Blog Post 4: Integrating Science and Dance

Today's blog post will be exploring the integration of science and dance. Nature in itself involves movement, transformation and energy, all of which are components of dance. Encouraging students to mimic the movements within nature, removes the pressure that students may experience when dancing in front of the class. For example, asking students to move their bodies based on their interpretations of thunder, will be more comfortable than asking the students to create a powerful movement with their bodies. Moreover, dance can be easily integrated throughout the curriculum by incorporating it into topics surrounding energy and the various life cycles. Overall, throughout this week's post, I will be reflecting on the learning with took place during week 3 of my dance education course.

For our first activity, we focused on the grade 1 expectations for the daily and seasonal changes within nature. To begin, each student was able to choose a stage of the water
cycle to focus on, such as drift, melt, sink, dart, release, seep, hover, freeze, whirl, skim, shudder, float, rise etc. Once each individual student developed a movement, we then transitioned into our small groups to create a dance sequence that represented precipitation, condensation, and evaporation. This activity aligns with the following expectation below.

Grade 1:UNDERSTANDING EARTH AND SPACE SYSTEMS DAILY AND SEASONAL CHANGES 

3. Understanding Basic Concepts 

3.2 define a cycle as a circular sequence of events


Next, our class explored junior division activities that can be used to demonstrate an understanding of life cycles within nature. For this dance-centred lesson, our group

 focused on the life cycle of the butterfly, where we demonstrated the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and then lastly, a butterfly. Throughout this activity, students begin to explore the elements of relationship and shape. Students are encouraged to make a

diverse range of shapes with their bodies and face in various directions. Moreover, students engage in a variety of dance strategies throughout this activity, such as:


FLOCKING: One leader begins an action, and then the rest of the group follows shortly afterwards.

CALL AND RESPONSE: One leader calls out an action and the rest of the group members respond with a different action.

VERB CHAINS: Connecting each other's actions seamlessly. 

Overall, this dance activity made the life cycle of the butterfly exciting to learn and memorable through incorporating movement into our learning. This activity aligns with the following expectation below.

Grade 2: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SYSTEMS GROWTH AND CHANGES IN ANIMALS 

2. Developing Investigation and Communication Skills

2.4 observe and compare changes in the appearance and activity of animals as they go through a complete life cycle (e.g., frog, butterfly)

2.3 investigate the life cycle of a variety of animals (e.g., butterflies, frogs, chickens), using a variety of methods and resources (e.g., observation of live animals in the classroom and in the schoolyard; books, videos/DVDs, CD-ROMs, and/or the Internet) 

Grade 3: UNDERSTANDING LIFE SYSTEMS GROWTH AND CHANGES IN PLANTS

3. Understanding Basic Concepts

3.3 describe the changes that different plants undergo in their life cycles 

Following our lesson, I set out to explore more resources that demonstrate science and dance integration. Within the video below, second graders learn about the science of balance and motion while also exploring dance. Overall, this video summarizes the beauty of integrating science and dance and encourages students to learn with all their senses.



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