PE Unit: Dance

Specific Topics: Coordination and Rhythmic Skills

By Mandy Montoya and Esmeralda Serrano

Grade Level: 1st Grade

CA P.E Standards:

● 1.1 Demonstrate an awareness of personal space, general space, and boundaries while moving in different

directions and at high, medium, and low levels in space

● 1.3 Change speeds in response to tempos, rhythms, and signals while traveling in straight, curved, and

zigzag pathways, using the following locomotor movements: walking, running, leaping, hopping, jumping,

galloping, sliding, and skipping.

● Rhythmic Skills: 1.22 Create or imitate movement in response to rhythms and music.

● Flexibility: 3.6 Stretch arms, shoulders, back, and legs without hyperflexing or hyperextending the joints.

Unit Plan:

● What is your big idea? Students will develop an understanding of rhythm and coordination for dance

movement.

● Learning goals: What are three your team has for this unit?

1) Students will be able to master the 7 dance moves taught during this unit.
 2) Students will be able to create their own 30-second dance routine using at least 3 of the dance

moves taught earlier in the unit.

3) Students will be able to perform the dance routine they created to the class, demonstrating their

coordination and mastery of the steps.

● Essential question: How can I move my body in different ways to create coordinated movements?

Assessments:

● Develop 2 formative assessments that you will use at two different points in the unit to determine if the

students are mastering your learning goals:

1) Students will be able to demonstrate the dance steps by themselves without having the teacher

model at the front of the class.

2) Students will create their own 30-second dance routine in groups of 3, record it, and submit it to the

teacher with the help of their parents/family members.

● Develop 1 summative assessment at the end to assess final mastery levels for your unit:

1) Students will perform the dance routine they have created (either in centers or all together) utilizing

at least 3 of the dance steps we have learned in class.

Unit Plan:

● For each day, identify the specific skill that you will teach your students for that day. Your goal is to

scaffold the learning each day in a way that ensures the students will have mastered your unit learning

goals by the end of the four weeks.

sentences per day is necessary).

● Make sure to honor the “Do’s and Don’ts” for PE!

PE Unit
Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1: Day 1: Introduction to basic Day 2: Enhance spatial awareness Day 3: Introducing flexible exercises.
Introduction movements and coordination and body control. Activity:
to Movement exercises. Activity: ● Warm-up: yoga-inspired
and
Activity: ● Warm-up: stretches for kids (cat-cow,
Coordination.
● Warm-up: simple Follow-the-leader game to mountain pose). This will be
stretching exercise mimic movement around a great way to encourage
(touching toes, arms the room. students to bend their bodies
circles, lunges). We will ● Spatial awareness: Dance and build on their flexibility.
begin with gathering in a with ribbons, exploring The more complex poses can
circle and the teacher will different pathways and be easily adjusted to more
lead the stretching. levels (high, low, wide, simplistic versions if a
Students will follow along narrow). This will also student needs the
making sure they are allow students to move accommodation.
properly stretching, their bodies around. ● Flexibility games: A game of
which will be modeled by ● Creative movement: limbo. We will have students
the instructor. Encouraging students to take turns holding the limbo
● Coordination games: create their dance moves stick, and students will try
Simon says with in small groups, with their their best to get as low as
movement commands ( ribbons. they can.
jump, spin, hop). This will ● Dance Routine: We will begin
also support their teaching our choreographed
listening skills, along with dance by introducing two of
the seven steps. Students will
 building on their add these steps to their
coordination. repertoire of moves for the
● Dance Exploration: free final project.
movement to music,
encouraging kids to
express themselves
through dance.

