Performing Arts Lesson Plan

Name: Beverly Cortez

Grade: 2nd

Date: October 24, 2013

Duration: 60-65 min.

Materials Needed:
Halloween Dance Video
Lyrics of the song on a construction paper
Pumpkin handout
Its Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall
My favorite Pumpkin booklet
Laptop
Space Set-up: My lesson will occur in my field classroom in front of the class where the
students have class discussions. I will ask them to stand on the carpet with enough
spaces in between their classmates to move around. (Some tables might have to
pushed back to allow enough space for each student)
Plans for Videotaping: The video camera will come from my field advisor, Jennifer
Padua. She will allow us to borrow her video camera and will be the person videotaping
the lesson.
Context for Learning: Based on my Context for Learning Survey, about half of the class
expressed that they become nervous when performing. To accommodate these
students, the class will perform the dance together therefore the students are more
comfortable instead of performing alone.
Performing Arts Content Area:
Dance
Music
Drama
HELDS Creative Domain

Integrated Content Area:

Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Health
Visual Arts
Not Integrated

Performing arts strategy, elements, skill, or knowledge:

Students will learn the Elements of Dance: Body, Energy, Space and Time. This
is useful because the art form of dance is everywhere therefore learning these
elements will give students a better understanding of elements to consider when
performing a dance or observing/watching a dance routine.
Big idea, understanding, and/or essential question:
The purpose of my lesson is to exhibit how dance helps us celebrate or

appreciate holidays.
The importance of this learning is to show a way students can express
themselves during special occasions or holidays. I want students to understand
that dancing is a way to communicate through movements, use of space and the
elements of music.

Standard/Benchmark
Standard 4: DANCE: Understand and apply elements of dance, appreciate how dance
communicates meaning, and recognize its role across cultures and throughout history.
Benchmark:
FA.2.4.1- Apply the element of space and pathways to create simple movement
sequences.
o I can explore space while doing basic movements.
FA.2.4.2- Demonstrate the element of time, tempo, beat, duration, and rhythm.
o I can dance and show the elements of music.
**This is an introduction to the concept of space. A follow up lesson: students will create a
dance as a class.

Assessment
Students will perform a Halloween dance routine, which will demonstrate
understanding of time, tempo, beat, duration and rhythm.

Through the Halloween dance, students will show and execute simple movements
that emphasize the element of space and pathways.

Formative Assessment: I will use a checklist to assess of the students participation and
progress during the lesson. (See attached checklist)

Activities/Instructional Strategies
2 min.

1. Introduction
a. Gather students to the carpet area.
b. Greet and explain todays lesson (Today Im going to do a
read aloud and then were going to learn a dance.)
i. Dance helps us celebrate and appreciate holidays.
ii. You will be able to express yourselves through
dancing.
iii. Dancing is a good exercise and good entertainment.
c. By the end of the lesson
i. You will be able to do simple movements to follow a
dance.
ii. You will be able to perform basic steps, which uses
space and pathways.

10 min.

2. Building Background
a. Introduce the book Its Pumpkin Time! by Zoe Hall
b. Lets look at the cover and predict what this book will be
about. Predict means what you think the story will be about.
i. Call on a few students to share their thoughts.
ii. Teacher says Okay, lets begin to see if you are right!
c. Begin reading Its Pumpkin Time!
i. Nod your head if you know what holiday is coming up.
d. In the beginning, we predicted what this book might be about.
Now that I have read the story, lets do a confirmation, which
means checking if our predictions are correct.
e. Review students predictions and do a confirmation with the
whole class stating nodding if they agree that the predictions
were right and shaking head when predictions were wrong.
i. Ask students to nod their head if they agree with the
prediction.
ii. Ask students to shake their head if they disagree with
the prediction.
1. Ask students who disagreed to explain why.
f. I hope you all enjoyed the read aloud. Now lets move on to
our next activity.

45-50 min.

