DANCE
DRAMA LESSON PLAN
Topic: Mini-beasts - The Life Cycle of a Butterfly
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Context:
Year Level: Year 3-4 (AusVELS levels 3 and 4)
Lesson Duration: 2 x 1 hours
Location: Student classroom / multipurpose center / gymnasium
Aim: Explore the life cycle and style of a butterfly through dance
and drama to further extend understanding of the biological concept
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Theme:
Elements: Students will be exploring the space with
their body, creating various shapes which represent the particular stage of
the life cycle and the movement towards the next stage. Students will imply
particular weight and force to their movements which represent that of a
caterpillar/cocoon/butterfly. Students will work as a whole and use their
time effectively to create a tableau of shapes and representations.
Body Parts: Students will work on different levels,
changing body shape to represent the metamorphism of the butterfly. They will
use their arms and legs especially, to represent the transition from small
eggs to caterpillar to the innate cocoon to the vibrant butterfly.
Body Actions and Skills: Students will be using their GLEFTS (Gesture,
Locomotion, Elevation, Falling, Turning, Stillness), to capture and enact the
movements of the life cycle. For example, students will use an alternation
between stillness and gradual elevation as they transform from cocoon to
butterfly. Students will work to the best of their ability, using all their
able body parts such as legs and arms to represent the transitions and
adaptions.
Performance: Choreographic devices such as repetition,
distortion and improvisation will be used to help adapt students’ movement and
shape ideas into an organised dance/drama routine for the whole group to
follow. Performance will encompass a range of the movements in a tableaux
effect.
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Learning outcomes – At the end of this lesson, the children
will be able to….
Cognitive (Intellectual/artistic):Recognise, recall and detail the life
cycle of a butterfly, including the eggs, caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly
stages, realizing that each of these are interrelated creatures that would
not exist without the other.
Psychomotor (Thinking/Physical): Coordinate movements and body shapes
representative of each of the four stages of a butterfly (eggs, caterpillar,
cocoon and butterfly) and the transitions between the stages.
Affective (Emotional/Social/Cultural):Appreciate the life of a butterfly in all
of its life forms and the metamorphism process it goes through
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Assessment
Safety
Students will
work within a stimulating environment that encourages and rests on the safety
of all students. The teacher will frequently reinforce safety, including personal
space, to assure all students are provided the best opportunity and space to
work within. Teacher will look for students moving safely within their
environment, respecting others space while using the space effectively and
Explain where
your lesson plan fits in with AusVELS or Early Years Framework progression
point and/or level of kinesthetic ability?
AusVELS Level 3/4 – The Arts – Creating and
Making
- ‘create and present works in a range
of arts forms that communicate experiences, ideas, concepts,
observations and feelings’
Students
will create a drama/dance performance to communicate their knowledge and
understanding of the cyclical life of a butterfly
AusVELS Level 3/4 – The Arts – Exploring
and Responding
- ‘use arts language to describe and
discuss the communication of ideas, feelings and purpose in their own
and other people’s arts works’
Students
will watch their performance and discuss the various choreographic devices
used to represent and communicate their understandings.
AusVELS Level 4 – Science – Biological Sciences
- ‘Living things have life cycles’
Students
learn about the cyclical life of a butterfly through story, charts, images,
videos and dance/drama.
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WHAT
- content
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HOW
– strategies and approaches
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Warm up – Kinesthetic tune-up
Introduction of the concept/theme
Read and discuss:
The Very Hungry
Caterpillar – Eric Carle
The Life Cycle of
a Butterfly – Bobbie Kalman
Exploring and developing ideas (creating
& making)
Look at Life
Cycle diagram and discuss different stages and the shapes that are made. How
could we make these shapes with our body? With movements?
Practicing their voice, physical (technique)
and social skills
Students are
divided into 4 groups. Each group is given a stage of the life cycle to focus
on (eggs, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly). Have the groups use their GLEFTS
and choreographic devises to devise a routine to portray the life stage. Show
students the music piece which they must perform to. Have them assure their
movements match the gentle music chosen. Give students props, such as large
materials, to work with.
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For each activity outlined…
Students will use
their previously acquired understanding of personal space and use of space to
effectively move within the room, safely portraying the stages. Teacher
should rove without the space to assure students are all on task and
encourage.
Students will
first be provided with clear expectations on the tasks and rules on movement,
personal space. Students will be reminded that butterflies are not ferocious
and fast but soft and gentle and that is how students should be moving also. Students
will be familiar with teacher’s device for getting attention, clapping hands,
raising hand above head and waiting etc…
Teacher will be
looking for correct, creative and safe movements in the dance/drama. Teacher
will be observing use of props and links to chosen music.
Teacher will use
voice and assistance to develop and perfect students movement and character.
Teacher will use dance and movement terminology to encourage students to
adopt the language and become familiar with the areas of the arts. Teacher
will certainly include demonstrations where necessary and provide endless
feedback to children, encouraging improvement and development.
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Development - Exploration
Bring small
groups together and share developed movements with rest of group. Create one
large performance which transitions into each new stage of life with a canon.
Students must work within the space using what they know and have learnt to
reflect the creature.
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Culminating Dance/Play - Presentation
Have the final
performance of the life cycle of a butterfly performed to the matching music
which ties it together. Film it.
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Discussion – Memory
integration
Watch the
performance on the smart board. After the screening, ask questions to probe further
understanding and response such as:
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What
helped to portray the stages?
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What
role did the music/props play?
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Which
movements/shapes were effective? Why?
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What
could have been changed to improve the performance?
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What occurred
in the transition between one stage to the next?
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Were
there different movements in the egg stage compared to the caterpillar stage?
Why? What dies this tell us about the eggs?
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Closure
Sit in a large circle
and do some non-locomotive butterfly movements, Eg. Open wings wide, breathe
in, close wings, breathe out, etc…
Discuss the life
cycle again in a light conversation. Who can tell me the first/second/third/fourth
stage?
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