Beat Builders Slides Rhythm Rockstars
Day 1: Beat Builders
🎵 Music
🤝 Teamwork
✨ Creativity
Feel the Beat!
What is Rhythm?
It is the heartbeat of the music! It's what makes you want to clap your hands and tap your toes.
The Challenge
Can you find the steady beat? Let's try clapping along to some sounds!
🥁
Boom - Clap - Boom - Clap
The Sync Squads
Great dancers work together!
1
Listen
Hear everyone's ideas before you start moving.
2
Encourage
Say "Great job!" when a teammate tries a new move.
3
Include
Make sure every person has a special part in the dance.
Pick Your Anthem
Listen to these three options with your group!
Option A
"High Energy Happy"
Fast beat, great for big jumps and fast claps. Very energetic!
Option B
"Cool & Smooth"
Medium beat, great for sliding, spinning, and cool poses.
Option C
"Funky Sunshine"
Upbeat and bouncy, great for silly moves and big smiles.
Discuss: Which song makes your squad want to move the most?
Squad Selection Sheet Squad Selection
Rhythm Rockstars: Day 1
Our Squad Name
Squad Members
Pick Your Anthem!
Circle the song your squad likes the most. Talk about it first!
A
High Energy Happy
Fast beat! Great for jumping and clapping.
B
Cool & Smooth
Medium beat! Great for sliding and poses.
C
Funky Sunshine
Upbeat! Great for silly and bouncy moves.
Draw Your Squad!
Show what your dance group looks like together.
Day 1 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Day 1: Beat Builders
30 Minutes
Learning Goals
• Identify a steady rhythm in music.
• Practice active listening in a group.
• Collaboratively select a song.
Preparation
- Print 3 copies of "Squad Selection Sheet".
- Pre-load 3 song clips (Fast, Medium, Bouncy).
- Divide students into 3 groups beforehand.
Lesson Flow
5 min
Rhythm Warm-Up
Introduce the term Rhythm . Play a simple drum beat and have students clap along. Use the "Beat Builders" slides to visualize the beat.
"Rhythm is the heartbeat of music. Can we find the heartbeat together?"
5 min
Squad Formation
Announce the 3 squads. Explain that dancers must be "Rhythm Rockstars" who support each other. Review the 3 Squad Rules: Listen, Encourage, Include.
15 min
The Big Choice
Play 30-45 seconds of each song option. Squads move to their designated areas and discuss their favorite. They must reach a group consensus.
Song Suggestions:
Option A: Upbeat Pop (e.g., Kidz Bop "Happy")
Option B: Mid-tempo Groove (e.g., "Better When I'm Dancin'")
Option C: Funky/Silly (e.g., "The Hamster Dance" or Instrumental Funk)
5 min
Wrap Up
Squads hand in their selection sheets. Preview Day 2: "Move Makers" where we start building the dance!
Facilitation Tip
If a group is stuck between two songs, have them do a "30-second dance-off" to both. Whichever one feels more natural to move to is their winner!
Move Makers Slides Move Makers
Day 2: Building Your Dance
⬆️ Levels
🏃 Speed
🤝 Brainstorming
Use Your Space!
☁️
High
Reach for the sky! Jumps, high hands, and tip-toes.
🧍
Middle
The "Natural" zone. Stepping, spinning, and clapping.
🌱
Low
Get down! Crouching, knee slides, and ground touches.
The Yes! Rule
How to be a Great Choreographer
Try EVERYONE'S ideas at least once!
Ask: "What if we tried...?"
One team,
One dream!
Speed & Style
Make your dance interesting!
Fast & Fun
Quick claps, fast feet, and high energy. Match the beat!
Slow & Steady
Smooth arm waves, slow spins, and held poses. Contrast the beat!
Choreography Sketchpad Sheet Movement Sketchpad
Rhythm Rockstars: Day 2
Our Squad
Team Goal
Try EVERYONE'S ideas!
Pick Your Moves!
Which moves will your squad use? Circle your favorites!
☁️
Jumps
🖐️
High 5s
🌪️
Spins
👏
Claps
🌱
Squats
🛹
Slides
🎭
Poses
🛤️
Line Work
Our Dance Story
Start
Draw your starting pose!
The Big Move
Draw your group's favorite move!
The Finale
Draw your ending pose!
Day 2 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Day 2: Move Makers
30 Minutes
The Focus
Moving from song selection to movement creation . The goal is quantity of ideas over perfection.
KEY CONCEPT: Every squad member must contribute at least one move.
Key Vocabulary
Levels: High, Middle, Low.Speed: Fast or Slow moves.Pose: A frozen movement.
Day 2 Flow
5 min
Level Exploration
Use the "Move Makers" slides. Call out "High!", "Low!", or "Middle!" and have students strike a pose in that level. This gets their bodies ready to create.
10 min
The Yes! Rule
Explain that today we try everything. No one can say "no" to a move until they've tried it first. Squads use the "Movement Sketchpad" to circle 3-5 moves they want to try.
"If your teammate suggests a 'Dinosaur Dance,' the squad has to try it for 10 seconds before deciding if it fits!"
10 min
Build a 'Dance Story'
Squads work on the bottom of their Sketchpad. They need to decide: How do we start? What is our big middle move? How do we end?
Walk around and play their chosen songs at low volume so they can practice their specific beats.