3. Main Lesson
a. Ask students:
i. How many of you like to dance?
1. Ask students to turn to their side-by-side partner
and explain why they dance.
ii. Ask individual students to share their answers.
b. Those are all good answers. Dancing is also another way to

c.
d.

e.
f.

express yourself. Its a good exercise and good

entertainment.
i. Entertainment is something that people do to have fun.
A circus, watching television shows are good examples
of entertainment.
I will be showing you how to do a pumpkin dance. So dancing
is also a good way to celebrate holidays like Halloween.
Place lyrics of song (handwritten in a poster) in front of
students.
i. Explain lyrics to students. Lyrics are sets of words that
make up a song.
1. Read lyrics to model rhythm and pronunciation.
2. Teacher says, When you see (x4) it means
you have to repeat the lines 4 times.
a. Teacher models This is my favorite
pumpkin (x4)
3. Ask students to read lyrics to make sure they
understand what (x4) means.
ii. Ask students to read the lyrics together.
Explain directions on how to follow along with the lyrics.
Play the music for students to hear the tune and beat of the
song.
i. Tune is the melody of a song. Melody-when you hum a
song.
ii. Beat is the pulse that makes up the music.

g. Ask students to sing the song together.

h. Before I show you ladies and gentlemen the dance video,
lets look over our Standard and Benchmark.
i. Read Standard and Benchmark.
i. Standard 4:DANCE: Understand and apply elements of
dance, appreciate how dance communicates
meanings, and recognized its roles across cultures and
throughout history.
ii. Apply the element of space and pathways to create
simple movement sequences.
1. I can explore space and pathways while doing
basic movements.
j. Explain in simple words: This means that when we are
dancing, we are using a lot of space and we move in different
directions to create a series of movements in order to make a
dance routine.
k. Explain the second benchmark: Demonstrate the element of
time, tempo, beat, duration and rhythm. And the second
benchmark basically means that you all can dance with the
beat of the music.

l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
t.
u.

Show students the Halloween Dance Video.

Model the dance routine.
Okay, are you all ready to learn the dance routine?
Practice hand motions while students are sitting down.
Model hands on hips then have students duplicate the motion.
Model arms in a circle above their head then have students
duplicate the motion.
Model pointing at their nose then have students duplicate the
motion.
Model pointing at their eyes then have students duplicate the
motion.
Model pointing at their teeth then have students duplicate the
motion.
Now lets practice the other steps.
i. Mirror Modeling: Ask row 1 to stand up and stretch your
right arm out.
ii. Mirror Modeling: Ask row 2 to stand up and stretch your
right arm out.
iii. Mirror Modeling: Ask row 3 to stand up and stretch your
right arm out.
iv. Mirror Modeling: Ask row 4 to stand up and stretch your
right arm out.
v. Remind students to be safe and be aware of others
around them.
vi. Ask students to keep their hands to themselves at all
time before, during and after the dance, and if they are
not following the rules then they will get a warning or
will be asked to take a seat.
vii. Model each part of the dance routine: (modify the steps
depending on the different type of students that is
present in the classroom)
1. Ask students to put their hands on their hips.
2. Ask students to move side to side. (Offer a
different step if you have disabled students)
3. Ask students to put their hands up and make a
circle while moving side to side.
viii. Model the 1st part of the dance with the 3 steps above.
1. Ask students to perform the 1st part together.
2. Put thumbs up if you got it and thumbs downs if
you want us to do it again.
ix. Model 2nd part of dance routine:
1. Ask students to touch their nose.
2. Ask students to count their nose.
3. Ask students to touch and count their eyes one
by one.
4. Ask students to count to 3 and point to their

x.
xi.

xii.
xiii.
xiv.

teeth.
5. Ask students to put their hands up by their face
to indicate scary, scary.
6. Ask students to shake their body down and say
ahhh.
Model the 2nd part of the dance with steps above.
1. Ask students to perform the 2nd part together.
Model 3rd part of dance routine:
1. Ask students to jump in place.
2. Ask students to dance.
3. Ask students to spin.
Play dance video again and have students practice.
(Teacher will watch students as they practice and
assess each student)
When teacher sees most students know the routine,
they will perform the dance as a whole class.
Challenge students to perform the dance routine
without the video.

3 min.

4. Closure:
a. Use classroom attention getter to help settle the students
down.
b. Ask students to have a seat on the carpet.
c. Praise students: You all were wonderful dancers! Thank you
for participating. Im really impressed. Did you all have fun?
d. Ask students to turn to your side by side partner and talk
about each question:
i. What did they learn today about dancing?
1. Turn to your side-by-side partner and tell them
what you learn today about dancing.
ii. What do you need when youre dancing?
e. Call on students to share their responses.
f. Summarize learning by explaining: From this dance, you all
should have learned that:
i. You use a lot of space when you dance
1. What different ways did we use space? (e.g. Up
and down, sideways.)
ii. Dancing makes you move in different directions
iii. We had to do a series of movements to perform the
dance routine.
iv. We need to move to the music or a beat.
g. Reinforce students efforts: Again, Good Job Everybody!
Also, here is a handout that you can do at home. You can
create your own pumpkin and have your pumpkin do anything

that you want. You can have your pumpkin swim, play
basketball, anything. At the end, you can color and maybe you
can add it to the dance that we just did and perform it in front
of your parents, aunty, uncle, sister, grandma.
h. Pass out booklet as a reward for participating in the activity.
0 min.

