In this lesson plan for elementary grade levels 1-3 students learn about weather energy patterns through body movement.
Learning Objectives/Goals
Experience different energies in movement, isolations of the body, patterning, and use of descriptive language, Dance Element—Energy
Materials Needed
Photos of Nature, drum, music, (optional paper and pencil)
Introduction
Class expectations (Good listening, following directions, be creative, be active), Space boundaries, personal boundaries, goals for class today
Warm-Up
Students will explore isolations of body parts to create a sequence of movement traveling down the body. Begin with just movement of the head. Select a student and have the others match how the student’s head is moving. Continue this moving down the body (shoulders, arms, torso, legs, feet), adding each isolation to the one before to create a isolation sequence. Next add some music and add traveling to a new location in the room when a name/isolation is called out. Encourage different levels and movement other than walking to travel.
Investigate
Show an energy photo (fireworks), ask students, without a word to show a movement or a signal that would describe the energy in the photo they saw. Give the signal (drum beat). Once the movement is shown, ask students for words that describe their movement and also the photo. Repeat this experience with 2 other photos of contrasting energy, for example, clouds and ocean waves.
Create
Divide students into pairs. Give each group 2 different photos. Instruct students to create movement from the energy of the photo and a shape. Put the results from the photos into an A/B pattern.
Reflect
Students perform their patterns to music or accompaniment for each other. Audience members have the chance to try and guess which photos were used by each group.
Extension to the Lesson
Add pathways to the students patterns. Straight, curved and zig-zag. Each part of the energy pattern could have a different pathway to travel the students through the space. If there is time, students could utilize paper and pencil and draw a map of their pathways in the room.
Follow Up Resources
Weather Photos could be a resource for the weather science unit.
