Over the past few weeks, I have tried to incorporate standards or at least concepts from other learning areas, such as math or visual arts. Though I am an advocate of dance for the sake of dance (after all, I am a dance major), I think there is great value especially at the elementary level in integrating interdisciplinary ideas in dance lesson plans because a) it allows students to make connections to themselves and their world which helps them to be curious, adaptable, multifaceted, and diplomatic humans and b) it offers kinesthetic learners and all learners the opportunity to learn by physically embodying a concept. A few of the ideas we explored were sequencing (using words like first, then, to end) , math comparisons, and positive and negative space. To teach positive and negative space (and to passively encourage students to use a large kineshpere), I brought elastics sewed or tied into circular bands. We began class by exploring some basic shapes and learning about positive and negative space through the use of pictures and demonstrations. I set a few rules about how to use the elastic bands and then gave each student a band. They were so excited to have a prop to dance with. I wish I had taken a moment to just turn on some music and let them dance and play and use their imaginations. The thought crossed my mind but I questioned whether I would have been able to get them on task again afterwards. If the moment arises another time in the future, I want to try giving students an opportunity to explore a bit if they show so much excitement in an idea. After doing shapes on their own with the band, I formed groups so some students could place themselves in the negative space while others held the bands in varying shapes. In teaching math comparisons (greater than, less than, and equal to) and levels, I used an idea from Ali Moon, a previous Arts Bridge dance scholar. We began by reviewing math comparison symbols and replicating the symbols with shapes in our bodies. Without any prompting the students made shapes on different levels and with different body parts. I was very happy about that! We then went through a few comparison scenarios. Following a prompt, students would go to one side of the classroom depending upon how they answered the prompt. We counted the number of students on each side of the classroom and made the math symbol which would create a math comparison between the two sides. We then connected greater than with a high level, less than with a lower level, and equal to with a medium level. I gave partnerships two numbers and they created a math comparison dance, where they danced at the level of the number they received in comparison with their partner. (Example: One student was 128, the other 260, student 128 danced on a low level and student 260 danced on a high level, then they froze in a less than shape at the end.) Both my mentor who was observing that day and my classroom teacher told me about a student who made an exclamation when she recognized she was doing math. "I didn't know you could do a math dance!" That was a good moment.
3 Comments
Emily Rowe
11/30/2018 16:35:05
Linds, I love this!! I have wondered how to connect greater than/less than in the past, and I think this is a really effective integration. Are the elastics the ones we used in Kinnect or like smaller elastics?
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Lindsey Christensen
12/6/2018 00:19:56
Yes! At least ones similar if not the same. I borrowed them from the Arts Bridge office.
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Abigail Anderson
1/1/2019 16:16:50
I'm glad you included your thoughts on how you would have liked to improve and what your instincts and reasoning was in the moment. I really related to that! I think it takes trial and error to find the sweet spot between exploration, excitement and chaos. Plus, we need to know how to rebound and regroup when it gets into that chaotic space! I think some of your preventative measures were good, like when you gave them rules about how to use the rubber bands. I also appreciated your closing comments on the excited breakthrough one of your students had. I think those are some of the most rewarding moments! Good work :)
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AuthorMy name is Lindsey Christensen and I am an Arts Bridge scholar. I am excited and grateful to develop as a teacher through the ArtsBridge program. I love dance and I love sharing it with others. Archives
January 2019
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