Grade 7 Dance and Social Studies

The following lesson is a cross-curricular lesson blending Dance and Social Studies designed for Grade 7's. This lesson focuses on encouraging students to become more environmentally literate.

Strand A: Physical Patterns in a Changing World (Overall Expectation A3.; Specific Expectation A3.7).

The Arts curriculum – Dance (Overall Expectation A2.; Specific Expectation A2.1 and A2.3).

Activity:

For this activity students worked in groups of four. We had our colleagues explore the concept of global warming through movement. Each group created a movement piece that interprets the David Suzuki quote on climate change. They were given prompting questions to help them better analyze the meaning and significance of the quote (e.g., What does this quote mean? How do you feel when you hear this quote? What is Global Warming). Groups were given a task to create a movement sequence that demonstrates their interpretation of the quote. They had to include a minimum of four movements. Each student had to lead at least one of the chosen movements, and the movements had to include flocking and unison.

FORMS OF DANCE USED IN THE ACTIVITY:

Flocking:

In this activity, our peers used flocking to demonstrate a given quote. They also

used flocking to explore the element of relationship (they worked in groups to create a movement piece that uses leading and following; as well as emotional connections).

Unison: All dancers moving at the same time and performing the same movements.In this activity, unison was incorporated in dance performance while engaging in flocking to demonstrate the interpretation of the quote. Our colleagues

followed the movements of the group’s leader in unison.

Possible Modifications:

If there is a movement/gesture that is beyond students’ capabilities, challenge students to think of a way they could modify the movement to their level of capability (i.e., how can they make the movement their own). Help students visualize dance concepts by utilizing pictures, or modeling. Provide students with various levels of reflection questions to prompt discussion or self-reflection.  Post dance vocabulary around the classroom for students to reference when reflecting or discussing (i.e., definitions of flocking and unison; action words). For younger grades, the teacher can select a different quote (lower reading level).

Guiding Theory

Laban’s theory is the guiding theory for this activity. Laban’s theory looks at "movement as a two-way language process through which the body could communicate by giving and receiving messages" (Dance Notes, 2017). He believed that the way a person moved represented their beliefs and what was going on in their inner world. In this theory, human movement (dance) is analyzed through four major categories: Body, Effort, Space and Relationship.

In this activity, students conveyed messages about Global Warming by using [body] movements. They created a dance piece that represents their understanding of David Suzuki's quote; which advocates for change. Students also created an ongoing flow of movement to express energy, inner emotions, and strength [Effort]. In addition, students decided the direction of their movements, pathways they took, their group formation, and the proximity of the group members [Space]. Lastly, students explored their emotional connection as a group, and discussed their strategies for leading, following, meeting and parting [Relationship].