This article explores improvisation in songs and stories. It includes two song activities and two for books.
This article explains the process of pre-rhythm and pre-melodic improvisation. There are two activities for each of the elements.
This article focuses on improvisation through question and answer. Students will improvise both melodically and rhythmically. The article includes guidelines on how to create questions and answers in music.
This article focuses on rhythm and melody improvisation games. It includes three rhythm games and one melody game for improvisation.
This article focuses on improvising with rhythm and melody simultaneously. It includes four activities, including one to improvise with harmony.
The article provides three strategies to help all students successfully play the recorder. The first strategy is "everyone is a beginner" and every student has something to improve upon. The second is "we are a team" and the students work together toward a common goal. The third is "song choice and sequence matter." Students will play simple one-pitch songs and then add additional notes.
Students will define "respect" and explore the life of Aretha Franklin. They will learn a rhythm stick routine to Respect sung by Franklin. They will perform the routine while listening to a read-aloud of the book Respect.
Students will sing How Do the Animals Move? They will discuss and demonstrate how animals move. The students will play a freeze game as they perform the song.
Students will define "ostinato." They will listen to Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and identify words that are repeated. They will use these words to compose an ostinato. They will perform the ostinato with the song.
Students will perform a new version of Little Miss Muffet. They will do body percussion and play percussion instruments.
This resource is a five-day plan to introduce and practice quarter rest. Day 1 prepares quarter rest through singing Eating Muffins. Students will practice quarter notes and eighth notes on Day 2. Day 3, they will decode the quarter rest. They will practice reading the quarter notes, quarter rest, and eighth notes on Days 4 and 5.
In this lesson, students will choreograph a sequence of ballet movements to tell a story.
Throughout this lesson, students will:
In this lesson, students will choreograph simple dances in small groups and perform them for the class. Students will learn elements of dance and vocabulary by demonstrating various movements. Students will create a K-W-L chart about dance. They will share in pairs and report findings to the class. They will work in pairs to choreograph a 64 beat dance.
In this lesson, students will discover how hula dance tells a story through rhythmic patterns and gestures. Students will gather information about the history of hula. Students will observe hula movements and identify the meanings of gestures. They will work in groups to choreograph an original hula dance that tells a story. They will perform their dance for the class.
In this lesson, students will pantomime a variety of scenarios. They will analyze The Nutcracker and identify how the characters tell a story through dance. They will re-enact a scene from The Nutcracker. Students will emotionally and physically tell a story through dance and pantomime.
In this lesson, students will identify how animals and elements of nature are represented by dancers. They will read poetry by Indigenous and Native Peoples of North America. Using basic locomotor movement, students will choreograph and perform a dance from a poem.
In this lesson, students will research and gather information about human body systems and functions. The students will explore creative movement. The students will examine the relationship between creative movement and the human body. The students will choreograph a series of dance phrases representing the human body systems and functions and then erform a choreographed dance for an audience.
In this video, experience a sample of the Dancing Wheels Company & School's training methods in physically integrated dance, a method that allows those with and without disabilities to learn and perform a dance together. The video included movements are brush, turn, and jump. These ideas can be used in choreography for students with different abilities.
Students will watch Erika Malone demonstrate how to choreograph a dance based on their emotions. They will perform the dance with Erika while watching a video. After watching the video, the students can choreograph their own dance based on their emotions.
Students will research Ireland and Irish culture, including traditional dance and music. They will work in groups to choreograph a Céilís to traditional Irish music.
In this lesson, students will learn the Russian folk danceTroika. They will research and gather information on Russian culture and history. Students will create their own rendition of a Russian folk dance using the same organizational pattern and music.
Students will read about choreographers and what they do. The famous choreographers mentioned are Bob Fosse, George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, and Martha Graham. Students will research dances by choreographers and choreograph their own routines.
This informational material allows the class to read about flamenco dancing and identify the three parts of modern flamenco dancing: guitar, song, and dance. Students can dance along with a video of flamenco dancing and make their own castanets.
Students will read about the history of line dancing. They will watch some instructional videos and choreograph their own line dance.
In this lesson, students observe symmetry, geometric shapes, and angles in two Early American dances, and then choreograph their own dance with symmetrical figures. Three options are provided in this lesson depending on the time in class. In all three options, students will observe symmetry in dance.
Students will watch African dance and identify tempo. Three options are provided for this lesson depending on the class time allotted. The options include recording heartbeat at rest, calculating tempo in terms of stomps per minute, and choreographing an original dance with tempo changes.
Students will perform the African-American dance Zudio using locomotor and non-locomotor movements. They will calculate the area needed to perform the dance. There are three options provided depending on the time allotted.
In this lesson, students will learn about a range of dance styles from a video excerpt from the PBS KIDS series, PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC™. The students will then use what they have learned as inspiration to make up their own dances. After warming up by dancing like robots, which the characters do in the video, children use creative movements to imitate animals, objects, and nature. After practicing their moves, students perform their dance in a class recital.
In this lesson plan, children explore the ways in which dance can represent the natural world. After watching video excerpts from the PBS KIDS series, PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC®, they learn a dance based on the movements of the Sun, planets, and stars. They then work together to choreograph their own version of a “space dance” and perform it for others.
Students will watch a video about break dancing. They will observe items in their home and around their community that move. They will have a dance party, move to suggested motions, and react to various tempos in different songs.
Students will compare and contrast quilting and square dancing. This lesson has three options based on time allotment. Students will graph a figure, choreograph and perform a square dance.
Students will learn and perform a line dance to You've Got a Friend in Me. They will perform both locomotor and non-locomotor movements while safely moving through space.
Students will observe, describe, and demonstrate axial and locomotor movements. They will depict a dancer's motion in illustrations and photography.
Students will use a sketchbook to draw lines of ballet dancers. They will rehearse ballet steps.
The students will choose a type of dance and research a description, history, and equipment needed for the dance. A Google Doc is included to be copied and shared with students.
