Drama & Dance

The group that presented today really stuck out to me and really showed an amazing way to incorporate social studies into dance. The group decided to incorporate grade 8 Social Studies (overall expectation B1 explores the application of global inequalities in quality of life and mostly B1.1 which calls on students to examine the interrelationships of factors that contribute to quality of life) with dance. They led us in a traditional dance from the Filipino culture that originated as a form of corporal punishment while the Phillipines were under Spanish Colonial rule. Modifications for students with Physical Exceptionalities include: ● partner or teacher can hold the hand or arm of the student while they complete the steps over the bamboo sticks ● speed and timing of the steps can be slowed down to a pace where the student feels most comfortable ● students who cannot physically jump or move quickly on their feet (wheelchair, crutches, etc.) can use props like hockey sticks or lac...

This week marks the second week of our foray into the world of teaching Drama. We started the class off with an activity that I thought was really fun, and something that I can see really engaging students in the classroom. The game was called Natural Phenomenon, and it was a spinoff of the classic game Musical Chairs. Melissa gave everyone in the class a name of a natural disaster, and when she called that natural disaster, everyone who was called had to get up and switch chairs; the person who was left without a chair had to call the next disaster. This activity really got the class engaged and I think it would have the same effect in an elementary classroom. You could do this activity with any subject, so I think it is definitely one worth documenting for future use. This week was also the first week that we had a group lead the class in a drama presentation. The group ran a few different activities that were all cross-curricular, focusing on Grade 8 drama and science (specificall...

Today was the first day of our Dance class. I am less comfortable with Dance than I am with Drama, however I still believe that    Dance is an important part of the Ontario Curriculum as  subjects such as Art, Drama, and Dance help to foster creativity in students and help to encourage different ways of thinking and learning in an academic setting. This week we focused on the 5 elements of dance from the curriculum, which are the fundamental components of dance.  The 5 Elements are:  - Body - The instrument of dance. The term body may also refer to the body’s position or shape (e.g., curved, straight, angular, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical); also, how the body is moving (e.g., using locomotor or non-locomotor movements). - Energy - The force with which the body moves (e.g., light, strong, sustained, sudden). - Relationship - The way in which two or more things are connected to or associated with one another (e.g., dancer to dancer, dancer to object, r...

Drama Week 1 Today was the first day of class in our Drama and Dance program. To be quite honest, I do not have much experience with drama or dance, and even less with teaching these subjects in class. However, growing up I loved participating in drama, and found the exercises fun and a refreshing break in the monotonous day of lessons. I believe that the Arts are a very important part of the Ontario Curriculum. I think that subjects such as Art, Drama, and Dance help to foster creativity in students and help to encourage different ways of thinking and learning in an academic setting. This is an excerpt taken from the Ontario Arts Curriculum: Participation in the arts and learning about the arts can also broaden students’ horizons in various ways. Through study of the arts, students learn about some of the diverse artistic practices, both traditional and contemporary, of a variety of cultures. They learn that they are part of a living and changing culture. They also l...