Body Beats Teacher Guide K-2 Performing Arts Day 1 of 5 • 45-50 Min
What Is Dance? Teacher Guide
Unit: World of Dance Standard: DA:Cr1.1 / DA:Pr4.1
Big Question
How do our bodies talk, feel, and tell stories without using words?
Dance = purposeful expressive movement!
Learning Goals (Students Will)
Identify: Define dance as moving bodies to express feelings, rhythms, and stories.Explore Space & Energy: Move across 3 levels (High, Medium, Low) and textures (Sharp vs. Smooth).Self-Regulation: Freeze cleanly on auditory cues and maintain personal space bubbles.
Space Safety "Dance Bubble": Have every child stretch arms wide and spin slowly without touching neighbors.
Prep: Open floor + speaker & shaker
1
Warm-Up: The Magic Wake-Up & Statue Freeze
10 Min
Teacher Script / Prompt:
"Wiggle toes! Roll shoulders like gentle waves. When my drum strikes BAM, freeze like an icy statue!"
Pedagogical Purpose:
Activates spatial awareness, checks auditory listening, and reinforces the core rule that stopping on cue keeps everyone safe.
2
Movement Lab: Levels & Energy Qualities
15 Min
Level 1: High Sky
Tiptoe reach, floating like clouds, giraffe necks, reaching for stars.
Level 2: Middle Earth
Marching knees, side-to-side swings, bird wing flaps, playful strolls.
Level 3: Low Ground
Squatting frogs, crawling turtles, slithering snakes, low rolls.
Energy Contrast: Switch between Robot Movements (sharp, popping) and Spaghetti Movements (smooth, fluid, melting).
Joyful Dancers Curriculum • What is Dance? Page 1 of 2 • Continue to Facilitation & Playlist
Part 2: Story, Playlist & Assessment
K-2 Facilitation
3
Story Dance: Seed to Bloom
Guide narrative movement: Low seed curled on floor → fingers tapping like gentle rain → sprouting stem rises → high blooming petals sway in the sunshine!
4
Freeze Dance Game
Play upbeat music. Call cues: "Dance at Low Level!" or "Robot moves!" When music abruptly cuts off, hold frozen statue for 5 counts.
Curated Music Playlist & Rhythm Tips
Teacher Audio Toolkit
Use mostly instrumental tracks so lyrics don't compete with teacher movement cues. Mix varied tempos:
Slow / Adagio (60-80 BPM)
Use for: Floating, smooth spaghetti, seed growth, breathing.
• Harp, acoustic guitar, ambient cello
Moderate / Andante (90-110 BPM)
Use for: Marching, walking pathways, animal strolls.
• Bossa nova, marimba, light swing
Upbeat / Allegro (120-135 BPM)
Use for: Freeze dance, bouncy jumps, sharp robot moves.
• West African drums, big band brass
Classroom Management Tip: Never shout over music. Lower volume to 20% before speaking, then cut to 0% for freeze. Volume = Control
Cool-Down (Balloon Breathing): Inhale inflating arms like hot air balloons, exhale floating hands down to lap.
5 Min
Grade Differentiation
K: Focus on gross motor imitation and stopping on cue. 1-2: Combine levels with speed (e.g., low + fast crawl).
Inclusive Accommodations
Seated Dancers: Express levels with arms, torso, and facial gestures. Provide floor spot markers for sensory comfort.
Observational Assessment (Quick Look)
Mark during Freeze Dance
Maintains dance bubble
Shows High, Mid, Low
Freezes on sound cue
Joyful Dancers Curriculum • What is Dance? Page 2 of 2 • Teacher Guide & Toolkit Complete
Move and Groove Slides K-2 Creative Movement
Lesson 1 • Joyful Dancers
What Is Dance?
Moving our bodies, feeling the rhythm, and telling stories without saying a single word!
Feelings
Energy
Space
Cultures
?
What Is Dance?
Our Big Idea
“Dance is moving your body on purpose to share a feeling, a rhythm, or a story!”
