Utah Biomes

Last week I gave a lesson on 3 different biomes found in Utah (Forests, Deserts, and Wetlands). This lesson was given in a story style (that's what I like to call it at least). So in other words, I wrote out a script that taught the students about the 3 different biomes and their characteristics and had movement prompts that would have them physically experience what their learning while listening at the same time. I like this method of teaching since it keeps the kids moving the whole time but it also takes a lot of cooperation and listening from the students to make it go smoothly. 

Here is the script I read below...

Forest-

·         Filled with lots of trees. These trees help Utah be filled with fresh air as they turn carbon dioxide into oxygen we can healthfully breathe in.

o   Everyone take a nice big deep breath in and slowly blow it out and thank the tress

·         One tree found in Utah forests is called the Quaking Aspen Tree- these trees have tall and skinny trunks and their leaves quake at any slight winds

o   Stand tall and straight and quiver hands to represent the leaves

·         Within in the trees there are lots of animals. One animal found in Utah forest in the Red Fox. They’re nocturnal (usually active at night) and are great hunters

o   Number 1’s, do sneaking/ low movement around the trees. Find one tree to hide behind and jump out to the right to scare your prey (switch roles)

Desert-

•        Deserts are very dry and hot. The yearly rainfall is less than 10inches and it can get up to 117degrees in southern Utah. Aspen and pine trees found in Utah forests would never survive.

o   Start in a high tall aspen tree shape and slower melt and shrivel all the way to a very low shape on the ground. Once you find you low melted shape stay frozen.

•        Now, just because the deserts in Utah are very hot doesn’t mean there are no plants there. The plants that grow in the desert just have to adapt and change how they live. One common plant found in Utah deserts is a cactus.

o   Everyone pretend you are a cactus seed. Start to slowy move and grow bigger. As you grow bigger think of what a cactus looks like and show me in your movement. What shape does it have? Is it tall or short? Is it fat and round or long and skinny? What shapes do its arms have? Are they crooked or bent?

o   Next think about what grows on a cactus and show me in your movement. Cactus are often sharp and prickly to touch. Show me sharp and prickly movement. Cactus often have blossoms of flowers on their arms. Can you show me how a flower might bloom?

•        One animal that can be found in Utah desserts is a Jackrabbit

o   Everyone hop around the room on one leg.

o   Everyone freeze in a low shape. Number 2’s jump up high on the count of three and freeze in a high shape. Now number 1’s.

•        Jackrabbits don’t just live miserably in the heat, but they have found ways to adapt to the harsh weather. Their long ears are actually what keep them cool by containing lots of blood vessels where warms blood flows to in order to release the heat.

o   Everyone walk and find a new place in the room while releasing heat from your tall jackrabbit ears.

Wetland-

• Wetlands are lands inhabited with lots of water. This water usually comes from another source like a large river.
• Everyone start on this side of the room and let’s flood the wetland with water from the river by doing smooth, wavelike, and circling movement. Spread throughout the whole space and continue to do water like movement.
• We may often think swamps, mud flats, and other types of wetlands are dirty and useless but the plants and animals actually help keep wetlands clean and useful. Wetlands are most helpful during floods as the plants and animals slow down and absorb the speeds of the water. These same plants and animals also filter out any pollution in the water.
• Number 1’s, spread out and make a plant or animal shape in the middle of the room leaving small spaces in between for the water to come through.
• Number 2’s, we will be the flood water and start on this side of the room. We will do that same water like movement but start fast and naturally get slower as we have to navigate and be filtered through by the plants and animals (switch roles)

After we danced all 3 biomes we then created our very own biome that included characteristics, animals, and plants from all 3 of the biomes we learned about. I split the class into 3 groups, each representing 1 of the biomes. Each group was to create a way to enter into the space using the movement quality of an animal that lives in their biome while using the floor pattern they were assigned then spreading out in the space to freeze in a shape that resembled the characteristics of one of the animals that lives in their biomes. Each group entered in 1 at a times until all 3 biomes where represented in the space. Then they all danced  together showing their differences based on the biome they represented. 

This lesson was lots of fun and really helped the students to identify each biomes distinct and individualized characteristics and inhabitants. 

Dinosaur Tracks and Floor Patterns

Today we learned about dinosaur tracks through dance! We discussed quickly about how they were formed and preserved then learned about 4 different dinosaurs and what their tracks might have looked like. Each dinosaur was very different in how they moved and lived so we showed that through dancing different movement qualities.
Brontosaurus- Slow, Big, Heavy, Bound, Walk, Strong 
Allosaurus- Fast, Sharp, Slash, Jab, Run
Ceratopsian (Triceratops) - Tetrahedron (3 body parts touching the ground), Slow, Stomp, Pushing
Pterosaur (Pterodactyls)- Fast, Smooth, Glide, Light, Jab, Stretching, Free

We then discussed that paleontologist often found a series of dinosaur tracks and would have to determine what the dinosaurs were doing based off the pathways the dinosaurs took. We then explored 3 different pathways we can use in dance (staight, curved, and zig zag). 

Lastly, the class was split into 4 groups, each representing a different dinosaur. They then had to creates their own dance using the 3 different floor patterns while still showing their dinosaurs unique way of moving.

Here's a link to the lesson plan...

Teaching how Movement Qualities can portray different Personalities

Today we learned the 8 basic locomotor steps and 4 different movement qualities (sharp, smooth, heavy, and light). We compared those qualities to different personalities and how they could be portrayed through movement. Each student decided which movement quality matched best with their personality and then made their own signature dance move using that quality. Lastly, they got into groups of 4-5 and taught everyone each of their dance moves then put them into a specific order. They performed each of their dances for the class to show how different personalities can work together to make something great.



This was a great first lesson to help get the students familiar with basic movement and to help them realize that it's okay to move differently and make the movement their own to show their individual creativity and personalities.

Here's a video that better explains the 8 locomotor steps we learned. 

 

Here's a link to the lesson plan...

http://chandlerartsbridge.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html