Dance and Move Sequence Cards

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

1

Overview

The teacher will print or make the dance and move sequence cards and give a set to each student. The student will use the cards to create dance sequences that combine locomotor skills with pathways and non-locomotor skills with levels.  

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Dance

AE17.D.1.1

Respond with movement to a variety of prompts.

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.

Learning Objectives

The student will use the dance and move sequence cards to create dance sequences that combine locomotor skills with pathways and non-locomotor skills with levels.

Activity Details

This lesson is designed to be taught after the students have practiced skills of locomotor and non-locomotor movements and understand the concepts of pathways and levels.  The teacher will use the cards to assist the students in creating dance sequences that combine those skills and concepts. 

1. Print (or make) a set of dance and move sequence cards. The cards should have the locomotor movements written in pink, the pathways written in blue, the non-locomotor movements written in yellow, and the levels written in red.  

2.  Each student gets a set of cards. The students will choose any of the color cards to match this sequence.

Pink + Blue then Yellow + red. 

3.  After they create the sequence with the cards, they will then perform the movements.  The teacher will play music to enhance the dance sequence. The students will match the sequence to fast or slow music. 

Assessment Strategies

The teacher will observe to see if the student is able to perform the locomotor and non-locomotor movements correctly.

The teacher will observe to see if the student is able to create a dance sequence with the cards and then perform the dance sequence to the music.

The teacher will mark a checklist when she observes locomotor skills demonstrated correctly.   

Variation Tips

1.  Students can work with partners. One student can create the sequence and then the other student can perform the dance--then switch jobs. 

2.  Strive for a musical interpretation of the dance sequence by changing the speed and tempo of the music. Play slow music, fast music, etc to have the student dance sequences match. 

3. Once the students understand how to create a sequence, use the cards in a longer sequence.  Put together a sequence of 10 or more movements (might need more level and pathway cards to make this happen). 

Background / Preparation

1. The teacher should print a set of Dance and Move Sequence Cards for each student. 

2. The teacher should have previously taught locomotor and non-locomotor movements, pathways, and levels. 

3. The teacher should have various music selections ready to play for the dance performance.  

4.  The teacher should create a checklist to mark when she observes locomotor skills demonstrated correctly.   

ALSDE LOGO