Our Body Moves
Arms reach, knees bend, feet tap, and heads nod!
Our Heart Feels
We can show happy bounces, calm floats, or brave leaps!
We Tell Stories
We can grow like plants or swirl like gentle snowflakes!
Explore Space: 3 Levels!
Where does your body move?
Level 1
High Level
Reach up to the clouds! Tiptoe tall like a giraffe reaching for leaves.
Try it: Stretch to the ceiling!
Level 2
Medium Level
Normal standing height! March proudly, twist hips, and swing your arms.
Try it: March and sway!
Level 3
Low Level
Crouch down low! Hop softly like a frog or crawl close to the floor.
Try it: Crouch and crouch!
Energy: How Does It Feel?
Movement Qualities
Like a Robot
Sharp Movements
Crisp, quick, and snappy! Sudden stops with straight arms, popping elbows, and clicking movements.
Quick Challenge: 3 robot chops!
Like Water
Smooth Movements
Gentle, continuous, and floating! Soft melting moves like cooked spaghetti or a sailboat gliding on a lake.
Quick Challenge: Melt like butter!
Dancing Our Feelings!
Express Yourself
Joyful
Bouncy skips, light jumping, and arms opened wide to the sky!
Calm
Slow gentle swaying, quiet footsteps, and soft breathing.
Excited
Fast spinning, joyful clapping, and quick high knee taps!
Strong
Firm stomps, superhero stance, and muscular still poses.
Can you guess what your friend is feeling just by watching their dance?
Dances Around the World!
Global Traditions
🥁 West Africa
Kuku & Djembe
Big stomps, chest rolls, and leaping high to the galloping beat of wooden drums!
My Dance Story Activity My Dance Story
What is Dance? • Movement Activity Sheet
Name:
Date:
1
Draw Your Favorite Freeze Shape!
Was your shape High, Middle, or Low?
Draw yourself holding your coolest dance freeze or statue pose inside the box below.
Level: High Middle Low
2
Trace the Dance Floor Pathways!
Dancers travel through space in different lines. Trace each path with your finger or pencil:
Straight Line
March like a soldier
Zigzag Line
Dart like lightning
Curvy Wave
Glide like water
3
How Does Dancing Make You Feel?
Circle all the words that match your dance feeling:
🌟 Happy
⚡ Energetic
🍃 Calm
🦁 Brave
Complete the sentence:
When I dance, I feel like a !
4
Create a 3-Step Dance Combo!
Invent your own mini-dance with a partner. Pick one action for each step:
Step 1: Beginning
Example: High reach, wiggle
Step 2: Middle
Example: Spin, march, tip-toe
Step 3: Ending
Example: Low freeze, bow, statue
Joyful Dancers • What is Dance? Activity Sheet Keep moving, grooving, and smiling!
Dance Explorer Cue Cards Dance Explorer Cue Cards
Cut along dotted lines for movement games, stations, or freeze dance prompts
8 Prompt Cards + Exit Slip
Level: High
High Cloud Reach
Tiptoe as tall as a giraffe! Reach both hands all the way toward the sky clouds.
Level: Low
Low Frog Croucher
Squat close to the floor! Slither like a friendly garden snake or hop softly.
Energy: Sharp
Snappy Robot Pop
Move with crisp, straight elbows and stiff mechanical steps. Pop and pause!
Energy: Smooth
Ocean Wave Glide
Melt and glide like warm water or a ribbon blowing gently in a warm breeze.
Emotion: Joyful
Bouncy Firework
Spring off your heels! Light hops, open happy arms, and a giant cheerful smile!
Emotion: Calm
Floating Feather
Drift softly without making a sound. Gentle swaying from side to side.
Space: Pathway
Zigzag Dart
Step diagonally left, then diagonally right! Create sharp lightning on the floor.
Rule: Freeze
The Ice Statue
Lock your knees, arms, and head! No wiggling, giggling, or blinking for 5 counts.
