Reflection.
Although we are asked to do lesson plans following this method in my district, I have never truly created a unit plan following this format. I found that this model required more thinking and effective planning on my part to design a unit that of, what I would describe as true learning. I really like this model because of the"big idea" that the students are trying to attain.
I did run into some issues with this though at different points. I really struggled with stage 3 - the learning plan. I have to be honest that I have not thought about my lesson/units in that much detail in recent memory. I found my self thinking and pondering during the construction of this stage rather then writing.
Looking back at the unit plan I think that I have created an effective plan that will encourage learning of the bigger idea rather than the skill component that I have been used to planning for.
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I love the fact that you have kids doing movement and dance. The EQ is good as is the hook. I am a little unclear on the assessment. How will you tell (besides the dance performance) that students understand the key concepts that you want them to understand?
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest. This is a component that I have struggled with for some time. My desire is that the students will be able to conclude that the body reacts the same to dance as it does to other exercise. Most of the time this is done through a question and answer debriefing with the students (remember it is k-2). Also the dance performance, I would consider, similar to a test at the end of unit though in this case would not assess the "big idea"
ReplyDeleteI really like your overarching questions because I think it is important for kids to develop a greater understanding of their bodies and the importance of exercise.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Prof. B's question about another way to assess understanding of the key concepts...how about having the little guys create a poster showing all of the things they can do to be healthy...maybe the 2nd graders could create an advertisement for a gym or dance studio trying to persuade people to 'get healthy' including the benefits they learned through this unit? (Don't know if this is along the right track, just some ideas that came to mind...)
I really like the fact that you incorporated dance into your lesson. In my school district dance is not taught in physical education class. Since I teach music I try to incorporate dance into my curriculum. I even brought my dance instructor in to show the kids tango, rumba, and cha-cha then they learned the moves to Thriller by Michael Jackson.
ReplyDeleteKids really like to move and I think your lesson plan is fun and the students will be able to learn something at the same time.
As adults we might say he or she has a "dancer's body" and know exactly what that means, but it makes sense that children in second grade might not see dance as a form of exercise that might utilize virtually every part of the body. Great point! Also, the video mashup is a great way to get them excited about dance and its many forms. Perhaps it should include Baryshnikov and Michael Flatley, to name a few, and also fellow elementary school students who have studied and developed the craft. This will allow them to see that children as well as adults can practice and attain extraordinary levels of excellence. Very nicely done!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of using dance to illustrate how we use our bodies. I would like to know the actual music you use. Could be interesting to use different types, or even let the students create their own and turn them into routines they could perform for each other.
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