By the end of this lesson students will be able to reflect on how movement and vocal choices conveyed the words and phrases in a poem.
“I can reflect on how my movement and vocal choices convey the words and phrases in a poem.”
LESSON OVERVIEW
| Steps |
Pacing: 40-55 Minutes |
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30-45 Minutes |
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10 Minutes |
Standards Alignment
Speaking & Listening
SL 3.1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 3.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
SL 3.1c: Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.
SL 3.1d: Explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL 3.6: Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
SL 4.1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 4.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
SL 4.1c: Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
SL 4.1d: Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL 4.6: Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
SL 5.1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 5.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
SL 5.1c: Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
SL 5.1d: Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
SL 5.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
Reading Standards (Literature)
RL 3.5: Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
RL 4.5: Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
RL 5.5: Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Teaching Resources
-Movement Chart (Created in Class)
-Vocal Qualities Chart (Created in Class)
-Unit 5, Tracks: “BrainDance of Words" #
1,
2,
3, and
4 by Debbie Gilbert
-Laptop or Tablet
-Speakers (Optional)
Unit 5 includes the following Life & Learning Skills:
-Reflective thinking
-Creative problem-solving
-Critical and analytic thinking
-Collaboration Communication
Differentiation Options
Differentiation Options will appear throughout the unit to suggest ways to scaffold or challenge student learning. Use the number of helping hands to select the level of differentiation that best supports student learning.
Highest level of scaffolding. Select this option if students are learning strategies for the first time, if the text is challenging for them, or if students require more guidance during activities. Part 1 lessons are written for the highest level of scaffolding.
Moderate scaffolding. Select this option if students require some support comprehending the text or navigating the activity.
Least amount of scaffolding/Extending the instruction. Select this option if students are ready to work more independently, move more quickly through the material, or are ready for additional challenge.
Leveraging Moments
Key instructional steps where the arts are used to leverage literacy-learning (and vice versa) are marked with . Smaller leveraging moments also occur throughout the lessons.
Process: Give an overview of the lesson objectives, which are to rehearse and revise dances for the Words in Motion! performance.
Suggested Dialogue
"By the end of today’s lesson, students will be able to say, 'I can reflect on how my movement and vocal choices convey the words and phrases in a poem'.”
Process: Transition to dance and move desks.
Suggested Dialogue
Getting Ready for BrainDance
"When I say 'Go,' move the desks and find an empty space in the room for our BrainDance warm-up. Go!"
Process: Lead the students in one of the four BrainDances of Words. Below are the cues for BrainDance #2, but feel free to select one of the other BrainDances. Students stand at the sides of their desks. Use the audio track with verbal cues and musical accompaniment for the BrainDance. If desired, instead of using the audio track, use the verbal cues below to guide students through the BrainDance. This can be facilitated as a generic BrainDance without descriptive words, with descriptive words, with or without music.
Suggested Dialogue
Warming Up with BrainDance
"We’ll start by warming-up our bodies and brains with the BrainDance to prepare us to choreograph our Words in Motion! dances.
Breath: Breathe quietly.
Tactile: Bouncily tap your head, your arms, your fronts, your backs, your legs, and your feet.
Core-distal: Expand your body into an enormous shape and contract into a miniscule shape.
Head-tail: Ripple your body forwards and backwards and from side to side.
Upper half: Freeze the lower half of your body. With the top half of your body, move suddenly.
Lower half: Freeze the top half of your body. With the lower half of your body, move gently.
Body-half right: Freeze the left side of your body. With the right side, move playfully.
Body-half left: Freeze the right side of your body. With the left side, move nervously.
Eye-tracking: Follow your right thumb with your eyes. Move it angrily from side to side. Follow your left thumb with your eyes. Move it unhurriedly from side to side.
Cross-lateral: Purposefully reach your arms across the front of your body on different levels.
Vestibular: Aggressively spin and then freeze in a hopeful shape.
Breath: Breathe quietly."
Process: Groups rehearse and revise their Words in Motion! dances to incorporate feedback.
Guidelines for Choreography & Prosody
Ask yourself the following questions as you create your dance with shape, movement, and vocal choices.
