Dance and Emotion

Year Level

Foundation (Prep)

Duration

50 minutes

Class Size

25 students

Unit Title

Dance Explorations for Foundations Lesson 4 of 10

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: The Arts — Dance Relevant Content Descriptions:

• AC9ADAFE01: Explore how facial expressions, gestures, and other ways of moving, and using voice or language, can communicate emotions and feelings in arts works. For example, in dance, students explore movement that expresses emotions such as happiness, sadness, or excitement.
• AC9ADAFD01: Use play, imagination, arts knowledge, processes and/or skills to discover possibilities and develop ideas.
• AC9ADAFP01: Share their dance artworks with audiences, including explaining their favourite movements or emotions expressed.
• AC9ADAFC01: Create arts works that communicate ideas, including emotional ideas, through movement.

These content descriptions are relevant and form the foundation of this lesson, particularly focusing on emotional expression through dance and communication of feelings using movement.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and express basic emotions through their body movements and gestures in dance.
2. Demonstrate understanding of how movement can communicate feelings without words.
3. Reflect on how their movements can show emotions.
4. Share their dance movement using expressive qualities with peers and teacher.

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Lesson Outline and Timing

Time	Activity	Description
5 min	Retrieval and Goal Setting	- Recap briefly previous dance lessons on movement and play. - Introduce today’s focus: "How can we use dance to show how we are feeling?" - Use simple emotion flashcards (happy, sad, angry, excited) and ask students if they can show the emotion with their faces and bodies.
10 min	Teacher Modelling and Explanation	- Teacher demonstrates simple dance movements that express different emotions using whole body movement and facial expressions. - Use clear, simple language to describe why a movement shows a feeling (e.g. “I move my arms wide and jump because I feel happy!”). - Invite a few students to observe and name the emotions modeled.
15 min	Guided Practice	- In small groups or pairs, students practice expressing emotions through movement. - Teacher provides prompts or scenarios, e.g., “Show me how you dance when you feel excited.” - Circulate to offer positive feedback and support safety and expressive movement.
15 min	Independent Experimentation	- Students individually create their own short movement sequence (3-4 movements) that shows one or more emotions. - Encourage them to think about how their body moves and what face they can make. - Option to use scarves or small props to enhance their expression if available. - Teacher supports as needed.
5 min	Consolidation and Reflection	- Group reflection circle: Students share one movement they liked doing to show an emotion and what emotion it represented. - Teacher asks questions like, “How did your movement show your feeling?” and “How do you think others can understand how you felt?” - Exit Ticket: Students draw a simple face showing an emotion and/or write (or dictate) one movement they did to show that emotion. - Offer remediation or extra support for students who need encouragement or guidance.

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Resources and Materials

• Emotion flashcards (happy, sad, angry, excited) with simple images.
• Open space free from obstacles for safe movement.
• Optional scarves or soft props to enhance movement.
• Paper and coloured pencils/crayons for exit ticket.

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Teaching and Learning Strategies

• Explicit instruction: Teacher models each emotion with clear explanations linking movement and feeling.
• Visual and kinaesthetic learning: Use facial expressions, body gestures, and full-body movements.
• Social learning: Partner and group work enables observation and shared reflection.
• Formative assessment: Through guided practice and exit tickets to check understanding.
• Positive reinforcement: Encourage creativity and effort, building confidence in self-expression.

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Assessment

Formative assessment will be ongoing through observation during guided practice and independent experimentation. The exit ticket provides an informal check that students can link movement with emotion. Teachers may use students’ drawings and descriptions to identify who may need further support or extension.

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Differentiation and Support

• Provide extra modelling and one-on-one support for students who find expression through movement challenging.
• Offer simpler emotions or more concrete movement examples for students needing scaffolding.
• Challenge more confident movers by exploring combinations of two different emotions in their sequence.
• Use visuals and clear, concise language to support EAL/D learners.

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Safety Considerations

• Ensure the dance space is free from hazards.
  - Encourage safe, respectful use of space and movement.
  - Remind students to listen to their bodies and rest if tired or uncomfortable.
  - Support social and emotional safety by fostering a respectful and positive environment where all emotions are accepted.

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Reflection Prompts for Teachers

• Were students able to connect emotions to movements?
• Did the modelling help students understand the concept clearly?
• How engaged were students in their independent experimentation?
• Which students might benefit from more tailored support or extension in later lessons?

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This lesson strategically follows Victorian Curriculum guidelines for Foundation Dance, focusing on movement as a means for emotional expression, creative play, and sharing ideas through dance works. This structure ensures directly aligned learning objectives, active engagement, and appropriate assessment for this age level, all embedded within a safe and inclusive classroom environment.