criteria with the students so that they can self-assess during the choreographic process and provide feedback. 

Groups > Sharing Dance Pieces

Students will present their dance pieces and receive feedback from their peers using the posted success criteria. Discuss after students have performed.

Key Questions for Discussion:

How does changing the tempo change the the quality of our movements?
How does changing the tempo change how we perceive movement as an audience member?
How does changing the tempo change how we feel while performing movement (the somatic experience)?
Ask students to write a journal entry reflecting on their experiences and successes in this lesson and where they feel they can improve and extend their learning.

Comment le changement de tempo modifie-t-il la qualité de nos mouvements ?
Comment le changement de tempo modifie-t-il notre perception du mouvement en tant que spectateur ?
Comment le changement de tempo modifie-t-il nos sensations pendant l'exécution du mouvement (l'expérience somatique) ?