Cut here for Exit Slip
★
Dancer Check-In Exit Ticket
Name:
1. I stayed safely inside my dance bubble:
😊 Yes! 🤔 Practicing
2. I tried High, Middle, and Low levels:
😊 Yes! 🤔 Practicing
3. I froze like a statue when the music stopped:
😊 Yes! 🤔 Practicing
Joyful Dancers • Movement Prompt Cards & Reflection Slip Printable Station & Circle Resource
Space Explorers Lesson Plan Day 2 • Space & Shapes 45 Minutes
Space Explorers Lesson Plan
Sequence: World of Dance Standard: DA:Pr4.1.K-2
Big Question
How can dancers share room safely while creating interesting geometric shapes?
Day 2 Objectives
Distinguish between Self-Space (personal bubble) and General Space (room).
Travel across floor in 3 pathways: Straight , Curved , and Zigzag .
Sculpt body into Wide , Narrow , and Twisted frozen shapes.
1
Warm-Up: The Giant Soap Bubble (10 Min)
10 Min
Students stand in place. Guide them to imagine blowing a shiny soap bubble around themselves. Stretch arms to explore front, back, above, and below boundaries.
Rule: If you brush another dancer's bubble, both bubbles "pop" and you must both gently rebuild them!
2
Shape Sculpting Museum (15 Min)
15 Min
Call out shape qualities while students strike still poses like museum statues:
Wide Shape
Arms and legs spread wide like a star or eagle soaring.
Narrow Shape
Legs zipped tight, arms pressed close like a pencil.
Twisted Shape
Torso swiveled, limbs braided like a crunchy pretzel.
3
Pathway Navigation Game (15 Min)
15 Min
Dancers travel through general space following floor tape lines or cones:
1. Straight = March forward like ants 2. Curved = Glide like a sailboat 3. Zigzag = Skate like hockey players
Cool-Down (5 Min): Sit in circle, trace silent pathways in the air with index fingers while taking deep calming breaths.
Day 2 Complete
World of Dance • Day 2: Space & Shapes Lesson Plan Unit Sequence Page
Space Pathways Activity Sheet Space Pathways Explorer
Day 2 • Personal Space & Floor Pathways
Name:
Date:
1
Name That Body Shape!
Look at each dancer pose below. Draw a line from the word to the matching picture:
⭐
Wide Star
Arms & legs stretched far!
✏️
Narrow Pencil
Tall, straight, and tight!
🥨
Twisted Pretzel
Crossed arms and legs!
2
Design Your Secret Dance Pathway!
Draw a pathway line from START to STAGE FINISH . Make sure your path goes around the obstacles without bumping into them!
START
Obstacle: Cone 🟧 Obstacle: Hoop ⭕
FINISH
🟧
⭕
🟧
(Draw your lines here: Straight, Zigzag, or Curvy!)
3
Draw Your Favorite Body Shape Pose
Draw yourself inside your personal dance bubble making your favorite shape:
My Shape is: _______________
World of Dance • Day 2 Activity Sheet Explore, move, and travel safely!
Beat Bounce Facilitation Guide Day 3 • Rhythm & Energy 45 Minutes
Beat Bounce Teacher Guide
Sequence: World of Dance Standard: DA:Pr4.1.b
Big Question
How does the speed and power of music change how our bodies move?
Day 3 Objectives
Match body speed to musical tempos (Allegro fast, Andante moderate, Largo slow).
Demonstrate sudden/sharp energy vs. sustained/smooth energy qualities.
Clap and step to steady 4-count rhythmic patterns without rushing.
1
Warm-Up: Heartbeat Clap & Stomp (10 Min)
10 Min
Have students place hands on chest to feel their heartbeat pulse. Introduce the steady beat: "Thump-thump, thump-thump." Practice clapping to a drumbeat, then transferring the pulse to marching feet in place.
2
Tempo Explorers: Animal Safaris (15 Min)
15 Min
Fast Tempo (Allegro)
Cheetah gallop, fluttering hummingbird wings, tapping raindrop toes.
