Today in Dance Lesson Plans

 

Weaving Today in Dance into your class

Today in Dance: Digital Dancer Scavenger Hunt

Suggested Grade Level: 6-12, College Activity Time: one class period Materials Needed: Phone, laptop or iPad

Purpose of Activity: Students will search the Today in Dance website to find the answers to questions about dancer lives and careers. This can be done with iPads, laptops,  or phones.

Objectives:

Cognitive (Knowledge)

  • Students will be able to assess contributions of dance professionals to the field

  • SWBAT observe, describe and analyze connections between dance professionals

Affective (Attitude)

  • Students will be able to work with a partner and alone, encouraging and assisting those around them

  • SWBAT appreciate similarities and differences between featured dance professionals 

Psychomotor (Skills)

  • SWBAT utilize technology by using QR codes

  • SWBAT present findings publicly

Focus Activity:

Discuss the definition and process of Scavenger Hunts

Vocabulary:

  • scavenger hunt - a game, typically played in an extensive outdoor area, in which participants have to collect a number of miscellaneous objects

  • miscellaneous - various types of items from different sources

Input: 

Introduce the Today in Dance website and its layout and purpose. Introduce the scavenger hunt period and questions to answer. The period could be a week or a month.

Modeling: Show how to use the site using a QR code, looking up the current day and reading the entry together.

Guided Practice: Following the initial demonstration, the teacher will encourage students to look up their birthday dancer, using a QR code.

Independent Practice:  Students will work in teams or with partners to find answers to questions for the scavenger hunt period. 

Closure: This activity will be timed. Brief discussion about possible connections among the dance professionals featured.

Video: Students can watch selected videos of dance professionals found during the scavenger hunt after the questions are answered.

Follow-up: The first team or partners to win is awarded the reusable dance trophy and has bragging rights until the next round.

Prerequisites: None  Handout: none

Assessment Ideas: 

Short presentation of findings by each team/partners.

Everyone can share the most compelling thing they learned in an Exit Ticket.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities: This work can be done seated.

EXPANDING THE EXPERIENCE: Have students write and decorate a birthday card for their “Birthday Dancer” and share the display oof cards - Idea by Ronelle Jock Eddings