Grade 3
Caitlin Hebert and Shahad Alazawi
Literacy
As part of the curriculum reading expectations, students can read fictional picture books about the significance of indigenous dance and about the different cycles discussed in science.
The grade 3 writing curriculum involves students developing and organizing content for specific purposes. During this unit, students can learn how to write short descriptive reflections on their experiences with dance and other integrated activites.
Students can complete a procedural writing piece about how to set up for dance class and how to create a dance.
Students can complete short reflections about the books they have been reading as a class and make connections to other subject areas.
Students can write short reflections on their experiences learning about different types of dance.
Assessment
Students can be assessed on learning skills throughout the different units, but specifically during dance, as they are required to collaborate more often.
Throughout the different activities, students should have the chance to write in short journal entries reflecting on their opinions and experiences.
Students can be assessed with coconstructed met/not yet met rubrics for their dance participation and science components. A rubric might include a criterion that says, "I included one animal.plant representation in my dance".
Students will learn how to give feedback and peer assess during the science/unit activities.
Opportunities for assessment as learning will be available throught each activity so students can assess their own success and participation.
Math:
Patterning and Algebra
We can integrate dance into this unit by emphasizing the repeating movements, tempo, and rhythms throughout a dance taught to the class.
Students can complete a pattern creation activity, in partners, using movements to create a pattern, recording the pattern, then sharing it with other groups. Patterns ex. 2 claps, 3 stomps, spin, repeat.
Students in this unit need to be able to repeat patterns and understand the basic functions of patterns
Students can practice identifying the pattern rule and pattern structures with dance. Giving a simple dance as an example, students identify moves and create a pattern rule sentence.
Students will need to understand the foundations of patterns and how it can be seen throughout movements and music as well. They will need to know the tempo and the rhythm, along with recognizing the body parts used and the movements that correspond with it
Science:
Understanding Life Systems
Students will have to use body awareness, create body zones, follow directions and the tempo to adequately do the movements of the animal or living thing that we are replicating through dance.
Students can work in small groups of no more than four, and share their dances with one or two other groups at a time, so that the experience is not too intimidating.
Throughout this unit students are learning about the lifecycle of living things. Exploring specific animals, their characteristics, and how they live in their environment.
Students can complete short think-pair-share reflections on their dances and complete a met/not-yet-met reflection.
If students are learning about the rain cycle, or life cycle of a caterpillar, they can turn those into dances.
We can integrate dance into this curriculum by expressing the characteristics of living things through body movements.
As students learn about the life cycle of plants, they can create group dances showing the cycle. show students examples of interpretive dance.
Ask students to brainstorm how they would represent certain plants and animals in dance. Ex. butterfly with wavy arms, drooping willow tree, etc.
Social Studies:
People and Environements,
The Local Community
Students need to use their their own natural abilities and be aware of their body zones and movements and follow along with the dance moves being taught. They need to be able to follow direction, tempo and rhythm in order to follow the instructor.
This unit focuses on the local community and the people within it. It's about peoples abilities and the services around them. Including ways in which students can get involved in their community. We can integrate dance into the curriculum by either finding local services and people in the community who teach dance and how they express their abilities
After learning about Indigenous as a connection to the other grade 3 strand (Early Communities in Canada) students can watch videos of different Indigenous dance styles.
Board Indigenous liaison or community member willing to chat bout the significance of dance in different Indigenous cultures can come in to speak with students.
This would be a great opportunity to bring in community or family members willing to share aspects of their cultural dance.
Phys. Ed.:
Movement and Competence
Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
We can integrate dance into this unit by teaching a variety of dance moves and strategies that emphasizes the control that the students have over their movements
Students will have to emphasize their movements, energy, and awareness of themselves and their partner while completing Dance in this unit. Students will have to encompass all of these elements to complete this lesson
This unit focuses on being aware of your body and the ways in which you strategize your movements in a variety of situations
