Dance and Sciences

The following lesson is a cross-curricular lesson blending Dance and Science designed for Grade 5's. This lesson on creating movement sequences to represent various natural disasters inspired me because I am passionate about this topic. I think that this lesson could be used either to introduce a unit, or as a culminating task to assess students' understanding of the unit. There are many parallel's that can be drawn between Dance and Natural Disasters. For example, the narrative form can be used to enact sequence of each weather event. Also, the use of levels in Dance are necessary to demonstrate the climax and resolution of each natural disaster.

Curriculum Expectations:

The Arts - Dance:

Overall: A1: Creating and Presenting: Apply the creative process to the composition of movement sequences and short dance pieces, using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas

Specific: A1.1: Translate into movement sequences a variety of images and ideas from other classroom subjects including the arts         

Science - Understanding Structures and Mechanisms:                                      

Overall: 1. Analyse social and environmental impacts of forces acting on structures and mechanisms

                                            

Specific: 1.1: Analyse the effects of forces from natural phenomena (e.g. tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) on the natural and built environment        

Choreographic Forms of Dance:

Students will be using the forms of collage and narrative to demonstrate their understanding of cycle of their natural disaster through movement.

Collage: A choreographic form consisting of a series of phrases that are often unrelated but have been brought together to create a single dance with a beginning, middle and end.

Narrative: A choreographic form that follows a storyline, often conveys a specific message, and usually includes an introduction, a rising action, a climax and a resolution.

Primary Element of Dance:

Energy: Effort, force, quality (e.g. slash, press, shrink, open).

Overview of the Activity:

Students will be divided into 6 groups.
Each group will be given a word map outlining key terminology for each natural disaster.
Each group will work together to choreograph a short dance sequence consisting of at least 4 dance moves that demonstrate an understanding of their natural disaster.
Groups will present their sequence to the class with music, and the class will guess what their assigned natural disaster was.

Remember narrative form: your dance sequence must have an introduction, a rising action, a climax and a resolution

Suggested Natural Disasters to Incorporate: Tornado, Earthquake, Hurricane, Mudslide, Volcanic Eruption, Tsunami.

Potential Modifications:

Different levels:

Younger students might focus on one particular natural disaster and might create movements using only one part of their body to describe how that natural disaster occurs.
Students may focus on a particular locomotive movement and try it in different directions and levels.
Older students can be provided with a picture or a short description of the natural disaster and then have to use dance to depict it. They can use more difficult locomotor movements and non-locomotor movements.This activity can be differentiated for students with learning disabilities by having them focus on a few vocabulary words associated with the natural disaster. 

 

Teacher can also show students videos of these natural disasters so that students are able to actually see and hear how the natural disaster occurs.