Unit Plan Introduction

Lucas Miller

In this Kindergarten unit, I plan to teach a unit on Different Dances. Using the book Giraffes

Cant Dance, this unit will begin with a discussion on using dance to display individuality and talent.

The first lesson will also include an opportunity for students (who choose) to perform their individual

best and favourite dance moves. I believe that it is important to assess what students know and are

willing to do in front of others before embarking on a full unit. Especially in physical education where

children may be unseemly self-conscious, it is important to gauge what students are comfortable with

doing in their environment. To foster inclusivity and welcoming setting it is important for the teacher

to participate alongside the students to comfort any vulnerability. The second lesson does not take

the form of a structured lesson but as a classroom brain break, since Kindergarten is sometimes short

on time periods for physical education in the gymnasium. This lesson, where students play along with

Just Dance on the projector, will demonstrate the opportunities for physical activity at home and

energize the class by incorporating technology into physical education. The third and fourth lessons

take place in the gymnasium in which students will participate in a freestyle freeze dance game one

day and a structured direct instruction lesson on three traditional party dances. Having a variety of

instructional methods within one unit will allow students to develop resiliency by breaking routine and

learn in different methods to develop multiple intelligences.

The final three lessons of this unit start a class inquiry project: creating, rehearsing, and

performing a class dance. The scaffolding that the first half of the unit provided will allow students to

come out of their shells, develop individual dance moves, and learn traditional ones which can be

applied to the second half. In the first lesson, the class will revisit their favourite dance moves and

incorporate those into a dance based on the class song which was co-developed by the students and

gives ownership over the dance. The second lesson will allow the students to rehearse their dance and

the final lesson will showcase their hard work by performing their dance and a favourite traditional

dance for a video camera.

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 This unit covers five outcomes from the Program of Studies. They involve how a child

responds using movement to different sounds, a childs body awareness during dance, how physical

activity makes one feel and is connected to emotional health, as well as the childs willingness to listen

to instructions. In my philosophy of teaching I believe that every student should have the chance to

succeed at these outcomes and since this is a Kindergarten unit the plan consists of mostly formative

assessment. Through observations and thumb ratings I will gauge the emotional well-being of students

and their development and progress towards dance movements and attitudes. Summative assessment

will only take place at the end of the unit and be based on evidence from the video performance of the

class dance and a small-group interview after the dance, probing the childrens feelings and attitudes

towards dance. A small caveat to this assessment plan is the observations on how a student responds to

instructions. Since Kindergarten is an orientation to school for children, this outcome is only assessed

summatively at term progress reports which are influenced by the formative observations. I have

included two rubrics, one which will be used by the teacher upon reviewing student performances in

the video, and one which will be used by the students to self-assess during the group interview process.

This unit aligns with my teaching philosophy in physical education by attempting to develop a

culture of acceptance and comfort and exposing students to new opportunities at incorporating physical

activity (dance) into their daily lives. Further, I plan to teach in a variety of ways to engage students in

range of activities and assess for the best possible success rate by focusing strictly on formative

assessment until the end of the unit where I assess students development throughout the unit.

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 Different Dances Unit Plan
Teacher: Mr. Lucas Grade Level: K Subject: Physical Education Duration: 2 weeks
Miller

UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES

General Learning Outcomes:
1. A: Acquire skills through a variety of developmentally appropriate movement activities; dance, games,
types of gymnastics, individual activities, and activities in an alternative environment.
2. B: Understand, experience, and appreciate the health benefits that result from physical activity.
3. D: Assume responsibility to lead an active way of life.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
1. AK-8: Experience movement to respond to a variety of stimuli.
2. AK-9: Experience body awareness when performing dance activities.
3. BK-6: Experience how physical activity makes one feel.
4. BK-8: Understand the connections between physical activity and emotional well-being.
5. DK-3: Show a willingness to listen to directions and simple explanations.
UNIT OVERVIEW
Rationale:
Gymnasium use is limited to twice per week for Kindergarten classes. Other opportunities for physical education
take place in the classroom as lessons and brain breaks. This unit takes place towards the end of the year
Competencies:
Creativity and Innovation: Demonstrate confidence, motivation or courage to transform ideas into
innovative physical activities.
Cultural and Global Citizenship: Explore how cultural values and traditions are expressed through
games, dance or other physical activities; and appreciate how physical activities connect individuals
within or across communities.
Skill Development:
Freestyle dance
Traditional group dance
LEARNING RESOURCES
Competencies Physical Education, Alberta Education, (2017).
Giraffes Cant Dance, Giles Andreae, (1999).
Just Dancing in the Gym, PE Central, (2013). https://goo.gl/GTgwnD
Physical Education Guide to Implementation (K-12), Alberta Education, (2000).
Physical Education Program of Studies, Alberta Education, (2000).
Safety Guidelines for Physical Activity in Alberta Schools, Alberta Education, (2013).

