Conceptual Creative Dance Lesson Chelsea Alley and Zach Woffinden Dance and Literature Lesson Title: Locomotor

r and Axial Age Range: 3rd Grade Lesson Length: 35 Min Lesson Concept: Locomotor and Axial Motion Elements (as defined by the Dance is B.(m)E.S.T. chart from Marilyn Barret, BYU)

Locomotor: walk, run, leap, jump, hop, gallop, skip, slide (chasse), roll, crawl, etc. Axial: stretching, sinking, pushing, bouncing, twisting, bending, slashing, kicking, pulling, jabbing, etc.

Learning Outcome: By the end of this 35-minute lesson, students will be able to demonstrate physically and verbally through the creation of dance sequences and group discussion, the dance concept of locomotor and axial movement. Equipment/Materials/Music: Drum/beater, iHome, music The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, tennis ball, deck of word cards Procedures: Introduction of new words; warm-up; explore locomotion through crossovers, create a dance sequence by having groups choose which words they want to use out of a deck of cards, perform for classmates, analyze the concept through group discussion Behavior Expectations (rules): Safety: feet (no flip-flops or big boots, pants rolled if too long), eyes, mouth (talk with your body), ears. Define appropriate dancing space: boundaries. Experience/Identify and Warm UpTime allotted (5 Min.)

Gather students in close but not touching group Introduce the words locomotor and axial; write on board, practice saying them Read first two pages of The Great Fuzz Frenzy Establish the drum signal of two beats for the freeze concept of perfectly still Warm-Up: Move through the room with locomotor movement from the first page (Boink is hopping, Thump is stomping, and Rumble is quick, small runs)

Explore/InvestigateTime allotted (15 Min.)

Use tennis ball as physical imagery, roll it across the floor, bounce it, etc. o What can this tennis ball do? Roll? Bounce? What can our bodies do that are similar to what the tennis ball can do? We can roll, we can hop, we can jump, we can crawl, we can skip and run, etc. o Explore Locomotor movement through the room Possible Crossovers: levels, tempo, design, direction, pathway Read pages 9-13, show pages 14-16, and 19-20 o Use the fuzz as imagery for axial movement: Look at all the interesting things the prairie dogs are doing with their fuzz! They are pulling it and stretching it, twisting it and pulling it! Close your eyes and imagine you have a huge handful of bright green fuzz. Now show me with your bodies can you stretch it? How far can you stretch it? Can you use your head and legs to stretch it? Can you twist it? What if you just use your knee to twist it?

Wrap it around your head, your toes, your elbow, your neck . . . Can you do this all without moving out of your spot? Possible Crossovers: levels, tempo, range Read page 21 Until . . . the fuzz ran out. Explore more axial movements o Now boys and girls, something just happened that you should know about. Thirty invisible prairie dogs just came in the door. And they want your fuzz! By raise of hands, what would you do if you had to protect your fuzz from thieves? (Swipe, poke, jab, pull, slash, etc.) o Possible Crossovers: tempo, levels

Create/PerformTime allotted (10 Min.)

Divide students into groups of 4-5 Let each group draw three words each from a locomotor decks and an axial deck Each group will create a movement sequence using the words they drew, beginning and ending in a shape Class performs the dances for one another

Connect/Analyze and Cool DownTime allotted (5 Min.)

Possible questions to ask: o What was your favorite axial movement to dance? To watch? o What is your favorite locomotor movement to dance? To watch? o Where do we see locomotor and axial movement in the world around us?