Katarina Corda

LESSON PLAN
*NOTE: Lesson adapted from Patty Glair, cpalms.org

SUBJECT/CONTENT AREA: 6th ELA

UNIT/THEME: Making Sense through Movement
STANDARDS:

DANCE STANDARDS:
Component 3.1: Uses dance to express feelings and present ideas.
Component 4.1: Demonstrates and analyzes the connections among the arts disciplines (dance, music, theatre, and
visual arts).
OBJECTIVE(S): 3 parts: 1) skill or knowledge to be learned, 2) activity to learn, 3) performance to assess

Using a T.S. Elliot poem and a close reading strategy, students will interpret character traits and describe characters
traits (evidenced in the text) using movement.
KID FRIENDLY OBJECTIVE (KFO): Today I will . . . .

I can interpret a poem using movement.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
poem:
graphic organizer:
powerpoint
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE: PLANNED Language SUPPORTS (Use SDAIE/Sheltered English list OR Content
Literacy Strategies)
Function (verbs):
interpret activate background knowledge on interpreting; building background knowledge on
texts themes and topics

Vocabulary: using a resource chart to make clear examples and non-examples of close reading;
vocabulary match-up, using visual at start of lesson
close reading
movement
poetry-specific vocabulary:
jellicle, airs, graces, roly-
poly, gavotte, jig, toilette,
repose, terpsichorean, caper.

Discourse: using graphic organizer to help students break down text to movement meaning

poem structure
Syntax: sampling and reviewing how to read a poem and key concepts of
line breaks
stanza
ACCOMMODATIONS: (strategies to accommodate different learners: ELL, cultural differences, 4 quadrants/learning
styles)
ELL graphic organizer and resource chart for close reading
1. WHAT WILL WE TALK ABOUT TODAY? Introduce slide with the question: 1) Do you have another side to your personality
that emerges: frequently, sometimes, never? 2) Does your body change with your personality/mood?
2. WHAT MIGHT THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TEXT? Have students guess what we might be learning today based on questions
asked in slide #1.
3. TARGET & ACADEMIC BREAKDOWN: Show Slide #2 with target and ask students to turn and talk to partner, explicate
academic language interpret and poetry. Activate students PK on what they know about poetry in general and what it means
to interpret.
4. RETURN TO WARM-UP: Have students share out their responses by moving to corners of the room frequently, sometimes,
never, and discussing when/why these personalities emerge.
5. VOCABULARY: Explain that we will be using movement to make meaning of a poem. But first we need to be clear on some
new words, so that when we seem them in the poem, we will recognize them. Pull words and definitions for vocabulary:
jellicle, airs, graces, roly-poly, gavotte, jig, toilette, repose, terpsichorean, caper. Randomly distribute the vocabulary and
definitions cards, and have the students move around the room in an effort to match words to their definitions. After everyone is
paired, students reveal their words and definitions. Make changes to pairs, if necessary. Students remain in these pairs for their
first reading.
6. The teacher will briefly introduce or review the keys terms (see Prior Knowledge list), and then introduce the poem, the poet,
and the first guided-practice activity. Discuss the term inspiration and note to students that T. S. Eliot appears to have been
inspired by cats to write the poem.
GUIDED PRACTICE
1.First Read: Read the poem The Song of the Jellicles and mark the text with N for normal behavior
and P for playful behavior. After students are finished, have them share with their partner how they
marked the passages. Ask students to share with the entire group places in the poem where they recognize
normal behavior vs. playful behavior. Be clear on explicating what we mean by normal and what we mean
by playful.
2.Respond: Write a response to the focus question (or discuss). Focus question: How is the behavior of
Jellicle Cats influenced by environment and time?
3.Second Read: Re-read the poem to find descriptions of cat actions and categorize them as normal and
playful on the graphic organizer.
4.Third Read: Read the poem again and add environment or time descriptions next to each cat action on
the graphic organizer. In pairs, analyze whether there is a pattern related to cat action and time or
environment. Ask the students to share their findings.
5.Respond: Using the findings noted on the graphic organizer, ask students to answer the question again
and use examples from the poem to support their statements.
6.Summarize: Discuss the poems message about cats. Ask students to consider the following: If the poem
was about people, would they expect to discover that people change to match their environment and time
of day? Ask students if they thought T.S. Eliot used cats to represent people?
POETRY IN MOTION
afternoon, midnight). Allow time for groups to develop movement sequences that represent the time
on their cards. Present the phrases to the class and allow students to guess at the time of the day the
group was trying to express.
1. Have students discuss how each group used movement to express the character of the cat.
What kinds of movements were used to represent playful? What kinds of movements were
used to represent normal?
 Part 2 Poetry into Motion
1. Warm up students for movement exploration. Present physical warm-up that conditions the
body and works to increase flexibility. (This is a place where a parallel modern technique
focus is presented (e.g., an on-going unit on Graham or Limon technique).
2. Review or teach eight basic locomotor movements: walk, run, jump, hop, leap, gallop, skip,
and slide.
3. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students. Ask students to identify 3-5 normal cat
movements identified in the poem. Have students repeat the previous process, identifying 3-5
playful cat movements. Encourage students to explore how their body moves. Ask each
group to select an index card, on which times of day have been written (e.g., morning,
afternoon, midnight). Allow time for groups to develop movement sequences that represent the
time on their cards. Present the phrases to the class and allow students to guess at the time of
the day the group was trying to express.
4. Have students discuss how each group used movement to express the character of the cat.
What kinds of movements were used to represent playful? What kinds of movements were
used to represent normal?
Part 3 Creating Movement Poems
1. Assign groups a stanza from T. S. Eliots The Song of Jellicles. Instruct students to create a
dance sequence, using previously created cat-like movements and the eight basic locomotor
movements. Ask the students to use the poem as inspiration and the rubric as a guideline for
performance characteristics.
2. Ask groups to complete their movement sequences, select a narrator for their portion of the
poem and rehearse the movement with the narrators spoken word.
3. Set the groups around the room and initiate a performance sequence that allows each group
time and space to perform their section of the poem in written order.
STUDENT SELF ASSESSMENT (STUDENT VOICE):
SEE STUDENT VOICE SLIP
On back of exit-slip; answer the following questions:
1) One step I took towards the learning target of interpreting the poem using movement:
2) One thing I need to work on:

