Title (Theme of Lesson, i.e., BIG AND SMALL, FAST AND SLOW):

Age:
Length of Lesson:

Goal(s) of Lesson:
(State the goal(s) of the lesson, including what students will be able to by the end.)

California Dance Standards:
(Give one example about how this particular lesson will meet each standard; use “n/a” for
standard not applicable)

1. Creating:
2. Performing:
3. Responding:
4. Connecting:

Background Information

(If applicable):

Dance Vocabulary

(List at least 10 dance vocabulary words that will be used in the lesson.):

Materials
(Props, music, etc.):

Activities:

Warm-Up (approx. 5-10 min.):

Main Lesson (approx.30 min.):

• Present:

• Explore

(Describe 3-4 different activities in detail, including what spatial arrangement the
kids will be in – in lines, scatter formation, across floor on diagonal, pairs, big
circle, etc. Include actual prompts that the instructor can use. Each activity
should include at least 5 specific open-ended prompts.):

1.

2.

3.

4.

• Give It Form

(Describe the structure for the culminating dance with enough detail that a
substitute teacher could actually teach the lesson):

• Reflection (5 min.):

Assessment:
(Come up with questions that will help you to assess the success of the class. Examples: Were
students able to follow instructions? Were they able to understand and physicalize the
concepts of the class? Were they able to explore creatively?)
—

EXTRA CREDIT:

Interdisciplinary Connections:
(Choose two other subjects, ie Visual Art, Math, Music, or any other subject that seems
applicable, and describe an activity that could be done connecting this dance lesson to that
subject. This is in addition to your reflection. This doesn’t need to be a fleshed out lesson plan,
but just an idea of how a teacher could connect this lesson to another subject if she/he wanted
to.)

Extensions:
(Give an idea for how this lesson could be expanded into a larger unit plan. Again, you don’t
need to outline the whole unit plan; just give an idea for how, if a teacher were to want to, this
dance lesson could be further developed.)

These are my informal notes of a Lesson Plan for ages 3-4 yrs.

Big and Small
(Could substitute other opposite themes, such as “Fast and Slow”, “High and

Low”, or simply “Opposites”)

Age: 3-4 year-olds

Time: 40 minutes

CA State Standards:

• Creating: Students will respond in movement to open-ended prompts
throughout the Exploration and Give it Form phases of class; students will
practice locomotor and non-locomotor movements; students will practice
starting and stopping their improvisational dances at the instructor’s cue
throughout class, especially during the “Freeze Dance”; students will
practice changing their movements in response to imagery-based prompts
during guided improvisations.

• Performing: Students will practice maintaining their personal space, as
well as finding and returning to a specific place in space during several
activities, especially during the “Toy Store”; students will practice moving
with opposing dynamics when they explore opposites, with special focus
on big and small movements, throughout class, especially during the
“Land of the Giants and Fairies”; students will share their improvisational
dances with their peers.

• Responding: Students will observe each others’ dances and report what
they Saw, Heard, Thought, and Felt; students will share about their
experiences in class during the Reflection phase of class.

• Connecting: Students will share their personal responses to the dances
they see and do; students will share their personal experiences with their
peers by improvising together, including sharing and dancing as their
favorite toys.

Goals: For kids to explore ideas of Big and Small using their bodies and to
creatively express themselves using the elements of dance; to practice following
instructions and practice keeping their “dancer’s space; to practice being
respectful and active audience members.

Warm-up (5 min):
In a circle, imagery-based stretching (“Be a tall wall, a small ball, turn around,
look upside down, go low, say hello, reach wide and side to side, touch your
head, shoulders, knees, toes, touch the sky and say Goodbye!”); Butterfly
stretches; Touch toes counting to 10 in different languages; Plant a garden, etc.

Present (5 min):
At Home Base, brainstorm the ideas of big and small in and have kids
demonstrate big or small things they know (ie, elephant, mouse, etc.). Make the
shape of those ideas right at home base.

Explain that dancers have a “dancer’s space” or “dancer’s bubble” that keeps
them safe. Have everyone use their fingers and toes to paint the edges of their
dancer’s bubble. Explain that during this class, we will be practicing keeping their
dancer’s bubble safe!

Explore (20 min):
1) Circle Activities: Standing holding hands in a big circle as a group, practice
moving slowly in a circle (walking in big steps, small steps, tip toeing, sliding
(chasseing) in a circle, then quickly; put some steps together to make a circle
dance to music.

2) Across the Floor: Reminding them of their dancer’s bubbles, as a clump (not
lines) travel across the floor using big and small locomotor steps (walk, run,
gallop, slide, hop, jump, etc.). For leaps, only a few at a time, using shoes or
“perfect spots” for jumping over.

3) Freeze Dance in Scatter Formation with Animal theme: Again reminding them
of their dancer’s bubbles, have kids find a “perfect spot” on the dance floor. Give
them a big or small animal; have them make the shape of that animal; when the
music starts, dance as that animal; when it stops, freeze in the shape of that
animal. Suggest a few, big and small, then start to allow students to raise their
hands and suggest animals.

