Decisions, Decisions

Show me at the start of each activity in the lesson Modelled- I do (Bangady’u) Guided- We do (nii) and Independent- You do (Bangadyimi) learning

Lesson 3: Decisions, Decisions In this lesson, students will explore common choreographic devices and how they can elevate a routine. They will work in groups to go through all stages of the choreographic process, including listening, improvising, planning, creating, performing and reviewing.

Learning Intentions: To choreograph a routine incorporating choreographic devices

Success Criteria:

• Explain what choreographic devices are and why they are used
• Work together to plan and choreograph a routine to a song
• Perform a choreographed routine to an audience
• Watch and review dance choreography

Teaching and Learning activity: (Resources to be hyperlinked in this section. Make sure in your resources you identify the tasks of differentiation with each ability group.)

Do Now:

1. Print and review lesson plan
2. Print the worksheets (Worksheets 1-3: one per group, Worksheet 4: 1 per student)
3. Ensure you have enough space for the activities
4. Connect to screen and speakers to play video

• Following the video, students will complete an interactive activity together as a class to revise the terms defined in the video
• Students will then work in groups to plan and choreograph a routine to music
• They will then perform and review each other’s routines

Activity 1. (5 minutes) Interactive Guided & Whole Class As a class, match the different terms to their definitions.

1. Ask students to think of some of the key terms they learnt in the video
2. Invite two or three students to share what they learnt (the idea is that they will mention some of the key terms)
3. Display the matching pairs activity
4. Go through each of the terms, one by one. Decide as a class which definition matches the term
5. Continue until all have been matched
6. Check answers and discuss any misconceptions Answers Repetition

• Doing the same movement or action more than once Motifs
• A movement or idea that is repeated and is important to the overall performance Contrast
• Using opposing elements, such as big and small shapes Embellishment
• Adding small details to a movement to make it more interesting Retrograde
• Performing a sequence of steps in reverse order

Activity 2. (10 minutes) Group Work Worksheets In groups, students will begin the choreography process by listening to the song and taking notes.

1. Move students into groups of three or four. Note that this will be their group for the whole lesson. Consider mixing dance abilities in the groups
2. Have each group find a space in the room where they can comfortably work
3. Hand out a copy of each worksheet to the groups and ensure they have a pencil/pen to write with
4. Students will now get to know the song that they are choreographing their routine too, It is A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay
5. Play the song from the playlist and whilst students are listening to it, have them complete the worksheet
6. At the end of the song, give students a chance to discuss their thoughts and ideas 7. If necessary, play the song again to increase familiarity Teaching Notes Remember, your body is an instrument used to bring a song to life, so it's important to understand the music that you are working with. Differentiation Lower Ability: Provide students with a word bank for the worksheet

Activity 3. (10 minutes) Group Work Worksheets Students will listen to the song again, but this time improvise some movements to spark some ideas.

1. Students to remain in their groups but have them stand up and make sure they have space to dance
2. Play the song from the playlist and have students improvise movements to start to build some ideas
3. Students in each group should take turns improvising and recording the ideas of others on the worksheet
4. Remind students of the elements of dance when improvising - shape, levels, non-locomotor and locomotor movements, dynamics, expression
5. After the song is finished, give students a couple of minutes to discuss and write down their ideas
6. Play the song again and repeat the process. Encourage students to build on the ideas that they came up with the first time around

Teaching Notes Remind students that improvisation is an important starting point for choreographers. They listen to the song repeatedly and see what moves the music inspires Activity 4. (5 minutes) Worksheets Group Work Students will spend five minutes planning the structure of their routine.

1. Students to remain in their groups
2. Make sure that students have the Planning worksheet in front of them and something to write with
3. Press go on the timer on the screen and give them five minutes to consider the structure of their routine and how they are going to include some or all of the choreographic devices learnt about in the video
4. Display the supporting image on the board for students to refer to Teaching Notes This process should be collaborative, and they should be starting to put more structure around their ideas that they came up with in the previous improv activity.

Differentiation HP&G: Students could identify some of the dynamic qualities that they are going to use Lower Potential: Offer additional assistance if students are struggling to articulate their ideas

Activity 5. (15 minutes) Group Work Now, students will use the work that they have done so far and begin choreographing the sequence of movements into a routine.

1. Students to continue working in their groups
2. Students will choreograph a routine for the chorus and verse of the song. Remind them that as well as demonstrating the elements of dance, they need to include choreographic devices
3. Give students approximately 15 minutes to spend on this. They should have some concrete ideas that they are using from the previous activities and shouldn't be starting from scratch
4. Play the song sporadically through this activity for students to practise along to
5. Visit each group to see how they are progressing and offer any additional support that might be required. Encourage students to continue to practise and refine their routine ready to perform
6. At the end of the activity, have students sit at the front of the room, ready to be the audience for each group's performance

Teaching Notes If you have extra time, it can be utilised in this activity. Alternatively, you could have students file their worksheets somewhere safe and come back to this activity in another lesson so students can continue to develop and refine their choreography

Differentiation HP&G: Students' routine can extend longer than the chorus and verse Lower Ability: Have students choreograph a routine for just the chorus Activity 6. (15 minutes) Assessment Opportunity Performance Group Work Students will now share their choreography with the class. Those who are not performing will complete the review sheet of each performance.

1. Create a performance and audience space in the classroom
2. Hand our worksheets to students
3. Ensure that students remain seated and remind them to be attentive members of the audience whilst the other groups are performing
4. Have each group perform their choreography for the class, playing the song from the start each time
5. Once all groups have performed, discuss the review sheets for each group. How many choreographic devices did they see? How were they used? Did they enjoy the performance?
6. Then, discuss the choreography process using the questions below - What was the process like?

• What parts did you find success with?
• Which parts were challenging?
• What was it like working together as a group?
• How successfully do you think you used choreography devices in your routine?
• What would you do differently next time?

Teaching Notes The expectation shouldn't be for the performances to be super polished. This is an informal opportunity for students to share what they came up with during the creative process. Proactively highlight groups who successfully used choreography devices. Variations You could collect the associated worksheets for marking if you are using this lesson as an assessment opportunity

Activity 6. (15 minutes) Assessment Opportunity Performance Group Work Students will now share their choreography with the class. Those who are not performing will complete the review sheet of each performance.

1. Create a performance and audience space in the classroom
2. Hand our worksheets to students
3. Ensure that students remain seated and remind them to be attentive members of the audience whilst the other groups are performing
4. Have each group perform their choreography for the class, playing the song from the start each time
5. Once all groups have performed, discuss the review sheets for each group. How many choreographic devices did they see? How were they used? Did they enjoy the performance?
6. Then, discuss the choreography process using the questions below

• What was the process like?
• What parts did you find success with?
• Which parts were challenging?
• What was it like working together as a group?
• How successfully do you think you used choreography devices in your routine? - What would you do differently next time? Teaching Notes The expectation shouldn't be for the performances to be super polished. This is an informal opportunity for students to share what they came up with during the creative process.

Where applicable, delete any gradual release not required in lesson: Modelled- I do (Bangady’u) Guided- We do (nii): Independent- You do (Bangadyimi)