Classroom Resource

Expressing Feelings Through Movement

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

1

Overview

Students will brainstorm a list of emotions and feelings. They will create a facial expression and a frozen shape to express each emotion. In a group, they will choreograph a dance beginning and ending with a frozen shape with the middle being locomotor movements.

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.1

Respond with movement to a variety of prompts.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.D.1.1

Vocabulary

  • Prompts
  • elements of dance
  • choreography
  • structure
  • content and inspiration for movement
  • improvisation
  • dance phrase
  • feedback and revision
  • notation

Essential Questions

EU: Choreographers use a variety of sources as inspiration and transform concepts and ideas into movement for artistic expression.
EQ: Where do choreographers get ideas for dances?

Skills Examples

  • Create movement based on music/ sound, artwork or tactile prompts.
  • Demonstrate a leap in a different direction, a turn on a different level or a run in different timing.
  • Observe a dance and discuss how it began (low level in stillness), what happened in the middle (became fast) and how it ended (dancer exit).
  • Discover how movements and elements can change the emotion of a dance, such as slow and curved movements can express sadness.
  • Perform a dance in different ways, changing the elements of the movement.
  • Create a personal key of symbols for movements (i.e., Jump ↑, turn ⟲, bend ↶).

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.3

Describe movement choices within a dance that create a beginning, middle, and end

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.D.1.3

Vocabulary

  • Prompts
  • elements of dance
  • choreography
  • structure
  • content and inspiration for movement
  • improvisation
  • dance phrase
  • feedback and revision
  • notation

Essential Questions

EU: The elements of dance, dance structures, and choreographic devices serve as both a foundation and a departure point for choreographers.
EQ: What influences choice-making in creating choreography?

Skills Examples

  • Create movement based on music/ sound, artwork or tactile prompts.
  • Demonstrate a leap in a different direction, a turn on a different level or a run in different timing.
  • Observe a dance and discuss how it began (low level in stillness), what happened in the middle (became fast) and how it ended (dancer exit).
  • Discover how movements and elements can change the emotion of a dance, such as slow and curved movements can express sadness.
  • Perform a dance in different ways, changing the elements of the movement.
  • Create a personal key of symbols for movements (i.e., Jump ↑, turn ⟲, bend ↶).

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.4

Select movements that express an idea or emotion or follow a musical phrase.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.D.1.4

Vocabulary

  • Prompts
  • elements of dance
  • choreography
  • structure
  • content and inspiration for movement
  • improvisation
  • dance phrase
  • feedback and revision
  • notation

Essential Questions

EU: The elements of dance, dance structures, and choreographic devices serve as both a foundation and a departure point for choreographers.
EQ: What influences choice-making in creating choreography?

Skills Examples

  • Create movement based on music/ sound, artwork or tactile prompts.
  • Demonstrate a leap in a different direction, a turn on a different level or a run in different timing.
  • Observe a dance and discuss how it began (low level in stillness), what happened in the middle (became fast) and how it ended (dancer exit).
  • Discover how movements and elements can change the emotion of a dance, such as slow and curved movements can express sadness.
  • Perform a dance in different ways, changing the elements of the movement.
  • Create a personal key of symbols for movements (i.e., Jump ↑, turn ⟲, bend ↶).

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.7

Create movement and stillness using changing elements of space.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.D.1.7

Vocabulary

  • Elements of Space: Shape, Level, Size, Direction, Pathway
  • Time: Tempo/ Speed
  • Tempi
  • Energy: Movement qualities
  • Embody
  • Locomotor
  • Non-locomotor
  • Direction
  • Explore
  • Spatial Awareness
  • Personal space
  • General space
  • Body awareness
  • Dance phrase
  • Space
  • Props

Essential Questions

EU: Space, time, and energy are basic elements of dance.
EQ: How do dancers work with space, time, and energy to communicate artistic expression?

Skills Examples

  • Demonstrate changes to level, size, direction and pathways in body shapes, locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
  • Create or recall locomotor movement in a variety of chosen pathways; zig zag, circular, straight (i.e., move in straight, curved, and zigzag pathways).
  • Join with others to make a circle, then work with others to change it to a square or line.
  • Create a curved shape on a low level.
  • Recognize steady beat and move to varying tempi of steady beat.
  • Observe, discuss and demonstrate changes in the energy and quality of given movement (jerky, smooth, melting, growing, bouncy, floppy).
  • Apply changes to a given movement sequence, making practiced steps jerky or smooth.
  • Question how changes in the way we do a movement can change the feel of it and also the appearance of it.
  • Demonstrate movement or steps in different facings and directions.
    • Skipping in a circle, reaching on a diagonal
  • Explore the space around their own body: How can they move without getting too close to another dancer, the wall, mirror, surroundings using perception of sight and body awareness.
  • Demonstrate unison movement in group formation (marching, skipping in a circle, etc.).
  • Discuss, identify and demonstrate ways to modify movement or placement in a group formation using perception of spatial awareness.
  • Modify an existing formation by utilizing more dance pathways.
  • Modify an existing dance phrase to utilize the space differently.
  • Perform a dance in theatre-in-the-round format.
  • Perform a dance in a non-traditional setting such as a football field.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.10

Demonstrate a range of locomotor and non-locomotor movement concentrating on direction.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.D.1.10

Vocabulary

  • Elements of Space: Shape, Level, Size, Direction, Pathway
  • Time: Tempo/ Speed
  • Tempi
  • Energy: Movement qualities
  • Embody
  • Locomotor
  • Non-locomotor
  • Direction
  • Explore
  • Spatial Awareness
  • Personal space
  • General space
  • Body awareness
  • Dance phrase
  • Space
  • Props

Essential Questions

EU: Dancers use the mind-body connection and develop the body as an instrument for artistry and artistic expression.
EQ: What must a dancer do to prepare the mind and body for artistic expression?

Skills Examples

  • Demonstrate changes to level, size, direction and pathways in body shapes, locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
  • Create or recall locomotor movement in a variety of chosen pathways; zig zag, circular, straight (i.e., move in straight, curved, and zigzag pathways).
  • Join with others to make a circle, then work with others to change it to a square or line.
  • Create a curved shape on a low level.
  • Recognize steady beat and move to varying tempi of steady beat.
  • Observe, discuss and demonstrate changes in the energy and quality of given movement (jerky, smooth, melting, growing, bouncy, floppy).
  • Apply changes to a given movement sequence, making practiced steps jerky or smooth.
  • Question how changes in the way we do a movement can change the feel of it and also the appearance of it.
  • Demonstrate movement or steps in different facings and directions.
    • Skipping in a circle, reaching on a diagonal
  • Explore the space around their own body: How can they move without getting too close to another dancer, the wall, mirror, surroundings using perception of sight and body awareness.
  • Demonstrate unison movement in group formation (marching, skipping in a circle, etc.).
  • Discuss, identify and demonstrate ways to modify movement or placement in a group formation using perception of spatial awareness.
  • Modify an existing formation by utilizing more dance pathways.
  • Modify an existing dance phrase to utilize the space differently.
  • Perform a dance in theatre-in-the-round format.
  • Perform a dance in a non-traditional setting such as a football field.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Link to Resource
https://sites.uci.edu/class/first-grade/dance-first-grade/grade-1-dance-lesson-…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

Center for Learning through the Arts
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://sites.uci.edu/class/

Comments or Notes

PDF of lesson plan

Approved Date

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