4) “Land of the Giants and Fairies”: Using bright colored tape, divide dance
space into two worlds, one land of the giants, the other of tiny fairies. Pretend
there is a full moon and everyone is celebrating with a dance. Students should
show through their movements if they are giants or tiny fairies! Do it again where
students may cross the magic line and change their dance from the Giant side to
the Fairy side or vice versa. Challenge them to be clear about when they are
changing over – their whole body and movements should grow or shrink!

5) “Toy Store” Game: students choose a favorite toy; they assume that toy on an
imaginary “shelf”. Remind them of their dancer’s bubbles on the shelf.
Theatrically close the shop, turn out lights, close door, “go home to bed,” and
then…magically…the toys come to life! Narrate the students starting to become
aware that they are alive! Move eyeballs only. Now heads. Now shoulders.
Fingers. Legs. (You can substitute words that make sense for their toys, like their
“antennae” or “wings” etc.). Now jump down from the shelf! Narrate the toys
being so happy to be alive that they danced around the room. Have them explore
big and small movements. Then suddenly, Oh no! The toymaker is back! The
music stops, they must rush back to their spots on the shelf and assume their

pose. The toymaker examines the room, the toys, wonders what sound she/he
heard from outside. Repeat a few times!

Give it Form (5 min):
Divide class in 1/2. Have one 1/2 become the dancers, the other 1/2 the
audience; explain that the audience has a very important job. (Have them put on
their special dance watching “glasses” because they must tell you what they saw
when dance is over. They may write “notes” with imaginary notebooks as well.)
Give simple instructions for a dance, such as one of the exploration activities, but
now with an audience. Have them start in a “Beginning Shape” and when the
dance is over finish with an “Ending Shape.” Switch groups. Remember to ask
audiences what they saw.

Reflection (5 min):
Could do a simple “Goodbye Dance” where one at a time each child shares their
favorite big or small movement or shape. If time allows, pass out crayons and
paper and have them draw the big and small movements or shapes they did or
saw.

Performance Analysis Guidelines
Approx. 3 pages, typed, spell-checked, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 pt. Font.

(Include ticket and Program)
Bring a pencil and notepad. Jot down your impressions during the show or during intermission. This way
you’ll have something to jog your memory. Remember: Don’t feel you have to understand what you are
seeing right away. Similarly, try not to focus on what you liked/didn’t like at first. This is an exercise in
AWARENESS.

Introduction
Include WHAT you saw, WHO the artists were, WHEN and WHERE. This can be summed up in one
sentence. Next, briefly give your context (have you seen a lot of this type of dance before? Is this your
first experience?). Then quickly transition to what you feel the choreographer’s INTENT for the work
was. Intent can be defined as the issue(s) the choreographer was dealing with (ranging from abstract, such
as time and space, to more human issues, such as love, gender, racism, etc.), combined with WHAT THE
CHOREOGRAPHER WAS TRYING TO SAY about that issue. (Note: If the show you attended
consisted of many works, you can briefly mention them all but say which ones—pick one or two—you
will be focusing on.)

Body
Continue to address the choreographer’s intent by using SPECIFIC examples of HOW she/he portrayed
that intent. That is, which ELEMENTS of dance (body, space, time, energy, multimedia) were used to
express the intent and how. (Multimedia can be lights, costumes, props, sets, video, etc.)

Example of how the use of Costumes illustrated the theme of rebellion:
At first, all of the dancers were dressed in bright red jumpers. Halfway through the work, one dancer
appeared in a white costume. Seeing her suddenly so different from the group amplified (the
choreographer’s) theme of being a single voice going against the mainstream.

Example of how the elements Body and Space illustrated the theme of oppression:
The dancers twisted and tangled themselves into all sorts of strange, restrained positions. They were
unable to move freely and used labored, weighted movements, as though something heavy was on their
backs. This suggested the weight of society’s prejudice that these characters feel every day–the
compromised positions that life has put them in.

Some other things to look for:
• Dynamics—did things stay at the same level of intensity, or were there exciting, surprising contrasts

in mood, timing, level, lighting, use of space, etc.?
• Dancers’ Performance—did the dancers seem to have a command of their material? Did their presence

grab your attention? How? Were they able to approach the movement with subtlety? Did they work
together well? Were they a homogenous chorus or did each dancer have his/her own personality?

Conclusion
• In your opinion, did the choreographer do a good job at exploring their chosen theme?
• Were you moved? Did it make you think?
• How do you feel this work relates to issues in society/the world at large?
• Would you recommend this show to others? Why (if there is a new reason other than the ones you

have already mentioned)?

GENERAL NOTE: DO NOT give a blow by blow description of what happened. Pull out the important
events and discuss them in relation to your points about the choreographer’s intent, not necessarily in
chronological order.