E
Extended Activity/Homework
Pumpkin handout
o Students can create their own My favorite
pumpkin
o Students can draw eyes, nose, and mouth and have
their pumpkin perform an action that they choose.
o Student can color their handout.
o Student can add their own to the dance routine and
perform it to their family and friends.
Differentiation Plan

Identify the type of need (e.g., ELL/MLL, List the type of differentiation (learning
accelerated students, reading needs,
environment, content, process, or performance
504 students, struggling learners,
task) and tell how you will differentiate
enrichment)
504 Student

ELL Students

Student will be given ample space to move

his wheelchair forward and backward
instead of side to side with the rest of the
students.
Provide alternate move. (For jumping,
student can raise hands to the sky just like
pushing something up)
Repeat directions to clarify and give enough
time to process what they have to do.
Model steps.
Show visuals

**Assessment tool implemented in my lesson

**Student Participation Checklist
Yes=
No=!
Sometimes=

Name

FA.2.4.1- Apply the element of

space and pathways to create
simple movement sequences.
I can explore space while
performing basic movements.

Kulai

FA.2.4.2- Demonstrate
the element of time,
tempo, beat, duration,
and rhythm.
I can dance and show
the elements of music.

Elijah

Mariel
Darrellyn
Gabriela
Kim
Tajlyne
Tyler
Billy
Jahziah

Maomao
Ethan
Roselie
Kailani
Sonte
Rovi
Adrian
Axel
Brianna
Zion
Joseph
Melanie
Jayden
Cielle
Sara

Denied Media Release

Media Release follow up

*Got pulled out of class (ELL)

Media Release follow up

Zayden
Tytus

Comment

-Sometimes wasnt
paying attention
-Kept getting
distracted by
another student
-Talking out of turn

-Parts of it he wasnt
dancing

***Revised
***Student Participation Checklist

*Kept getting
distracted.

Yes=
No=!
Sometimes=
Name

FA.2.4.1- Apply the element of space and pathways to create simple movement
sequences.
I can explore space while performing basic movements.
I used
I used space
I used
I used
I used pathways by
space
by placing my
space
pathways by
moving side to side.
through
hands over
through
spinning
jumping.
my head.
shaking
around.
down.

Kulai
Elijah
Mariel
Darrellyn
Gabriela
Kim
Tajlyne
Tyler
Billy
Jahziah
Maomao Denied Media Release
Ethan
Roselie
Kailani
Sonte
Media Release follow up
Rovi
Adrian
Axel
Brianna
Zion
Joseph
Melanie
Jayden
Cielle
Sara
Zayden
Tytus

Yes=

No=!
Sometimes=
Name

Kulai
Elijah
Mariel
Darrellyn
Gabriela
Kim
Tajlyne
Tyler
Billy
Jahziah
Maomao
Ethan
Roselie
Kailani
Sonte
Rovi
Adrian
Axel
Brianna
Zion
Joseph
Melanie
Jayden
Cielle
Sara
Zayden
Tytus

FA.2.4.2- Demonstrate the element of time, tempo, beat,

duration, and rhythm.
I can dance and show the elements of music.
I can dance along
I can follow the
I know when
to the beat and
steps of the
to stop and the
rhythm.
dance.
dance is over.

My Favorite Pumpkin Lyrics

This is my favorite pumpkin (x4)

It has 1 scary nose (1 nose)
2 scary eyes (1, 2)
3 scary teeth (1,2,3)
Scary, scary, ahhh!!

This is my favorite pumpkin (x4)

My pumpkin can jump (jump, jump)
My pumpkin can dance (dance, dance)
My pumpkin can spin (spin, spin)
Scary, scary, ahhh!!!

This is my favorite pumpkin (x4)

It has 1 scary nose (1 nose)
2 scary eyes (1, 2)
3 scary teeth (1,2,3)
This is my favorite pumpkin (x4)
Happy Halloween!!!