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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Jiggy Dance

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Grapevines, jumps, pivots, stomps and more are moves you will learn in a dance activity. There are quite a few counts to learn and it will take some practice to remember it all. So get out those dancing shoes and find Will Smith's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Land is Your Land Shaker Routine

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Shake it up! Give each dancer two hand-held shakers of any kind. If your class doesn't have any shakers, do a project and make your own. Small containers with lids, some rice or dried beans, and glue or tape to seal the lids shut. Teach...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Raise the Roof

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
There are only four different dance moves to teach in this activity. Each move is done for eight-counts. First is pushing the hands above the head, second is a combination of moving the arms and shrugging the shoulders. Third is doing a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jingle Bell Dance With the Crazy Frogs

For Teachers K - 4th
Skater's Glide, Reindeer Stomps, Skiers, and Snow Shoe Marches are the four types of dance steps in this activity. Find the Crazy Frog version of "Jingle Bells" and teach these dance moves. There is a video included so take a look at it...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Take a look at this simple, easy line dance. Forward steps, backward steps, jumps, and grapevines. Shake arms, shake hands, and clap! Put this all together and dance to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Mariah Carey. A nice little...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fun Dance

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
"Fun Dance" is a 32-count dance of some very basic dance moves. Walking forward, walking backward, grapevines left, grapevines right, some punching arm moves, and some swimming arm moves. Put on some upbeat music and get movin'.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fun Bones

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Use the hokey pokey music to teach the names of some of the major bones in the human body. Circle up, put on the music, and put your right radius in. Use this in an anatomy class to spice things up a bit!
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock This Party

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Watch this video to learn the line dance steps that are performed to the song "Rock This Party" by Bob Sinclair. The written directions are a little confusing but after watching the video it all makes sense. This is a 32-count dance that...
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Curated OER

Teaching Locomotor Skills and Directions With a Circle Line Dance

For Teachers K - 5th
Teach this circle line dance to focus on locomotor skills and directions. Which way is clockwise and which way is counter clockwise? The steps in this dance are very basic: grapevine, sliding, hopping, jumping. Put these steps together...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walking on Sunshine Fitness Dance

For Teachers K - 3rd
Knee bends, jumping jacks, arm stretches, arm circles, and just jumping around are some of the moves used in this dance workout. Get those youngsters up and moving to the beat of "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. It's all...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shape In Dance

For Teachers K - 5th
Students engage in a lesson that is about the concept of shapes. They practice moves that are used to illustrate different types of shapes. Students participate in body movements that are focused around the directions of the body like...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Similes with Energy

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders write or dance a simile to show the relationship between two unlike nouns. In this simile and grammar lesson, 5th graders explore dance movements and identify smooth and sharp energy examples. Students review similes and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Contra Dance

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Contra dance was brought to America by French Soldiers after the Revolutionary War. Contra dancing is done in lines, but with partners facing each other. Some moves one partner is moving forward while the other moves backwards. Some...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dancing Fast, Medium and Slow

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders practice dance using different speeds of music and types of movement. In this dance lesson, 2nd graders view a clip of tap dancing and analyze the speed of music in coordinating with the speed of dance movements. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dance Showing Science Contexts of Movement: States of Matter

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders dance in different ways to show movement of states of matter. In this matter lesson plan, 5th graders make connected shapes with a partner, make flowing movements, travel rapidly, and more. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Basic Waltz Steps

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learn the five basic waltz steps: box step, under arm turn, walt left box or waltz right box, hesitation step, and progressive waltz step. Teach a little about the history of the waltz and the countries from which it came: Germany and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crazy Frog Dance

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Teach your young learners some basic line dance steps. Get them moving to increase their heart rates and to have fun. This dance consists of a few steps and there is a part that is for free-style moves. While the written description is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Matter of Survival

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders dance with inspiration from wild animals. In this creative movement lesson, 4th graders watch a video clip and then move like an animal might move in their natural surroundings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk Dances from Spanish Speaking Countries

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore dance activities from three different Spanish speaking countries.
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Lesson Plan
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Re-Name That Tune

For Teachers K - 5th
Students select a familiar children's tune and redesign it by rewriting the lyrics, writing a play, a dance, a storybook or a puppet show. Students work in groups and share their finished project with their classmates.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

La Raspa, Mexican Hat Dance, and Cinco De Mayo Celebration

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learn two dances that your class can perform at a Cinco De Mayo school celebration. This is really an outline and would be better used if there were plans for how to teach the dance steps. The idea is good to teach the cultural...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Landscape Through Art, Music, Dance, and Poetry

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
A brightly-colored David Hockney landscape painting inspires poetry, dance, music, and paper sculpture in this multi-faceted activity. After brainstorming words inspired by the painting, the whole class collaborates on a cinquain poem,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clerihew Dances II

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore rhythm and quality of word and phrased to that of dance. They move to the rhythm of poetry.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speak Out!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to Yvonne Ranier's "Trio A" dance and investigate how to express concern over social issues through choreography. They research important issues from the 1960's, choreograph and perform original dances.