For this week's dance post we will take a look at a lesson plan that integrates dance and math together. This lesson plan along with several others come from this site.





Teaching Mathematics Through Dance and Movement
Submitted by Jan Adams, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools

Geometry/Spatial Reasoning
•Explore shape with positive and negative space.
•Symmetry statues and studies.
•Dance combination reversals.
•Mirroring reversals.
•Statues with flips, slides.
•Moving pathways, then mapping (big to little, little to big).
•Pathway dances, machines.
•Movement tessellations.

Image source here


Numeration
*Make sets of matched shapes or movements
•What fraction of the whole class is doing a given movement? How would you represent that fraction as a percentage?
•Shape puzzles - problem solving individually or in groups of two or more: "Create a statue with a partner with seven body parts touching the floor."
•Matrix choreography: forward or backward steps add or take away tens. Lateral steps or take away ones. Make up a combination, then figure out what number you would land on if your beginning point was 1 - how about 14?

Measurement
•Predict, then measure how many steps, tiptoes, leaps it will take to cross a room. Discuss non-standard units of measure exemplified by different people's leaps.
•Measure a variety of steps, crawls or leaps on a measurement chart.
•Perimeter dances with a partner. Figure out a sequence of movement that leas you in a rectangle (i.e. 8 slides to right, 4 zigzag jumps back, 8 slides left, 4 zigzag jumps forward). Before you can perform it to music with your partner, you must figure out the perimeter and the area of your dance space.
•Create a map of your school by sending two students out to measure with footsteps each hallway. You may also send students in to measure gym or media center or lunchroom. Then reduce their measurement to an agreed scale (i.e. 10 paces = 1 inch). Have them with their partner cut out a strip (for halls) or a rectangle (for large rooms) of paper and assemble map on large board. Create legend, including scale used.

Calculation
* With vinyl numbers spread around room, dance or move to another number. Figure out an addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problem that has that number for an answer. Write down on paper. The paper will provide information for assessment.

Graphing/Probability/Statistics
•Line graph dance. Record your dances through a simple line graph. Put movements along one side of chart and amount of time in units of 8 counts along bottom.
•With vinyl numbers spread around room, put on music and hop, skip, dance to another number. When music is turned off, stop on the nearest number. What is the probability that you will land on an even number? A number above 6? With pencil and paper in hand, go through process 10 times. Gather data and find out.
•Stand on a vinyl number. Notice the color you are on. As you move to another vinyl number, count the number of skips (or hops or walks, etc) that you are taking and you may only land on the same color. If you are moving to another number and someone gets to the color ahead of you, you must proceed to another vinyl square of your color. Count your skips, or hopes, or walks. Repeat 10 times and record the number of steps it took you to get there. What is the median number of steps that you took? The range? The mode?

Patterns/Classification
•Look at two shapes. How are they alike? How different?
•Draw shapes using the least lines possible to capture body shape. Write down how shapes are alike, how they are different.
•Look at a group of shapes or movement patterns. Group according to similar properties.
•Create dances with rhythmic patterns. Interlock those patterns by creating dances "in canon."
•Create movement patterns and movement tessellations.


What are your thoughts about this lesson? Please post your comments!


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