Lesson 4 - Dance my Feelings

Whole Class > Reading a Book About Emotions

Read aloud a book about feelings (refer to Materials for suggestions). Discuss with students the topic of expressing emotions without using words (body language). Gestures, expressive movements and postures are ways they can communicate feelings, thoughts, and ideas. All movements can convey meaning and tell a story (i.e., sullenly slumped down in the desk chair, jumping for joy, or twirling madly on the playground). Elicit responses from students and create a list of emotions. Write different emotions on chart paper (sad, happy, glad, angry, etc.) Beside each emotion draw a simple picture of that emotion or print off pictures in advance.

Small Group > Creating an Emotion Collage

Put the students into groups of 3 and distribute magazines that have pictures of people experiencing a variety of emotions. Each group will have a different emotion to work on and search for in magazines. Students will create a collage of that particular emotion. When completed, the groups present their collage to the class. After each group presents, ask students to consider how they could demonstrate emotions using their entire body, not just their face. Take responses from the class and allow the students to give examples (e.g.,  stand up and slouch your shoulders, cross your arms, huddle to look scared).

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)

For visual learners and/or ELL students, ensure that pictures are drawn beside the emotion word. 

Quick Tip

Note: there is no correct way to convey feelings. Accept all suggestions
You will have to prepare music prior to teaching

Link and Layer

Individual > Experimenting with Music

Play instrumental music that evokes an emotion (e.g., fast tempo in a major key, slow tempo in a minor key, percussion music, orchestral music, solo instrumental etc.) After students have a chance to experiment with movement that they feel matches the music, discuss how they felt when they danced to it.  

Prompt: What emotion do you think this piece of music is trying to communicate? Why? How do you think the musician/composer is doing that? What elements of music are they using to give you that feeling? 

Questions incitatives : Selon toi, quelle émotion cette chanson essaie-t-elle de nous communiquer? Pourquoi? Comment penses-tu que le musicien ou compositeur d’y prend pour y arriver? Quels éléments de la musique sont utilisés pour te faire ressentir cette émotion?  

There is no right answer to these questions. Many of our assumptions about the mood of music (i.e.: that music in a minor key is always sad) are culturally based and the music may not sound that way to someone from another culture. Now, using more neutral music, take the students through a spectrum of emotions and elicit movement responses to those emotions.  

Prompt: How does your body look when it is sad? How do your shoulders dance? What does your head do? Your feet? What do your fingers do? What level do you most want to dance on when you are sad? Do a sad jump. How is it different than other jumps? How do you walk when you're sad? What does your peaceful dance look like? How do your arms move? Do they feel light or heavy? How do you travel through space? How do your arms dance? Shoulders? Toes? When you're feeling happy, what do your arms look like? Your face? Your hips? Give me a huge happy jump with your arms in the air.  What are your legs doing during your happy dance? What locomotor movement would you choose to show that you are happy? 

Questions incitatives : De quoi ton corps a-t-il l’air lorsqu’il est triste? Comment tes épaules dansent-elles? Que fait ta tête? Que font tes pieds? Tes doigts? À quel niveau as-tu le plus tendance à danser pour exprimer la tristesse? Fais un saut triste. En quoi est-ce différent d’un autre saut? Comment marches-tu quand tu es triste? De quoi ta danse a-t-elle l’air lorsqu’elle est pacifique? Comment tes bras bougent-ils? Sont-ils légers, ou bien lourds? Comment te déplaces-tu?  Comment dansent tes bras? Tes épaules? Tes orteils? Et si tu te sens heureux(se), de quoi tes bras ont-ils l’air? Ton visage? Tes hanches? Fais-moi un grand saut heureux avec tes bras dans les airs. Comment tes jambes bougent-elles pendant une danse heureuse? Quel mouvement locomoteur choisirais-tu pour exprimer ta joie?   

Small Group > Creating an Emotion Dance

Place students in groups of 3. Assign an emotion to each group of students. Each group will be responsible for creating a short dance that reflects and communicates this emotion. Co-create success criteria with the students. These might include but should not be limited to: the dance will need to have a beginning, middle and end, the dance will need to show movement on all three levels, and/or the dance needs to show movement with a variety of body parts (i.e.: not all arm movements). The success criteria should relate to content already covered in this unit. Students will use this criteria to self-assess as they are choreographing. 

Small Group > Sharing Dance Pieces

Have groups share their dance pieces with the class. Ask students to provide feedback to their classmates based on the established criteria.

Whole Class > Reflection

Ask students to reflect on their experience creating their choreography.  

Prompt: What elements of dance did you use in your choreography? What was particularly interesting for you? What did you notice? How did you feel when you performed your dance? 

Questions incitatives : Quels éléments de la danse as-tu utilisés dans ta chorégraphie? Qu’est-ce qui t’a particulièrement intéressé(e)? Qu’as-tu remarqué? Qu’as-tu ressenti en exécutant cette danse?

Bring students back to the list of emotions that was created at the beginning of the lesson to create an Anchor Chart to be displayed in the classroom. Add body movements words to each emotion (e.g. happy - leap, jump, big, etc.) Students will have different ideas about which movements correspond with which emotion. This diversity of opinion should be encouraged.