Today in Dance Lesson Plans

Today in Dance: Birthday Dancer Timeline/Constellation

Suggested Grade Level: 6-12 Activity Time: 3+ class periods Materials Needed: Phone, laptop or iPad for research

Suggested Materials: Either physical materials for creating a timeline or constellation - paper, colored pencils, connecting string, etc., or app designed for creating timelines, constellations, or presentations (VoiceThread is a great resource for a moving timeline and any whiteboard app can provide a large space for input).

Purpose of Activity: Students will search the Today in Dance website to find information about dance professionals who match student birthdays, research connections between dancers, and present findings by creating a timeline and/or constellation

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 alone and in groups, encouraging and assisting those around them and defining roles

SWBAT appreciate similarities and differences between featured dance professionals

SWBAT identify personal connections with the broader dance community and peers

SWBAT collaboratively plan and execute project

SWBAT evaluate the output of self and peers

Psychomotor (Skills)

SWBAT utilize technology by using QR codes

SWBAT explore online dance research resources

SWBAT present findings publicly

Focus Activity: Discuss the importance of finding connections between people and the definition and process of creating timelines

Vocabulary:

• timeline - a graphic representation of chronological time

• constellation - a graphic representation of connections between people, facts, ideas, and concepts

• criteria - the ideals or requirements on which a judgment, evaluation, or selection is based

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DAY ONE:

Input: Introduce the Today in Dance website and its layout and purpose. Introduce the basic project and encourage finding connections between dancers that share student birthdays through additional research. Share suggested online resources for further research.

Modeling: Show how to use the site using a QR code, looking up the current day and reading the entry together. Show how to navigate one of the suggested research sites.

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 small teams or with partners to continue researching the career of one matching dancer each.

Closure: Brief introductions of each student’s “birthday dancer” and discussion about how each person connects with their dancer. Have students take notes and fill out an Exit Ticket - The most compelling thing they learned about their own dancer and the most compelling thing they learned about someone else’s dancer.

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DAY TWO:

Input: Continue introducing dancers and begin exploring connections as others take notes. Share possible connection criteria - same technique, similar time period, were they colleagues, similarities and differences, or create other criteria.

Modeling: Show how dance professionals might be represented by different connecting criteria using two examples.

Guided Practice: Following the initial demonstration, the teacher will encourage students to consider possible connecting criteria.

Independent Practice: This portion is timed. Students will regroup multiple times and share information about their dancers in order to find connections.

Closure: Use an Exit Ticket to report how your “birthday dancer” is connected to some of the other dancers. 
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DAY THREE+:

Input: Discuss how the timeline/constellation will be graphically represented (timeline or constellation and physical or virtual) and explain the process the class will use to create the group project.

Modeling: Depending on the method of graphical representation you choose, model placement and connection ideas.

Guided Practice: Have the students ask questions and clarify their intent.

Independent Practice: Students will choose a photo of themselves and a photo of the dancer and decorate to taste with the name of the dancer and their name and the shared birthday. For a timeline, you will need birth/death dates of dancer. Students will represent connections with physical or virtual lines and label them. Separate class in half (half decorate and half connect). This activity should be timed to allow everyone a chance to do both.

Video: Students can research videos of dance professionals and link them to their timeline with QR codes

Closure: Move dancers around if needed (and agreed upon) and admire the timeline/constellation as a class. Photograph and document. 

Follow-up: Invite others to view.

Prerequisites: None Handout: none

Assessment Ideas: Have students write a guided reflection of the activity and what they learned. Or have them draw their impression of the timeline/constellation and its strongest connections.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities: This work can be done seated if virtual and students can be grouped to provide assistance.