-What movement and shape choices will help you show the feelings and images in the poem?
-Will you say the lines of the poem before or during the dance?
-How will you say the lines to communicate the images and feelings and to support your movement choices?
-Will you repeat any movements?
Suggested Dialogue
Guiding Groups through Rehearsing and Revising
"During today’s rehearsal, think about the last presentation of your dance with prosody and our reflections. Remember what the audience noticed that effectively communicated your poem. Is there one thing you would change in your dance to make your meaning clearer? Is there one thing you would change in the way you read poem to make the meaning clearer?"
"Make a change if it will communicate your poem more clearly. It is also fine to make no changes. Rehearse your dances multiple times so you are ready for our Words in Motion! performance." (Groups rehearse and revise.)
Facilitate groups sharing final dances with another group.
"Pair up with another group. Each group will present its final dance with prosody and get positive feedback about what’s working." (Groups dance.)
Process: Restore the room to its original state. Tell students how and where to move the desks and where to go once they’ve moved everything.
Process: TRAIL Marker #3 is the third formative assessment in the unit. Students turn to
page 29 in their A4L Student Notebooks and reflect on their learning.
Select one of the following options to facilitate the activity and discussion:
-Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the TRAIL Marker notebook page. Have them talk before writing to get ideas flowing. Then, have a whole class discussion.
-Have students complete the TRAIL Marker individually and then share in small groups or whole class.
TRAIL Marker: Formative Assessments
Thoughts and
Reflections on
Arts
Integration and
Literacy
Purpose: TRAIL Markers are points in the unit for teachers and students to reflect on learning. During the TRAIL Markers, students stop and do a reflective activity connected to what they are learning with regards to reading, writing, the arts, and what they need to do next.
Use TRAIL Markers in the following ways:
1. Take stock of where the group and individuals are with respect to the learning objectives.
2. Engage students in conversation about what they have learned—get them to stop, think, and reflect. This can be whole class, small student groups, and/or individually with students.
Suggested Dialogue
Introducing the Trail Marker
"It’s time again to stop and do a quick activity to help us think about what we’re learning with regards to word choice and dance. Open your A4L Student Notebooks to page 29. We’re going to take a step back and reflect on the poetry reading and writing you have done and the dances you have created."
1. "What phrase or phrases did you dance? Select one and write this in your A4L Student Notebook under 'I’m thinking about when I danced'...”
2. "Think about your beginning shape, movement, and ending shape. What were one or more things you did with your body? If you need help, refer to the Movement Chart for words to describe movement. Talk with a partner and then write your ideas down." (Students share and write.)
3. "How did you speak your part or your lines from the poem? Think about what you did with your voice. If you need help, refer to our Vocal Qualities Chart for ways to describe what you did with your voice. Talk with a partner and then write your ideas down." (Students share and write.)
4. "What were you trying to show with your body and voice? Think about the image or feeling you wanted to communicate about the poem. Talk with a partner and then write your ideas down." (Students share and write.)
5. "Next, reread your own poem. Pick a section from your poem that is a “wow”—some place where you evoked a feeling, image, or idea. Now tell what you like about your writing in this part of the poem. Respond to the statement: 'I like how I' …”
6. "Finally, think about your favorite part of the unit. This can be a poem we read, dance concepts we learned, writing your poem, working in your poetry writing groups, or choreographing different dances. Talk with a partner and then write about your favorite part." (Students share and write.)
Process: Close the lesson with a look forward describing the next lesson.
Suggested Dialogue
"You have written your own free-verse poems. You have choreographed an entire poem into a Words in Motion! dance. You have incorporated vocal prosody to express the poem’s words and phrases with the dance. In our next lesson, we will perform for an invited audience!"
Performing The Closing Ritual (Optional)
"To close our theater lessons, we'll appreciate our work and each other with a unified clap.
On three we'll all clap once and say, 'Huh!' 1-2-3 (clap) Huh!"
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING LESSON 15! YOU ARE NOW READY TO MOVE ONTO LESSON 16 OF UNIT 5.
