DANCE VOCABULARY LEARNING GAMES

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1 Dance Lesson Plan Grades - Materials Dance Glossary Game On! scoring handout Technology TV/DVD player Optional: computer with internet access Vocabulary alignment artistic dance balance call and response compositional duration elements elevation flow force forms general space initiation isolation kinesphere landing locomotor narrative nonlocomotor phrase pulse purposes relaxation rondo (high school) rhythm shape space tension time theme and variations (high school) weight DANCE VOCABULARY LEARNING GAMES Length 1 class session Instructional Strategies and Activities Introduction Concept/Objective Students will learn dance Core Content vocabulary. Activities Students review dance vocabulary by watching video, then play games to practice using the terms. Toolkit Resources DanceSense Program 1: Understanding Dance, Program 4: The Elements of Dance, Program 5: The Moving Body, and Program 6: Making Dance all found on the DanceSense Enhanced DVD Length of Segment: 00:15:00 each Achieving a high comfort level with dance Core Content vocabulary is essential to student success on the state arts and humanities assessment. One way to develop student mastery of dance terminology is through learning games. Any vocabulary-oriented learning game that has been implemented successfully in other content areas can almost certainly be adapted to the arts and humanities area. This lesson offers models based on television game shows adapted for classroom use, which are often very appealing to middle school students and are engaging to all levels of learners. In addition, other traditional games adapted to dance vocabulary are offered. Just plug in the desired vocabulary to adapt the games for individual and class needs. Games can be used at any point in the learning process initially, incrementally, or as review for a unit test or culminating activity. Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans 1

2 Planning Activities Each of the learning games in this lesson can take various forms, but the simpler they are constructed, the easier to manage and play. Whether teachers desire to use electronic formats or low-tech versions will vary from situation to situation. Possibilities for both options are offered in this lesson. In addition, all of these games can be played in small groups, large groups, teams of various sizes, or individually. All are adaptable to whole class or partial class participation. All can be used in a tournament format as well, with grade-related bonus points awarded to finalists and/or winners. When using a tournament bracket like the example provided as a supplement to this lesson, adapt to the needs of the class. More or fewer slots can be added; an odd number of teams (or individual players) can be evened out with a bye in one slot; several brackets can be used as semi-final rounds with the winners of each entered into a championship playoff. Using the Video Because it is important not only to be able to recognize the terminology but also to embrace its meaning and context, students should view DanceSense Programs 1, 4, 5, and 6, as well as become familiar with vocabulary in the Dance Glossary. In this way students will begin to learn (or expand prior knowledge of) much of the dance Core Content terminology. This will prepare students to feel some success in the learning games. By extension, playing the games will enable them to improve their dance Core Content vocabulary. Kentucky Academic Content Big Idea: Structure in the Arts Academic Expectations 1.15 Program of Studies Understandings AH-5/6/7/8/HS-SA-U-1 Skills and Concepts AH-5/6/7/8/HS-SA-S- Da1 AH-5/6/7/8-SA-S-Da3 AH-HS-SA-S-Da2 Core Content AH-(05)(06)(07)(08)(HS) AH Assuming you use vocabulary games primarily for review, you might begin the study by providing students with the vocabulary list and the glossary and ask students to look up and define the specific dance terms you re emphasizing in the lesson. Then show the four programs and have students watch for the use of these terms in each. Two lesson plans Elements of Dance: Language Intensive and What Is Dance? are examples of lessons that use one or more of these programs and help students gain a deeper understand of the terminology. TV Game Shows Computer versions of learning games based on popular television game shows are readily available. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Hollywood Squares, Jeopardy, Weakest Link, and other game templates created in PowerPoint format are easy to use and available free through the following sources: PowerPoint Games: jc-schools.net/tutorials/ppt-games/ Parade of Games: facstaff. PowerPoint Lessons: teach.fcps.net/trt10/powerpoint.htm You must have PowerPoint and PK Zip for Windows installed to use them. All these games can be adapted to virtually any subject. The teacher (or student) simply enters questions and answers (in this case dance Core Content) and establishes or adapts rules to organize the games for the particular learning situation. Games can be played by individuals or by collaborative teams. 2 Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans

3 Note from the Author Students are notoriously competitive. When their sense of competition gets out-of-hand in a negative way, the results can be harmful. But when this competitive nature is harnessed for purposes of creating a positive learning experience, research shows that gains can be substantial. Many experienced middle school teachers anecdotally substantiate these findings, as well. Most effectively, learning games engage a majority of middle school students and make them want to participate and succeed at what they perceive to be play. Often, students who are otherwise disconnected become very involved and display high academic success when learning games are introduced into the classroom environment. Teaching Tip If collaborative teams are used, have each team designate a student to act as spokesperson to avoid conflict during play. Once the template is downloaded, the teacher or designated student inserts appropriate clues and correct responses according to the focus of study. Using the template as a starting point, several custom-made versions of the focus of study can be created and saved individually. Keeping Score A drawback of the PowerPoint format is that the score is not automatically calculated and must be kept manually. A good way to do this is to designate a student to tally scores for each team (or individual player) on the board. Additionally, a student may be designated as timer; setting a time limit for responses keeps the game moving along. Make these decisions as the situation dictates. For games such as Jeopardy, if buzzers are not available (or practical), squeakers, bells, or other hand-held noisemakers (each with a distinctive sound) may be used. More commonly used is the toss-up method in which correct answers maintain control of the board. A rule may also be established for stealing points by correctly answering a question that the opponent has missed. Connecting the computer to a larger screen through video link or projection device makes the game show experience more exciting. Some teachers and/or students may even wish to add theme music or sound effects during play. It is important that whatever rules or guidelines are set for specific classroom situations be consistently applied. Some trial and error may be necessary before absolutes can be determined. Students are usually flexible the first time or two the games are played, especially if they understand that their input in the early stages will help to determine permanent rules and guidelines for the long term. DANCE! Bingo More traditional games can also be used in studying dance vocabulary. Dance! Bingo and Password are two examples. Bingo can be created manually, but for ease of creation, Personal Educational Press, an online utility for educators, has a web site that allows you to input a list of vocabulary words/definitions and then print out Bingo-type cards for class play. Access this at: Start by typing a list of dance vocabulary words into the Primary Word List box on the web site s home page (these words can be copied and pasted from a previously prepared master list). Then select Bingo Board, and print out cards with different sets of the words in varied order. (Instructions are on the web site. While creating cards, lists can be viewed, edited, and updated.) Cards can share some of the same words, but no two cards should be identical. You may have to shuffle the list several times in order to get a complete set. The more dance vocabulary words on your primary word list, the better. (Before printing game cards, set Page Setup to print Landscape. Before printing the master list, set Page Setup to print Portrait.) After printing, laminate the cards. Also laminate a master list of the vocabulary words and definitions, cut them apart into strips, and place them in a Word Bank to be drawn one at a time. Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans 3

4 To play the game, the leader should call out the brief definitions only, so the players will have to guess the vocabulary word and find it on their Bingo card. The vocabulary word is included, however, for the leader s convenience. Set each vocabulary/definition strip aside after it has been used so the leader can verify a potential winner s card. Each player must have a supply of markers (game pieces, coins, or bits of paper will do) to cover corresponding words on individual cards. (If you have typed or pasted words and definitions into the View and Edit Word/Answer Lists page, you can print a master list from there. When printing cards, you can also choose to print cards with answers on them to reverse play; i.e., the caller would call out the vocabulary words, and students would search for corresponding definitions on their cards.) Rules are similar to traditional Bingo. A caller draws one vocabulary/definition strip at a time and reads the definition to the group. Caller continues to draw and call one definition at a time until a player correctly marks all corresponding words in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line on her/his card and calls out DANCE! Play then stops while the potential winner s card is verified. If correct, that player is declared the winner. Players can exchange cards, if desired. All vocabulary/definition strips are placed back into the Word Bank for the next game. Play resumes in a new round. Password Teachers can lead students in creating their own class version of Password using dance Core Content vocabulary. Creating the lists of clue words to match each password is as much a part of the learning process as is playing the game. All that is needed is a set of folded cards, the inside of each containing a password (vocabulary term), and a set of three corresponding one-word clues. Create at least different cards for your set. Password can be played in teams or individually in pairs. One player tries to guess the correct password in response to verbal clues (given one at a time). Players who guess correctly after the first clue earn three points; after the second clue, two points; and after the third clue, one point. Teams alternate. The first team or pair to reach 10 points is declared the winner, and another round can begin with new players (or new challengers to the champs). Another version of this game requires no cards. Divide the class into two teams (let them choose team names for added fun). Each team chooses a guesser to sit at the front of the class facing away from the board. Teacher or student host writes a dance vocabulary word on the board. The first team gives one-word clues. If after three clues no correct answer is given, the other team s representative tries to guess. After each round, both teams rotate guessers. Student-Made Games Ideas for quiz-type or board games are limitless, but they usually require some field testing before rules and procedures can be finalized. Students often develop very interesting board games, using visual art skills in designing game materials. Such games can be developed by individual students or by groups as a class project or for extra credit. 4 Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans

5 Conclusion Vocabulary learning games teach students the value of listening, developing word association skills, building vocabulary, enhancing auditory and sequential memory skills, understanding cause and effect, and improving core content knowledge. Rewards can be both intrinsic and extrinsic. Using familiar games adapted to the dance Core Content vocabulary often facilitates student understanding of how the games work, allowing groups to get into play more quickly. Encouraging students to invent learning games of their own using Core Content vocabulary is a way to connect dance vocabulary to other content areas (math, visual arts, etc.). Be sure to allow for a few bugs to be worked out the first couple of times a new game is played. Once the class is comfortable with the game, however, a set of consistent rules should be followed. Expanding vocabulary is one of the best ways to increase student knowledge and directly affect assessment outcomes. Applications Across the Curriculum Language Arts Vocabulary Mathematics Measurements, geometric design, score-keeping Social Studies Geography and cultures Author: Kate Larken Visual Arts Graphic design Copyright 2004, 2008 KET Reviewed by the Kentucky Department of Education This lesson plan is part of the Dance Arts Toolkit. To order the entire toolkit or for more information about the Arts Toolkit project, visit or call (859) Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans 5

6 Game On! 6 Arts Toolkit Dance Lesson Plans