5 min
Freeze Check
Each squad shows their "Starting Pose" to the class. Preview Day 3: Syncing up and perfecting the timing.
Managing Group Work
If a squad is arguing about moves, assign "Move Leaders." Person A leads the first 15 seconds, Person B leads the next 15 seconds. This ensures everyone's creativity is heard.
Move Menu Worksheet Rockstar Move Menu
Pick your squad's signature moves!
High Levels
🚀 Big Jumps
🖐️ High Fives
✨ Sky Reach
Mid Levels
🌪️ Disco Spin
👏 Rhythm Clap
🕺 Side Step
Low Levels
🛹 Knee Slide
🐸 Frog Hop
🧘 Floor Freeze
Fast & Fun
Great for energy!
Quick Claps
Fast Feet
Shaking It
Running Man
Cool & Smooth
Great for style!
Slow Wave
Gliding Step
Hero Pose
Moonwalk
Special Team Skills
🤝
The Link-Up
🔄
The Swap
📸
The Group Freeze
Circle 5 moves your squad loves!
Sync Squads Slides Sync Squads
Day 3: Practicing Together
🔄 Transitions
⏱️ Timing
💪 Power of We
The Sync Meter
What does "Sync" mean?
It means moving as ONE . When the beat hits, the whole squad moves together!
How to Sync:
Watch your squad leader.
Listen for the loud beats.
Practice until it feels like magic!
Sync Meter
Almost there! Keep practicing those transitions.
The "In-Between"
Transitions are the glue of your dance.
The Travel
Walking, skipping, or sliding to a new spot.
The Swap
Switching places with a partner in the squad.
The Spin
Turning around to face a new direction.
Ready for Showtime?
Tomorrow is the Groove Gala!
Final Goal:
Practice your full dance 3 times without stopping!
Squad Polish Checklist Sync Squad Checklist
Are you ready for the Groove Gala?
The Start
Does everyone know their starting pose? Are we frozen like statues?
🗿
The Beat
Can we clap at the same time as the music? Are we listening?
🥁
The Transitions
Do we know how to get from the beginning to the middle moves?
🔄
The Finale
Do we have a big, exciting ending pose? Are we holding it?
⭐
The Triple Play Challenge
Can your squad do the whole dance 3 times in a row?
1
2
3
Day 3 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Day 3: Sync Squads
30 Minutes
The Goal
Focus on synchronization and timing . Today is about practicing until the squad moves as one unit.
TIP: Use "Visual Cues" (clapping loud, counting 1-2-3-4) to help squads stay together.
Teamwork Tip
If someone forgets a move, the squad stops and helps them! "We all win together."
Day 3 Flow
5 min
Mirror Mode
Have students pair up. One student moves slowly, and the other must mirror them exactly. This builds the focus needed for synchronization.
5 min
Sync Slides
Show the "Sync Squads" slides. Introduce the "Sync Meter". Ask: "How do we move as ONE?" (Watching the leader, listening for the heavy beat).
15 min
The Triple Play
Hand out the "Squad Polish Checklist". Squads must work through the four phases. Their goal is the "Triple Play Challenge": doing the full routine 3 times without making a major mistake.
Teacher's Role:
Float between groups. Give high-fives for squads that are looking at each other while they dance.
5 min
Ready for the Gala
Squads clean up their rehearsal space. Remind them: Tomorrow is the performance! Wear something comfortable (or squad-colored) to move in.
Groove Gala Slides Groove Gala
SHOWTIME!
The Best Audience
🤫
Eyes on the performers.
👂
Listen to their music.
👏
CHEER BIG AT THE END!
READY?
The Lineup
Today's Performance Schedule
Act 1
Squad 1
Act 2
Squad 2
Act 3
Squad 3
You Are All Rebels!
Great teamwork is the best move of all. Thank you for dancing with us!
⭐ Awesome Music
⭐ Epic Teamwork
Peer Praise Cards Peer Praise Cards
Spread the Groove!
Teachers: Cut these cards out and give one set to each squad. They will write or draw a compliment for the other two squads!
To:
Your best move was:
Draw it here!
From:
To:
You were great at:
Syncing / Smiling / Creativity
From:
To:
Our favorite part:
Write or draw here
From:
Our Squad reflection:
How did we work as a team?
😞
😐
😊
We are proud of our dance!
One thing we did well...
Day 4 Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Day 4: Groove Gala
30 Minutes
The Main Goal
Celebration of effort and collaboration. Perfection is NOT the goal; participation and peer support are.
Success Criteria
• Group performed together.
• Clear start and end pose.
• Evidence of 2+ levels (High/Mid/Low).
• Audience was respectful.
Showday Flow
5 min
Audience Prep
Review the "Best Audience" slides. Practice a "Polite Clap" and a "Big Cheer". Assign the performance order for the 3 squads.
15 min
The Gala
Squads perform one by one. Encourage the audience to cheer for specific parts (e.g., "Wow, look at that high jump!").
Teacher Tip:
Keep the energy high! If a squad gets nervous, dance along with them in the back to help them keep the beat.
10 min
Peer Praise & Reflection
Give each squad two "Peer Praise Cards". They work together to draw or write a compliment for the other squads. Once finished, they exchange the cards.
Closing Thought
Ask the class: "What was harder, the dance moves or working as a team?" Discuss how supporting each other made the dance better. Finish with a final whole-class "Freestyle Dance" to one of the chosen songs.