Track tempo: 120-130 BPM
Slow Tempo (Largo)
Gentle giant tortoise step, floating deep sea jellyfish, drifting fog.
Track tempo: 65-75 BPM
3
Energy Game: Popcorn vs. Warm Honey (15 Min)
15 Min
Call out contrasting textures for students to physically embody across the room:
Popcorn (Sharp Energy): Explosive sudden pops, quick jumps, snappy elbows, crisp pauses.
Warm Honey (Smooth Energy): Thick, slow-motion gliding, unending liquid turns, melting to floor.
Sound Cue Trick: Use a woodblock or hand drum for sharp accents, and a Tibetan singing bowl or rainstick for smooth glides.
World of Dance • Day 3: Rhythm & Energy Guide Unit Sequence Page
Sound and Motion Worksheet Sound & Motion Match
Day 3 • Fast, Slow, Sharp, and Smooth!
Name:
Date:
1
Fast Tempo or Slow Tempo?
Look at each animal friend. Circle whether they dance to a Fast Beat or a Slow Beat :
🐆
Cheetah Sprint Dashing across grass
⚡ Fast 🐢 Slow
🐌
Garden Snail Gliding along leaves
⚡ Fast 🐢 Slow
🐦
Hummingbird Fluttering wings
⚡ Fast 🐢 Slow
🐢
Giant Tortoise Heavy calm steps
⚡ Fast 🐢 Slow
2
Energy Texture: Sharp or Smooth?
Draw a line connecting the action to its energy quality:
Sharp & Snappy
Popping corn, karate chop, ticking clock, robot arm clicks
Smooth & Floating
Melting ice cream, drifting cloud, warm honey dripping, ocean wave
3
Create a 4-Beat Rhythm Pattern!
Draw or write an action inside each beat box (Clap 👏, Stomp 👟, Snap 🫰, or Shhh 🤫):
Beat 1
Beat 2
Beat 3
Beat 4
World of Dance • Day 3 Activity Sheet Feel the pulse in your feet!
Global Grooves Slides Day 4 • World Dance Tour
World of Dance Unit
Global Grooves!
Pack your dancing shoes! We are traveling across the Earth to discover how communities dance, celebrate, and tell stories!
🥁
West Africa
💃
Mexico
🌺
Hawaii
✨
India
🥁
West African Drum Dance
Guinea & Senegal
Movement Secret
Dancing with the Djembe!
Dancers bend their knees deeply toward the earth. When the drum beats fast, arms open wide and feet leap high in celebration of nature and community!
Knees bent low • Chest proud • Big ground stomps!
Try the Move!
1. Bend knees into a strong low stance.
2. Tap your right foot: Stomp, stomp!
3. Swing arms open like giant flying wings!
Listen to the drumbeat: Stomp-Stomp-Leap!
In West Africa, the drummer and dancer talk to each other through sound and motion!
💃
Mexico: Ballet Folklórico
Fiesta Traditions
Movement Secret
Swirling Skirts & Heel Taps!
Dancers wear giant skirts in rainbow colors that swirl like fluttering butterfly wings while their heels tap sharp musical rhythms on wooden floors!
Zapateado = Rhythmic shoe tapping!
Try the Move!
1. Hold imaginary giant skirt edges with your hands.
2. Swirl your arms in figure-8 waves side to side.
3. Tap heels: Heel-Toe, Heel-Toe, Turn!
Swirl like a blooming flower in the wind!
Ballet Folklórico brings colorful regional stories and fiesta pride to life!
🌺
Hawaii: Hula Storytelling
Pacific Islands
Movement Secret
Hands That Tell Legends
In Hula, every single hand gesture is a word! Graceful hand motions tell about ocean waves, raindrops, soaring birds, rainbow skies, and love for nature.
Hula connects dancers to the earth and ocean!
Try 3 Hula Hand Words!
Ocean Wave: Hands glide in smooth gentle ripples.
Falling Rain: Flutter fingers gently downward.
Shining Sun: Curve arms above your head in a circle.
Gentle hips swaying with soft hand waves!
Dancers use soft flowing energy to share history and honor ancestors!
World Dance Passport My World Dance Passport
Day 4 • Global Grooves & Cultural Traditions
Dancer Name:
Date:
Passport Mission: As you explore each world dance station, color your country stamp and practice its special movement!
Station 1: West Africa 🥁
Djembe Drum Stomp
Low knees, strong ground stomps, open chest wings.
I practiced this move: Stamp!
Station 2: Mexico 💃
Folklórico Skirt Swirl
Swirling arms in figure-8 ribbons with heel-toe taps.
I practiced this move: Stamp!
Station 3: Hawaii 🌺
Hula Ocean Waves
Hands ripple like ocean waves; hips sway smoothly.
I practiced this move: Stamp!
Station 4: India ✨
Peacock Hand Mudra
Thumb & finger touch, remaining 3 fan out like feathers.
I practiced this move: Stamp!
World Dance Reflection
My favorite cultural dance move from around the world today was:
Dance Style:
Why I loved it:
Draw Yourself Dancing Your Favorite World Dance:
World of Dance • Day 4 Student Passport Every culture has rhythm and heart!
Celebration Stage Guide Day 5 • Final Showcase 45-50 Minutes
Celebration Stage Guide
Sequence: World of Dance Standard: DA:Pr5.1 / DA:Re7.1
Big Question
How do we combine shapes, pathways, and feelings into our own dance performance?
Day 5 Objectives
Compose a 3-part movement phrase: Beginning Shape → Middle Journey → Ending Freeze.
Practice supportive audience etiquette (focused eyes, silence during dance, silent clapping).
Reflect on creative growth and celebrate personal accomplishments as a dancer.
1
Warm-Up & Story Prompt Review (10 Min)
10 Min
Review the 3 parts of every dance story:
Beginning (Stillness)
Hold a frozen starting shape for 3 counts before moving.
Middle (Journey)
Travel across space using a chosen pathway (straight, wavy, or zigzag).
Ending (Finale)
Strike a final statue pose that tells the audience the dance is finished.
2
Partner Rehearsal & Feedback (15 Min)
15 Min
Students pair up and fill in their Dance Story Creator sheets. Dancers take turns performing their 3-part sequence for their partner.
Partner Feedback Sentence: "I loved your [high/low/sharp] shape because it looked like a ________!"
3
Showcase Circle & Audience Etiquette (15 Min)
15 Min
Half the class performs in the center circle while the other half sits as the respectful audience; then swap roles!
Audience Rule: Eyes on dancers Applause: Sparkling jazz hands
Unit Graduation (5 Min): Award each student their signed "Certified Joyful Dancer" ribbon certificate on their activity sheet!
Unit Complete!
World of Dance • Day 5 Celebration Stage Guide Sequenced 5-Day Curriculum Complete
Dance Story Creator Sheet Dance Story Creator
Day 5 • Plan Your Showcase Dance & Certificate
Dancer:
Date:
1
My 3-Part Dance Performance Storyboard
Draw your moves inside the 3 stage panels:
Part 1 Stillness
Beginning Statue Hold shape for 3 seconds
Draw starting pose
Level: [ ] High [ ] Low
Part 2 Travel
Middle Journey Move across space
Draw traveling move
Energy: [ ] Sharp [ ] Smooth
Part 3 Freeze
Ending Freeze Final dramatic statue pose
Draw final freeze pose
Shape: [ ] Wide [ ] Twisted
Cut or keep to display certificate
Official Achievement Award
Certified Joyful Dancer
This certifies that superstar dancer:
has explored space, shared feelings, mastered rhythms, and discovered dance traditions from around the world in the World of Dance Unit !
Teacher Signature
★
Date Awarded
World of Dance • Day 5 Showcase Storyboard & Award Congratulations to our creative dancers!
