This creative movement lesson designed for 3rd grade explores balanced and unbalanced forces using elements of dance.
Learning Objectives/Goals
Using the elements of Dance, (Body, Energy, Space and Time) this lesson will explore the unbalanced and balanced forces curriculum of the 3rd Grade Science Core Standards.
Materials Needed
Drum or musical instrument and music
Introduction
Set class expectations and goals, boundaries of personal and group movement space.
Warm-Up
Introducing the elements we are going to use in class as part of the warm up: Gravity, Friction, Pulling Force, Pushing Force, Balanced Force, and Unbalanced Force. 1) Gravity: a) Have students pick a verb and travel through space with Earth’s gravity (normal speed, normal weight). b) Have students pick another verb to travel through the space and have them do it as if they were on the moon with less gravity (less speed, less weight) c) Have students pick another very to travel through the space and have them do it as if they were on a planet with more gravity (more weight) 2) Friction - Have students rub hands together to create friction and feel the heat in their hands. Then have them use their hands to create friction and vigorously rub them on their body to warm up. 3) Pushing and Pulling - Have students go through the space using their hands to push a large invisible item first with their hands. Then have the students pick body parts to push the item with. Have them do the same with pulling. 4) Balanced Forces - Students will go through an invisible obstacle course. Have students pick 3 obstacles for their obstacle course (e.g. monkey bars, lasers, tunnels). Have them go through the course and when the instructor gives a cue, freeze. 5) Unbalanced Forces - Students will start in a high-level shape and students will fall in slow motion into a low level shape.
Investigate
1) Push/Pull - Have students grab a partner and have them, without touching, push a specific body part of their partner and have them react by moving away from their hand. Then have students pick a different body part to try pushing partner with. Have them repeat this with pulling. 2) Balanced Shapes - With the same partners, have them use their hands to push against each other to crate partner sculptures. Have them pick other body parts to achieve this as well. - Do the same thing with pulling. 3) Friction - Students will slide feet along the floor and observe the friction between what is on their feet and the floor (how much friction does footwear and materials of the floor create?). Then have them slide their bodies across the floor How does that compare to footwear on floor (are sticky shoes easier than slippery clothes on floor)
Create
Create order of subjects covered into a dance: - 4 solo poses (balanced shapes/forces) - Obstacle course to partner - Partner sculpture with push and/or pull (Push and Pull forces) - Slow motion fall (Unbalanced forces) - Slide on floor to circle (Friction) - Group balance shape - Jump and fall to floor
Reflect
Have students define the forces we worked with: gravity, friction, balanced forces, unbalanced forces, push forces, pull forces.
Extension to the Lesson
1) Balanced shapes: find shapes on different levels and on different numbers of limbs (1 leg, 1 hand 1 foot, 2 hands 1 foot, etc.) 2) Push and pull with partner, try different sized groups and experiment with pulling and pushing within the same group
Follow-up Resources
