ALEX Learning Activity

  

Movement to Show Musical Phrasing

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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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Kristy Lott
System:Jefferson County
School:Clay Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2137
Title:
Movement to Show Musical Phrasing
Digital Tool/Resource:
You Are My Sunshine
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

Students will create a dance to show musical phrasing of the song "You Are My Sunshine."

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Arts Education
ARTS (2017)
Grade: 2
Dance
4) Select movements that express an idea or emotion or follow a musical phrase and explain reasons for movement choices.

Unpacked Content
Artistic Process: Creating
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Process Components: Plan
Essential Questions:
EU: The elements of dance, dance structures, and choreographic devices serve as both a foundation and a departure point for choreographers.
EQ: What influences choice-making in creating choreography?
Concepts & Vocabulary:
  • prompts
  • elements of dance
  • locomotor
  • non-locomotor
  • dance phrase
  • structure
  • concept and inspirations
    • for choreography
  • dance phrase
  • improvisation
  • notation
Skill Examples:
  • Execute a sequence of movements in different ways (i.e., different levels, timing, directions, body parts).
  • Create a dance based on a short story, with a beginning, middle and end.
    • Create a dance to a short poem and explain why movement expressed the idea.
  • Improvise movement to verbs and adjectives. Recall the movement and sequence to repeat.
  • Using basic stick figures to draw shapes used in a series of movements.
Learning Objectives:

Students will select movements that follow a musical phrase and explain reasons for their choices.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

Play the song "You Are My Sunshine". Ask students to listen and sing along when they can. While they listen, use your arm moving slowly from one side to other to show musical phrasing. Ask students what they think you were doing with your arm. Explain that music is performed in phrases and that there is a clear beginning and ending to the phrase. Ask them to perform the arm movement with you and play the song again.

Divide students into small groups of 3-5 students each. Ask each group to create a dance that reflects the phrases in the music. For example, they may move to the right for the first phrase, then to the left on the second phrase. Explain that they must stay on each selected movement for the entire phrase before going to the next movement. This should only be done for one verse of the song. Movements can be repeated for each successive verse.

Allow each group to perform for the class.
Assessment Strategies:

Observe students as they are working in groups and redirect as needed.
Advanced Preparation:

Listen to the song and identify musical phrasing.
Variation Tips (optional):

This can be done with any simple song. You could also create the movement together as a class or individually instead of in groups.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: