Planning From the Dance Curriculum Guide

The dance curriculum strongly encourages teachers to plan their dance programs in a series of connected lessons. The curriculum outlines three required units. Under each unit heading, the teacher can plan one long unit, or several shorter units. The suggested activities in each unit are organized under sub-headings related to dance. For example, a sub-heading for Unit One is "Students Creating for Personal Expression". If desired, unit themes can be selected by teachers and students based on a topic relevant to their own situation, the expertise of the teacher and the resources available.

Planning a Unit

Begin by planning three or four lessons in a sequence. Remember that lessons can include research, discussion, reflection, etc. as dance experiences. The following describes steps to consider when planning a unit:

Step One Study the overall plan for your grade. Become familiar with the Unit Overview and the foundational objectives. Step Two Select a focus or thematic context. Use suggested themes or topics, or select others of relevance to the students and community. Step Three Identify and develop appropriate learning objectives from the foundational objectives. Step Four Plan a sequence of lessons relating to the focus.Begin with three or four connected lessons (although a unit can go on much longer). Include Indian, M‚tis and Inuit content, where appropriate. Step Five Check to ensure that a variety of experiences has been included (discussing, researching, creating, looking at dances, learning dances, reflecting, etc.). In order that the student's own dance has meaning and reflects learning, the other experiences are essential. Most units should include experiences from all three components (creative/productive, cultural/historical and critical/responsive), although the emphasis will shift from unit to unit. Step Six Determine means of evaluating achievement of both foundational and other learning objectives.

The following pages provide a planning sheet that may be used for daily or unit planning and a list of various instructional strategies and assessment techniques to which teachers may refer.

The Adaptive Dimension, Gender Equity, Indian and Métis Content, and Resource-based Learning are initiatives which should be included when planning. The following information is also intended to assist teachers in their planning.

Common Essential Learnings Communication (C) Creative and Critical Thinking (CCT) Independent Learning (IL) Numeracy (N) Technological Literacy (TL) Personal and Social Values and Skills (PSVS) For objectives specific to the CELs see: Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice, Staff Development Program Binder, 1991, or the Bulletin Board System in the conference area Teacher Information and Support.

Instructional Strategies and Methods: For detailed information see Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice, 1991 Direct Instruction: Structured Overview Explicit Teaching Mastery Lecture Practice Compare and Contrast Didactic Questions Demonstrations Indirect Instruction: Problem-solving Case Studies Inquiry Reading for Meaning Reflective Discussion Concept Formation Concept Mapping Concept Attainment Independent Learning: Essays Computer Assisted Instruction Reports Learning Activity Package Learning Contracts Home Work Research Projects Assigned Questions Learning Centres Experiential Learning: Field Trips Experiments and Exploring Games Focused Imaging Field Observations Synectics Model Building Surveys Interactive Instruction: Debates Brainstorming Discussion Co-operative Learning Groups Problem-solving Circle of Knowledge Interviewing Responding Processes (see individual strands) Teacher in Role * Role * Parallel Play * Tableau * Improvisation * * Key Drama Strategies. See page 227 for a complete listing.

Assessment Techniques: For detailed information on many of these techniques see Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook, 1991. Methods of Organization: Individual Assessments Group Assessments Contracts Peer and Self-Assessments Portfolios Conference Audio and visual recordings Methods of Data Recording: Anecdotal Records Observation Checklists Rating Scales Ongoing Student Activities: Written Assignments Presentations (assessment of process and product) Performance Assessments (ongoing assessment of process and student participation) Homework Journal Writing Projects

Arts Education Planning Sheet

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Teacher Checklist for a Sequence of Lessons

Have you mapped out a sequence of lessons?

Have you included opportunities for the students to explore and expressthemselves through dance?

Have you included activities which develop the Common Essential Learnings objectives?

Have you included opportunities for the students to research ideas, topics, etc.?

Have you included opportunities for both individual and group work?

Have you included opportunities for students to reflect on their own work?

Have you included opportunities for looking at dances?

Have you considered all three components (creative/productive,cultural/historical and critical/responsive)?

Have you included Indian, Métis or Inuit content either specifically or as examples of general concepts?

Have you connected the sequence of lessons to things relevant to the students and their communities?

Have you included a variety of instructional resources?

Have you made plans to evaluate whether students have achieved the learning objectives, and how they are progressing toward achieving the foundational objectives?

Have you included gender-balanced instructional resources and approaches, and assessment techniques?

Have you adapted instructional methods and the learning environment toaccommodate all students' learning needs?