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Unit 5: Lesson 13Select Music for Words in Motion! Dances and Continue Choreography

Unit 5

Words in Motion!

               

 

Purpose

To develop an appreciation of and interest in the power of words to convey particular ideas, feelings, and images (word consciousness) through an exploration of free-verse poetry, dance, and prosody.

 

Unit Description

In this unit, students compose free-verse poems and choreograph them into Word in Motion! Dances. To prepare, students become "word explorers" as they read a series of free-verse poems. Students explore the poet's word choices and how particular words and phrases evoke images, feelings, ideas, and responses from readers. Then, they consider words and phrases that might be used in place of the poet's choices. By studying words in relationship to one another, students will come to know them more deeply. Throughout the process, students engage in movement and prosody to deepen their understandings. In the next part of the unit, students brainstorm and compose their own free-verse poems and choreograph them into dances. As a culminating event, students showcase their poetry and dances for an audience and reflect on their experience.

 

                

 

Common Core State Standards

Arts for Learning is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. This Overview describes the scope of the standards and this Quick Reference Guide provides each of the standards fully or partially met within this A4L Unit, followed by the charts that specifically identify the standards addressed in each lesson and step in the Unit. The standards are also coded and listed at the beginning of each lesson in the unit. Arts for Learning also provides a comprehensive student assessment program in each unit. This A4L Assessment Toolkit Quick Reference Chart indicates an overview of the locations of the tasks to be scored in the unit.
 
Each A4L unit is developed on a common framework and contains a 3-part sequence of instruction that educational research suggests will help students become more self-directed, independent learners. There is a gradual hand-off of responsibility--from teacher to students-- that is supported by assessment and teacher help as needed. Throughout A4L units the arts serve as motive and means to advance reading for meaning and writing thoughtfully.

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2

Exploring

Unit 5: Lesson 13

Select Music for Words in Motion! Dances and Continue Choreography

Unit 5: Lesson 13

Select Music for Words in Motion! Dances and Continue Choreography 

 
 

LITERACY OBJECTIVE

By the end of this lesson students will be able to make choreography choices that reflect the words and phrases in a poem.
 
 

LITERACY "I CAN" STATEMENT

“I can describe how different words and phrases communicate different feelings and images in a poem.”
 
 

 

LESSON OVERVIEW

 

 

Standards Alignment

 

Targeted Standards

 

Secondary Standards

 

Teaching Resources

 

Student Notebook

 

Classroom Charts

 

Arts Materials

 

Life & Learning Skills

 

  Differentiation Options  

 

  Leveraging Moments

 

 

 

STEP 1: INTRODUCE LESSON 13

 
 
Process: Give an overview of the lesson objectives, which are to select music and continue to choreograph dances.
 
Suggested Dialogue
 
Introducing the Lesson

 

 

 

STEP 2: TRANSITION TO DANCE AND MOVE DESKS

 
 
Process: Transition to dance and move desks.
 
Suggested Dialogue
 

Getting Ready for BrainDance

 

 

 

STEP 3: WARM UP WITH THE BRAINDANCE

 
 
Process: Lead the students in one of the four BrainDances of Words. Below are the cues for BrainDance #4, but feel free to select one of the other BrainDances. Students stand at the sides of their desks. Use the audio track with verbal cues and musical accompaniment for the BrainDance. If desired, instead of using the audio track, use the verbal cues below to guide students through the BrainDance. This can be facilitated as a generic BrainDance without descriptive words, with descriptive words, with or without music.
 

 
 
 
 
 
Suggested Dialogue

 

Warming Up with BrainDance

 

 

 

STEP 4: GROUPS SELECT MUSIC AND CONTINUE TO CHOREOGRAPH POEMS

 
 
Process: Students select music for their dances and continue to choreograph the rest of their poems. Have students open to page 26 in their A4L Notebooks if they are using the Choreography Preparation Chart to support their process. The recommended music selections include three songs on the Unit 5 with music by Eric Chappelle: “Up and At ’Em”, “Totem Pole”, and “Little Bolero”. “Up and At ’Em” has a strong, steady beat. “Totem Pole” is soft and mysterious and has interesting percussion sounds. “Little Bolero” is slow and powerful. Feel free to eliminate the option of music for the Words in Motion! dances.
 
Play all three music options for the whole class. Groups discuss which music selection they think is a good match for their poem. Give each group 5–10 minutes to listen again, try out, and/or select a song. If available, each group could use a personal listening device to play songs and make decisions.

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching Tip: Options for Selecting Music

 

Guidelines for Choreography & Prosody

 

Suggested Dialogue

 

Introducing the Music Selections

 

Guiding Groups to Continue Choreography and Select Music 

 

 

 

STEP 5: MOVE DESKS

 
 
Process: Restore the room to its original state. Tell students how and where to move the desks and where you want them to go once they’ve moved everything.
 
 
 

STEP 6: CLOSE LESSON 13

 
 
Process: Close the lesson with a look forward describing the next lesson.
 
Suggested Dialogue
 
Looking Forward

 

Performing The Closing Ritual (Optional)

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING LESSON 13! YOU ARE NOW READY TO MOVE ONTO LESSON 14 OF UNIT 5.

 

 

 

 

You've now reached the end of our ArtsforLearning Curriculum preview.