lesson_dance

=Shape of Clouds Dance=

Edda Cruz, Ramona Ramirez, Florencia Castillo
The research has informed my plan in the following ways:
 * 1) Brain based research like “Multiple Intelligences” theory supports the fact that people learn in different and multiple ways. Inner city students are very responsive to auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, visual learning pathways utilized in dance. By opening up these multiple learning pathways teachers have more opportunities to motivate, engage, and build academic mastery for their students.
 * 2) The social elements of dance also help to shape appropriate student behaviors for the academic setting (Opening Minds through Arts, Parent Handbook)
 * 3) Pitch, rhythm, and many elements of the dance/music matrix help to develop memory and perception (Opening Minds through Arts, Parent Handbook).
 * 4) Literacy and Math standardized test scores results support the theories of Jerome Bruner (Gardner, 2001), Howard Gardner (1994, 1983) and Lev Vygotsky (2006) which state that a hands-on, arts-based curriculum increases academic achievement.
 * 5) According to The National School Boards Association (NSBA, 2005), students who regularly participate in comprehensive, sequential and rigorous arts programs are more likely to be gain academic achievement, show leadership potential within their schools, participate in a math and science fair, win an award for school attendance and win an award for writing an essay or poem.
 * 6) Dickinson, ( 2006) states that arts connect motivation, instruction, assessment and practical application in the following ways:
 * Leads to deeper understanding.
 * Blend learning process and content
 * Stimulate higher-order thinking skills.
 * Pave the way by which all students can learn.
 * Improve academic achievement and standardized test scores.

I plan to integrate all the fundamental structures of my lesson plan as a direct support of another academic lesson (Science). For instance, I will use the the “Spheres Density and “Dancing Winds” lessons immediately after related science lessons are introduced. These dance lessons can be done as a workshop or extended mini lesson part of the weather science lesson. The dance lesson will enliven interest in the science related lessons.

**Citations**
Dickinson, D. (2006). "[|Why are the arts important?]"

Gardner, H. (2001). "Jerome S. Bruner" in J.A. Palmer (ed.), Fifty modern thinkers on education from Piaget to the present. London: Routledge.

Gardner, H. (1994). The arts and human development: A study of the artistic process. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books. National School Boards Association (2005). "Art: Ask for more." References



**Links**

 * [|Sphere's Density Dance]
 * [|Diego Rivera Lesson Plan Unit]
 * [|From Guajira to Guajira]
 * [|Origins, Cultures, and Boundaries]
 * [|Ballet Hispanico]
 * [|States of Fitness]
 * [|http://www3.americansforthearts.org/services/arts]
 * [|Focus on Dance Education, Dance and U.S. Policy]
 * [|Arts Program Specialist Mission]

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