Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Dances: World

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 7 minutes)

The Objectives stage is essential to establish a clear foundation of what is expected to be achieved with the class. By defining objectives, the teacher guides both their preparation and the students' focus, ensuring that everyone is aligned with the desired learning outcomes. In this specific case, the focus is on presenting dance as a form of universal cultural expression, allowing students to understand and appreciate cultural diversity through artistic movement.

Main Objectives:

1. Present and explore various dances from around the world, highlighting their cultural and expressive importance.

2. Develop students' ability to analyze and compare different dance styles, identifying common and distinctive elements.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage students' active participation in identifying dances from their own culture or others that interest them, promoting intercultural dialogue.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The Introduction serves to engage students with the theme of the lesson, using problem-based situations to activate prior knowledge and spark curiosity. Additionally, the contextualization aims to connect theory to practice, demonstrating the relevance of dances in daily life and history, thus increasing students' interest and understanding of the cultural importance of dance.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are participating in a cultural exchange and need to present a typical dance from Brazil to foreign students. What elements of this dance do you think would be most challenging for them to understand without cultural context?

2. Think of a dance you have seen in a movie or during a trip. How could the movements of this dance represent its culture of origin? Discuss with a colleague and try to identify which elements are unique and which could be found in other dances around the world.

Contextualization

Dances around the world are not just entertainment; they are deep expressions of the cultures that created them. For example, the Haka, a Maori dance from New Zealand, is not just a performance but a form of communication, showcasing the pride and identity of the Maori people. These dances reflect customs, beliefs, and even historical events, such as Flamenco, which originated in Andalusia, Spain, carrying the weight of the history of persecution and resistance of the Romani people. Understanding these dances helps in better comprehending the history and cultural diversity of the world.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to apply and deepen their prior knowledge acquired about dances from around the world. Through practical and interactive activities, students have the opportunity to explore dances in a deeper context, identifying cultural, historical, and expressive elements. This stage aims to consolidate learning through practice, encouraging collaboration, creativity, and intercultural dialogue.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Dance Around the World: A Cultural Journey

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore and present a traditional dance from a specific country, promoting understanding of the cultural and expressive importance of dances from around the world.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people, and each group will represent a traditional dance from a randomly chosen country. They should research the assigned dance, including its history, meaning, and choreography, and prepare a presentation for the class.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group chooses a country from a pre-selected list.

• Students research a traditional dance from that country, including its history, cultural significance, and choreography.

• Prepare a practical presentation of the dance, considering the space and resources available in the classroom.

• Present the dance to the class, explaining the elements learned during the research.

Activity 2 - Mixing Cultures: Creating a Hybrid Dance

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Encourage creativity and intercultural understanding, allowing students to explore the similarities and differences between dances from different cultures.

- Description: Students, in groups, will create a new dance that blends elements from two different cultures. The proposal is for them to choose two countries and, using characteristics from traditional dances of these nations, develop a choreography that reflects both cultural diversity and harmony.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Each group randomly selects two different countries.

• Research traditional dances from these countries, identifying movements, rhythms, and meanings.

• Develop a choreography that combines elements from the two chosen dances.

• Present the hybrid dance to the class, explaining the cultural elements present in the choreography.

Activity 3 - Dance Detectives: Unraveling the Mysteries of Movement

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop observation and research skills, as well as promote appreciation and understanding of dances from diverse cultures.

- Description: In this playful activity, students, organized in groups, will be challenged to 'investigate' an unknown dance. They will receive a short video of a traditional dance from a random country and must, based on observation and quick research, try to reproduce some of the movements and present them to the class.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute short videos of traditional dances from different countries to each group.

• Students observe the video, take important notes, and conduct quick research about the dance and its country of origin.

• Try to reproduce some movements from the observed dance.

• Present to the class what they discovered and attempted to reproduce, discussing the similarities and differences with the original dance.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback stage is to allow students to articulate and reflect on what they learned during the practical activities. The aim is for them to be able to verbalize the connections made between the various dance styles and the cultures they represent, as well as to evaluate the learning process and the challenges encountered. This discussion helps consolidate the acquired knowledge and develop critical skills in cultural analysis and synthesis.

Group Discussion

To initiate the group discussion, the teacher should ask each group to share their experiences in preparing and presenting the dances. Suggest they start by talking about the chosen country, what surprised them most during their research, and how they tried to incorporate the cultural elements into the choreography. Encourage students to discuss the similarities and differences between the presented dances and what this reveals about the involved cultures. Use questions such as 'What did you find most challenging when trying to incorporate the movements from the original dance?' and 'How do the movements you created reflect the cultures of the chosen countries?' to guide their reflection.

Key Questions

1. What elements of the dances you researched are common among different cultures and why?

2. How can dance be used to express cultural or historical values of a society?

3. What challenges did you face when trying to combine movements from dances of different cultures?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion is to consolidate learning by linking theoretical content with the practices carried out throughout the class. This moment allows students to reflect on the importance of dances as cultural and artistic expressions, reinforcing the appreciation of cultural diversity and the ability of each dance to tell the story and values of its people. Additionally, it highlights the relevance of interdisciplinarity, integrating knowledge from different areas for a more complete and holistic understanding.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the main points covered during the lesson, highlighting the dances presented, their origins, cultural meanings, and how students interpreted and applied them in their presentations. This synthesis moment is crucial to reinforce learning and ensure that students have absorbed the essential information about dances from around the world.

Theory Connection

Explain how today's lesson connected theory with practice, emphasizing how students were able to apply their prior knowledge about dances from different cultures in the practical execution of the choreographies. Highlight how the analysis of the dances helped to better understand the culture of each country and the importance of movement as a form of artistic and cultural expression.

Closing

Finally, emphasize the importance of studying dances as a tool for understanding and valuing cultural diversity. Explain how dances not only entertain but also communicate stories, traditions, and cultural sensibilities, promoting greater interaction and understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.