Emily DeRubeisLesson Plan: Gravity Dance from Foxs So You Think
You Can Dance - Finding meaning in a text (Body Language)
# of Days1
Prior KnowledgeCommunicative skills, reading body language and
facial expressions, recognizing feelings created by movement.
Lesson Objective(s)Students will be able to interpret body
language to find the meaning in the dance.
Lesson AssessmentStudents will be able to make a claim by
writing it down on a piece of paper about what the piece is
actually trying to express and what it actually means. The teacher
will listen to their claims during discussion.
StandardsR1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
Materials NeededPencil/Pen, Sheet of paper to write notes.
TimeLearning TaskMethods or Procedures
1 min.Understanding what the lesson is.Teacher introduces the
lesson to the students.
2 minLooking for tone and how the movement/body language of the
dancers express a feeling. Students will write short notes about
what they think.Teacher shows the video for the first time. Video
is 2 minutes long. 1 minute wait time to have them finish writing
and prepare for discussion.
3 minBased on what they have written, students will discuss as a
class what they think facial expressions and body language
mean.Teacher leads a quick discussion on what the students have
written about tone, facial expressions, and overall body
language.
2 minLooking for meaning. Students will write a claim/argument
as to what they think the dance means.Teacher shows the video for
the second time. Video is 2 minutes long. 1 minute wait time to
have them finish writing and prepare for discussion.
7 minDiscussion on the meaning of the dance. Teacher will lead a
discussion about the main themes of the text.
This lesson is a preparation for reading a play with written
stage directions. Hopefully after a lesson like this, students will
take into consideration the body language presented in the play as
a form of text.