POST-ASSESSMENT (formative or summative)

EXIT SLIP:
Explain how your stanza (text) is conveyed by the dance movements of your group. Specifically, explain how
you expressed the cats personality and interaction with time and space in your movements.
DANCE: RUBRIC

BEGINNING APPROACHING MEETING EXCEEDING

students is unclear some connection movement is clearly meeting criteria plus:

about the meaning of between movement connected to
the poem, is unable and poems accurate complex sequence of
to explain via written interpretation, there interpretation of the movements or in-
explanation how maybe inaccuracy in text depth interpretation
words in the text interpretation or lack of texts shows
connect to meaning of clear connection to multiple connections
evidence within text between meaning-
Movement is not making and
clearly connected to movements
explanation

The Song of the Jellicles

Jellicle Cats come out to-night
Jellicle Cats come one come all:
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright -
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.
Jellicle Cats are black and white,
Jellicle Cats are rather small;
Jellicle Cats are merry and bright,
And pleasant to hear when they caterwaul.
Jellicle Cats have cheerful faces,
Jellicle Cats have bright black eyes;
They like to practise their airs and graces
And wait for the Jellicle Moon to rise.
Jellicle Cats develop slowly,
Jellicle Cats are not too big;
Jellicle Cats are roly-poly,
They know how to dance a gavotte and a jig.
Until the Jellicle Moon appears
They make their toilette and take their repose:
Jellicle Cats wash behind their ears,
Jellicle dry between their toes.
Jellicle Cats are white and black,
Jellicle Cats are of moderate size;
Jellicle Cats jump like a jumping-jack,
Jellicle Cats have moonlit eyes.
They're quitet enough in the morning hours,
They're quitet enough in the afternoon,
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon.
Jellicle Cats are black and white,
Jellicle Cats (as I said) are small;
If it happends to be a stormy night
They will practise a caper or two in the hall.
If it happens the sun is shining bright
You would say they had nothing to do at all:
They are resting and saving themselves to be right
For the Jellicle Moon and the Jellicle Ball.
T. S. elliot