A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively
engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.
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Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:
The students are placed in groups of five to six. Have each group member come up with a type of machine that the group could create. The students need to deliberate and decide what kind of machine they are going to create together. Some examples of machines include a dog washing machine, a get ready for school machine, and a pizza making machine. Once the group has chosen a machine to prepare, each student explores and establishes a sound and movement that they can repeat numerous times representing a part of the machine. Each student in the group contributes a part of the machine. They need to stand lined up shoulder to shoulder facing out to the audience or the classroom, and their feet must stay planted. The movements are sequential from the beginning of the task through to the end. For example, the beginning of the pizza making machine would be throwing the dough and the end would be eating a slice or taking the pizza out of the oven.
The digital tool included is a reference for the instructor.
Assessment Strategies:
Informal Assessment: As the students prepare their machines, assess how well they are sharing ideas. Are they allowing every student in their group to share an idea(s)? Are they supporting each other as they explore a sound and a movement? Are the students listening to each other's ideas as they prepare their machines?
Have each group perform their machine in front of the class. How well is their machine communicating the task it is supposed to accomplish? Are the students working together and collaborating? Are the students able to listen to each other and adjust the pace of their machine by responding to each other? Ask them what terms are explored while creating machines (cue, line, listening, ensemble, collaboration, and pace).
Advanced Preparation:
Have your roster separated into equal groups of four to six students.
Variation Tips (optional):
You can have students build machines that do not have a specified purpose (are more abstract) after this beginning activity. They would build their machine by joining in one at a time and creating a sound and movement therein creating another part of the machine.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
The digital tool provided has an explanation of machines and explains some variances. It can be used as a reference for the instructor before teaching this lesson.