Week 2: Day 1: Introduce rhythm Day 2: Enhancing coordination Day 3: Combine flexibility,
Exploring through music and movement. through patterned movements. coordination, and rhythm in dance.
Rhythms Activity: Activity: Activity:
and ● Warm-up: clapping and ● Warm-up: Simon Says with ● Warm-up: Dynamic
Patterns. stomping at different complex movement stretching incorporating
beats. We will teach 3 patterns (e.g., clap, jump, rhythmic movements.
specific rhythm patterns spin). Just as we have ● Dance Games: Freeze dance
to the class and get them done in week 1, we will where students must freeze
comfortable with it by continue on this warmup in flexible positions. We will
having the class repeat but increase the difficulty. play music, and students
them all. ● Pattern Dance: Teach a must do their best dance
● Rhythm exploration: We short dance routine with moves. When we stop the
will play music with specific patterns music, they must freeze.
various rhythms and (repeating movements in ● Dance Routine: Review and
beats and have students sequences). practice the finished dance a
choose which rhythm ● Creative Pattern: few times. Assessment 1-
pattern matches the best. Encourage children to Have the entire class perform
We will propose two create their patterned the dance without the
patterns and assign them dance sequence based on teacher as a model. Then,
to different sides of the what they learned from split the class into two
room. Students will go to our guided pattern dance, groups and have the groups
which side they agree and using similar perform one at a time.
movements.
 with and do the rhythm ● Dance Routine: Review the
pattern where they are. 4 steps that we know so
● Dance Routine: We will far. Refine and practice the
review and build on our routine taught in previous
choreographed dance sessions. Introduce the
from week 1. Teach the last 3 moves of the dance.
next 2 steps. Students Run through the whole
now know 4/7 steps. dance multiple times.

Week 3 Day 1: Enhance spatial Day 2: Create movement in Day 3: Moving in different
awareness at different speeds. response to music. directions in different levels of
Activity: Activity: space.
● Warm-up: students will ● Warm-up: Stretching in a Activity:
circle up and each circle. We will play a round ● Warm-up: Put on music and
student will have a of Simon Says after with have students mimic the
chance to lead a complex movement exercises that the teacher
stretch/exercise of their patterns. does across the room,
choice for the class, ● Boosting creativity: Watch moving back and forth. After
moving clockwise until an inspiring video of this, do some brief stretching
everyone has gone. amazing dance routines to get ready for the day.
● Speed it up: Students will performed by kids. Then ● Level up: Divide students into
learn a step (ie. chasse, play a game of freeze 3 groups. Group one will
skip, turn), and do it in dance with ribbons to get sidestep around the room on
groups of 4 across the the creative juices flowing. their tippy toes with their
floor. The speed will be ● Student Choreography: Do arms stretched up. Group
bumped up, and students a quick review of the 7 two will spin around the
will do the same thing dance moves we have room with their arms held
again but faster. Repeat learned. Give students a out. Group three will be
at 3 levels of speed. lot of time to workshop doing the crab walk around
● Student Choreography: with their partners and the room. The goal is to
Split students into groups pick the music they would make it from one side of the
 of 3 and explain that each like to dance to. Check on room to the other without
group is going to create a each group to see the touching anyone.
30-second dance of their progress and help where ● Student Choreography: Give
own that includes at least needed. students more time to
3 of the dance moves we choreograph their dances.
have learned in class. Help students choreograph
They will have until Friday to the music and stay on
to record and submit as a beat.
group.
Week 4 Day 1: Use body movements and Day 2: Dance to various tempos Day 3: Creating movement in
different techniques to express and incorporate rhythm into response to music and performing
emotion. movement. for an audience.
Activity: Activity: Activity:
● Warm-up: A calming yoga ● Warm-up: Jazzercise! Lead ● Warm-up: Just Dance. We
warm-up. Have students students in an upbeat will project the dance moves
practice intentional dance exercise with fun on the screen and students
breathing and deep music. will all play at the same time.
stretching. ● Dance with hula: Each We will dance to a few songs,
● Emoji Dance: Give each student will receive a hula including ones with partners
student a different emoji hoop. We will play upbeat so students can practice
card. Play music and have music and students will be spatial awareness.
students dance instructed to move the ● Student Performance:
expressing that particular hula around their waist Assessment 3- Students will
emotion. Give ideas on with the beat of the music. take turns performing and
how sad emotions might This can help students being the audience for each
be displayed by slower, move their bodies in new other. We will celebrate and
longer, and lower ways and fosters agility in have a dance party after
movements… etc. their body movements. It everyone has performed!
● Student choreography: can be modified by
Assessment 2- Have allowing students to swing
students finish up their
dances with their the hula on their arms if
partners, record, and they are uncomfortable.
submit them. ● Contagious Dancing:
Students stand in a circle
with music playing in the
background. One student
will start doing a dance
move for a few beats, then
pass it off to the person
next to them. The person
next to them must mimic
their dance move, then
add their own. This
continues all the way
around the circle.