Dance Integration in the K-6 Classroom

Participants will gain a basic understanding of the integration and benefits of dance and movement activities in the elementary classroom. Exploration of three elements of dance (space, time, energy), selected kinesthetic principles, and basic choreography will help educators identify the ways in which dance practices and dance vocabulary can be integrated with other areas of the curriculum. Strategies and activities that integrate dance and movement with other content areas are offered and modeled. Using basic academic language of dance, participants will develop and practice skills in the aesthetic valuing of dance. A walk-through of the California Dance standards, the Common Core Standards, and cross-curricular standards is provided, along with a detailed guide for creating an arts integrated lesson plan. The module includes the “Dancing into Science” integrated lesson planning worksheet.