#3431. Rain

Phys Ed, level: Kindergarten
Posted Wed Mar 9 15:28:16 PST 2005 by Alicia ().
Materials Required: Dance space & Recorded sounds of a thunderstorm and rain
Activity Time: 4 lessons

Dance - Rain

Elements of Dance Action, Dynamics, Time, Space, Relationships, Structure Unit Duration: 4 lessons

OverviewThis unit provides a sequence of learning opportunities where students make a class dance based on the idea of rain, developing their understanding of the natural environment as a source for dance ideas.

Outcomes and Indicators:DAES1.1 Participates in dance activities and demonstrates an awareness of body parts, control over movement and expressive qualities• Performs basic movements demonstrating control over body parts.• Performs movements in unison with a partner.DAES1.2 Explores movement using the elements of dance in response to a stimulus to express ideas, feelings or moods• Explores small and large movements to the stimulus of rain.DAES1.3 Responds to and communicates about the dances they view and/or experience• Discusses their movements and the movements of other groups.

Content: Students in Early Stage 1 will:
learn to:• move safely and expressively in a dance with control and sensitivity to sound accompaniment• explore the elements of dance expressively in the composition of dances• use memory and imagination to explore a range of familiar and fantasy movement ideas for dance• show their dance ideas to others, watch other people dance, think and talk about themselves and others' dancing. learn about:• the importance of moving safely, as an individual and with others, in a designated dance space• the basic elements of dance: actions of the body, dynamic qualities of movement, timing, spatial aspects and relationships• the use of everyday and fantasy movement ideas as active and physical starting points for creating dances• the basic components of dances -- dancers, movement, sound and physical settings -- and how they and their classmates can think.

Sequence of Learning Experiences
• Have students listen to the taped sound of thunder and get them to curl their bodies into a small shape in response.• Have students listen to the taped sound of rain and get them to uncurl their body, look up and stretch.• Have students stretch up high, looking and focusing upwards. Have them produce a well-known finger pattern to represent raindrops starting at the top of their head and touching their body lightly down to their feet.• Have students take up positions on the floor and trace the shape of a puddle with their finger, then with other parts of their body -- eg a toe, an elbow• Have students take small steps around their own puddle shape on the floor, showing an awareness of parts of the feet -- toes, soles, heels.• Have students perform large jumps over the imaginary puddles.• Have students work with a partner to mirror each other's movements.• Have partners explore new finger patterns in their mirroring exercise to represent rain falling, paying careful attention to using different parts of the hand. • Have partners continue to explore movements with mirroring, standing, bending and stretching in unison using the whole body and mirroring hand patterns.• Have students, in their pairs, walk around the puddle taking small steps and linking hands.• Have students explore movements around the puddle with one partner leading the other, hands still linked, and explore ways of turning carefully while keeping hands linked.• Have students repeat above activity, emphasising the notion of keeping small steps and have them swap leader and partner roles in a fluid motion.• Have pairs perform their leader/partner puddle movements for the rest of the class. Discuss the movements used, what they liked etc.

Resources• Dance space• Recorded sounds of a thunderstorm and rain.

Links with other Key Learning AreasENGLISHRES1.7 Context and TextLocate texts which have descriptions about rain or rainy days.Discuss the words used to describe rain, and which ones are like the sound they make, eg drip, splash.WES1.9 Producing TextsProvide opportunities for students to write poems or rhymes about rain, eg acrostic poemsMATHEMATICSEES1.2 Using Technology with Teacher Guidance in Mathematical SituationsCollect rainwater during a rainy period and graph daily results on a chart or mark on a calendar.Use newspaper weather maps to graph rainfall.SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYESES1.7 Earth and its SurroundingsINVES1.7 InvestigatingDMES1.8 Designing and MakingUTES1.9 Using TechnologyInvestigate by observing and exploring the types of clothing worn when it is wet. Using a range of material, design and make an outfit to wear in the rain.Create a retrieval chart of photographs and other materials showing 'rainy days'.Suggested link A Place in Time unit from Science and Technology K--6 Syllabus and Support Document p 82.

Assessment

Evaluation