Lesson Overview
Patterns of the Universe
GRADES K-1 SCIENCE AND DANCE
Start by reading students the book Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me book by Eric Carle. During the reading, look at the different ways that the moon appears. Discuss if students have ever seen the moon look like these images.
Explain that the sun and moon move in the sky in a pattern. Share images of the moon as it rises and falls in the night sky, and images of the sun as it rises and fall in the daytime sky. Ask: have you ever noticed either the sun or the moon in one of these positions? Explore the words that go along with each of these positions: low, medium and high. Ask students to show each of these levels with their bodies in a frozen position. Share that in dance, dancers use their bodies in these same three levels to help communicate patterns and movement. Practice high, medium and low level movements.
Lesson Process:
Step 1: Create a landscape on the board. Ask students to draw what the sun or moon might look like in three stages: a) Rising; b) Mid-day or mid-night; c) Setting
Step 2: Ask students to get into groups of 3 and to put on their dancer shoes. As a group, select to create a movement dance as either the sun or the moon.
Step 3: Think about how you will show the pattern of the sun or moon using your bodies as dancers and different levels. If the sun is rising, what level will you be? If it is mid-day, what level will you be? If it is setting, what level will you be?
Step 4: Pair up a sun and a moon group and then have the group combine their dances to show the pattern between the sun and the moon. Perform for the class (who acts as the earth).
Time Required:
30-45 minutes
Materials List:
- Papa, Please get the Moon for Me book
- Board and chalk/markers
- Open space for movement
- Background music (optional)
Assessment:
Rating Scale.
3: Accurately identified and used high, medium and low levels in movement to document the rising and setting of the sun and moon.
2: Partially identified and used high, medium and low levels in movement to document the rising and setting of the sun and moon.
1: Did not identify and use high, medium and low levels in movement to document the rising and setting of the sun and moon.