ASSESSMENT PLAN
Prior Knowledge & Understandings:
What is dance? Meaningful human movement to music, beats, and rhythm.
AK-8 AK-9
BK-8
Outcomes

Movement to Body BK-6 DK-3

Connection
respond to a awareness Physical activity Willingness to
between activity
variety of when makes one feel listen
and well-being
ID stimuli performing
Assessments
Observation
0% - Formative

Teacher will observe

A and give detailed
feedback on students
progress and record
observations on a
checklist.
Observations will
inform real-time
Observations will
inform real-time
Observations will
inform year-end
and detailed and detailed
feedback feedback
summative grade

3
 Tumb Rating
0% - Formative

Throughout each

Ratings will Ratings will
lesson and at the end,
B students will give the
inform future
lessons
inform future
lessons
teacher a tumb up (I motivation and motivation and
understand/ I tried) or classroom classroom
management management
thumb down (I have
questions/I didnt try).
Performance
50% - Summative

The teacher will record

the class performing

Students will use Students will use
C their class dance. This previous previous
recording will be used feedback to feedback to
to analyze each adjust their adjust their
students responses to performance performance
music and body
awareness.
Interview
50% - Summative

The teacher will have

small groups orally Students will Students will Students will Students will
draw upon draw upon draw upon draw upon
D answer reflection classroom classroom classroom classroom
questions on their conversation and conversation and conversation and conversation and
dance performance personal personal personal personal
and complete a self- reflection to reflection to reflection to reflection to
answer questions answer questions answer questions answer questions
assessment rubric on
their performance.

UNIT LESSON OVERVIEW

MethodInstructional
Assessment

Activity Description Equipment

GLOs

SLOs

Key
Lesson and Motivation
Questions Safety Precautions

Read Giraffes Cant

Dance. Discuss
individuality and talent.
Have students offer to
Why do we
demonstrate their
dance?
Day 1 favourite dance moves.
Giraffes High-energy
BK-6
B A What are Cant music and
Your BK-8 Ensure the learning Direct
D B your Dance teacher
Dance DK-3 space if free of
favourite book participation
(Classroom) obstructions (desks and
dance
chairs) and hazards
moves?
(cables and cords). Do
not allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.

4
 As a brain break during
the regular day, play a
Just Dance video from
You Tube to a popular
song at the time. Have
students dance along to
the movements on the
screen while telling them
AK-8
Day 2 how they can find these Teacher
A AK-9 How can we
A videos and games at Projector participation
B BK-6 dance at TGFU
Just Dance B home. and screen and
D BK-8 home?
(Classroom) technology
DK-3
Ensure the learning
space if free of
obstructions (desks and
chairs) and hazards
(cables and cords). Do
not allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.
Have students play
freeze dance to a variety
of stimuli such as music,
drum beats, birdsong,
and chatter. When the
stimulus stops, the
children must freeze and
anyone caught moving
goes to the freestyle Music and
Day 3 AK-8
zone where they can competition
A AK-9 How can we Laptop and
A still dance to the stimuli, (winner picks
Freeze B BK-6 dance with TGFU Bluetooth
B but are not in the a song to
Dance D BK-8 friends? speaker
competition. dance to at
(Gym) DK-3
the end)
Ensure the learning
space if free of
obstructions (open
doors) and hazards
(equipment). Do not
allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.

5
 Students will have the
opportunity to try
traditional dances they
may experience at
parties, socials, or
weddings. Instruct the
children on the moves
for The Chicken Music,
Dance, the YMCA, teacher
Day 4 AK-8 and the Macarena. participation,
A AK-9 How can we (Mastery of the dances Laptop and and
A
Group B BK-6 dance at is not required, but Direct Bluetooth performance
B
Dance D BK-8 parties? improvement should be speaker of the best
(Gym) DK-3 noticed) dance at the
end of the
Ensure the learning Unit
space if free of
obstructions (open
doors) and hazards
(equipment). Do not
allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.
Revisit and have the
students perform their
favourite dance moves
from the previous week
or any new ones they
have learned. After, play
the class song
(developed earlier in the
year). Ask students
Integration of
which dance moves we
class-
Day 5 could put together to
Laptop, developed
A AK-9 What can create a dance for our
A speaker, and familiar
Make a B BK-8 dance say class song. Record Inquiry
B and material as
Dance D DK-3 about us? these moves and
whiteboard. well as
(Classroom) practice them once
teacher
through.
participation
Ensure the learning
space if free of
obstructions (desks and
chairs) and hazards
(cables and cords). Do
not allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.

6
 Have students rehearse
their class dance in
partners and as a large
group with visual
instructions drawn on
the whiteboard to
remind them of the
moves. After a few
Day 6 AK-8 practices review their
Instructions, Teacher
A AK-9 How can we favourite group dance
A Peer/ whiteboard, participation,
Dance B BK-6 get better at and play a quick game
B Direct laptop, and music, and
Rehearsal D BK-8 dancing? of freeze dance.
speaker. performance
(Gym) DK-3
Ensure the learning
space if free of
obstructions (open
doors) and hazards
(equipment). Do not
allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.
Have students perform
their class dance and
favourite group dance
while the teacher
records them for both
assessment and
showcasing (P/T
interview) uses. After
they perform have
students play freeze
dance while the teacher
AK-8 takes small groups iPad,
Day 7 Performance
A AK-9 How does aside to interview laptop,
C and
B BK-6 dance make students on their Direct speaker,
Our Dance D technology
D BK-8 me feel? attitudes towards dance, interview
(Gym) integration
DK-3 their emotions during record
the dance, and what the
dance meant to them.

Ensure the learning

space if free of
obstructions (open
doors) and hazards
(equipment). Do not
allow break-dance
moves due to high injury
risk.