Dance Lesson Ideas

Name of Activity: Move It Line Dance

Purpose of Activity: To perform various locomotor movements and dance sequences, while moving to the beat of the music.

Prerequisites: None

Suggested Grade Level: K-8

Materials Needed: CD player

Recommended music: "Move It" from the movie "Madagascar"

Beginning dance formation: This dance can be done in a circle or in lines. The video shows the dance being done in a circle formation.

Description of Idea

Variations:

Upper elementary and middle school students could be taught the dance in lines and do 2 jumping jacks to the front and turn a 1/4 turn to the R on the 3rd and 4th jacks. This would make the dance a 4 wall line dance.

Assessment Ideas:

The teacher may assess his/her students ability to stay on beat and move rhythmically. The teacher could use the following grading scale:

0-no effort: student isn't participating.

1-needs improvement: student is participating,
but isn't paying attention, following directions, or staying on beat.

2-average: student is participating and making an effort to stay on beat, but is just going through the motions without enthusiasm.

3-impressive: student is responding well by staying on beat with enthusiasm.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities:

All movements of the dance could be done facing into the circle. The movements could be slowed to 1/2 the tempo for those students with cognitive disabilities. Students in wheelchairs could perform the grapevines and squats with the hands and arms and push the wheelchairs forward and backward for the other jumps and back steps. They could move the wheelchair in a circle for the jumping jacks.