Grade 4: Movement (Dance)

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

It is expected that students will:

• use the creative process to develop dance patterns, alone and with others
• demonstrate basic dance steps and patterns, alone and with others, with and without objects
• select and perform simple movement sequences using elements of body awareness, space awareness, qualities, and relationships

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Movement (Dance) in other grades click on an icon below.

Suggested Instructional Strategies

Strategies:

• Have students perform simple rhythmic actions to songs.
• Have students imitate, copy, follow, mirror, and shadow dance steps and movements to form sequences and dances.
• Have students listen and move to a variety of music (e.g., slow, moderate, fast) from different cultures.
• Have students create a dance of their own interpretation using traditional music (e.g., polka, reel, schottische).
• Have students perform steps or patterns from traditional folk dances (e.g., square, Aboriginal, Jewish, jazz).
• Have students perform traditional dances individually, with a partner, or in small groups, using different formations (e.g., square, round, line).
• Invite local groups to perform (e.g., Aboriginal dancers and ethnic clubs) and provide information about careers related to dance.
• Have students research the origin of specific dances for a multicultural presentation.
• Have students create a story from a piece of music; then interpret the story in a dance formation in the gym.
• Use poetry, song, or objects (e.g., fans, sticks, ribbons, drums) as stimuli for creating dances.
• Use a parachute to create shapes and movement and to modify traditional dance patterns or create new ones.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• To assess dance, observe the extent to which students develop moves that fit with the rhythm, music, and lyrics. Look for evidence that students are able to:
  • perform specific steps of the dance, maintaining rhythm
  • use locomotor and non-locomotor skills to accent specific beats
  • perform dance steps and sequences while dancing with others
  • attempt new dances with enthusiasm
  • create a series of movements to form a dance routine, alone or in small groups
• Have students work together to develop a dance routine, in a line or circle formation, using skills such as running, hopping, and accenting beats. To assess students' dance sequences, note:
  • the number of different steps
  • the difficulty of the steps
  • the complexity of dance formations
  • the extent to which students develop moves that fit with the rhythm, music, and lyrics. Is the student dancing with controlled, balanced steps? Is the student moving to the beat and counting phrases? Is the student able to change directions sharply and maintain rhythmic steps?
• Have other students evaluate the presentations and provide feedback to the presenters. Ask students to watch the performance and record evidence that presenters have met the task requirements by including running, hopping, accenting beats, and a dance formation of a line or a circle.

Recommended Learning Resources

Print Material

• Assessing Attitudes in Physical Education: A Collection of Assessment Tools
• Creative Dance Experiences for Children - Volumes 1-4
• Inclusion of Students with Special Needs in Physical Education
• A Quality Approach to Primary Physical Education: A Resource Guide for Teachers - Dance
• Quality Lesson Plans for Secondary Physical Education

Video

• Teaching Beginning Dance Improvisation
• Teaching Folk Dance Activities

• Can You Speak Dance?
• Upper Elementary Children: Moving and Learning

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
Curriculum Branch © 1995 Copyright

Maintained by: Physical Education Coordinator

Revised: March 1996

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