Emma Jahde
Learning for Justice Project
2/23/22
Project
Community Arts Showcase -
https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-
resources/student-tasks/do-something/
community-arts-showcase
Looking Closely at Ourselves -
https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-
resources/lessons/looking-closely-at-ourselves
Use in Classroom Benefits to Students
I love the idea of an entire showcase While it is normal to
dedicated to social justice issues, and have performance
even making it a collaboration between opportunities for
different arts disciplines. I would dancers, I love
introduce the showcase with a few showing them how
classes of conversation about social the arts can be used
justice issues, showing pictures, reading for social activism.
texts, watching videos, having Dance has historically
discussions. For this sort of project I been used to address
would let the students decide if they want social justice issues,
to work solo or in groups, or if they even so it’s an opportunity
want to collaborate with students from for them to engage in
other disciplines – maybe they want a that historical
friend to compose an original song, or tradition. They
they are inspired by a friend’s painting. practice research,
There would be a research component collaboration,
before choreographing, and then days set choreographing, and
aside for a month at least for them to experiencing all the
choreograph their projects. After the steps required to put
performance, we would debrief the whole on a performance.
experience as a class and I would have
them write reflection journals. We would
reflect on what we learned, what
conversations we had with audience
members, what we would do differently
for such a showcase next time.
Instead of drawing/painting a self- Students get to
portrait, I would use this lesson to have discuss diversity and
students create solos about their identity. identity and
We would still begin the same way, a experience how they
discussion about identity, looking can bring their
closely, how we see ourselves and others, individuality to the
why are our physical features important arts. They get to use
and why are our internal features themselves as source
important. In a dance room it is usually material, which
covered in mirrors, so I would situate encourages
each student with a space in front of the vulnerability, self-
mirror. I would give them time to draw reflection, and
and/or write their self-reflection and growth. They get to
journal about our discussion. From there, practice creating
I would have them circle a few key ideas choreography in
they want to focus on. They would then stages and giving and
make short phrases for each key idea and receiving feedback
in small groups watch each other and throughout the
provide feedback. With the feedback, choreographic
they would combine their movement process.
phrases to create one long solo. This
could be just for in class, or it could be
used for a performance.