Grade 4 Drama and Dance
The ACS Drama and Dance program is guided by the National Core Arts Standards for Theater and Dance. The Dance requirements are also addressed by the SHAPE America Standards that provide guidance for the Physical Education program.
The standards include:
CREATING
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Refine and complete artistic work.
PERFORMING/PRESENTING/PRODUCING
Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
RESPONDING
Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
CONNECTING
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
For the complete list of standards from PreK through high school, please click below:
Ensemble Building
Unit Sketch
We will start the year by reviewing norms and expectations, and reconnecting or getting to know each other as peers. Students will be reminded of expectations entering and leaving the room, and review dance class norms to start the year.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
An ensemble is a group of people working together to achieve something.
Each member of the class is responsible for the success of the class.
We practice ACS Core Values and Approaches to Learning in Drama & Dance.
Skills
Students will be able to...
Enter and start class without prompt
Review putting a dance sequence together
Review putting a scene together as an ensemble
World Dance
Unit Sketch
In this unit students will learn:
A variety of movement specific to one culture or region OR
Movement from different cultures and regions
If time permits they will be tasked with creating movement that represents ACS culture
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
Dancers use their own life to interpret the viewing, creation and performance of dance
Before dancers learn a dance - they ask why it is danced.
Criteria for evaluating dance vary across genres, styles, and cultures. (The culture and type of dance decides if a dance is good or not.)
We use the things we learn, see and hear in our own life to create and express movement.
Skills
Students will be able to...
Experience dance movements from the culture or region introduced
Identify key characteristics of that shared group
Evaluate the effectiveness of a shared dance
Create a class dance
Scene Study
Unit Sketch
Students will discuss, analyze, rehearse and perform a short scene in groups or as a monologue. They will continue to develop scene analysis and will continue to learn how to break a scene down into beats, make personal connections with the story, apply stage directions and the Actor's Toolbox to block a scene and work together to convey an overall concept to the audience.
*Students will be tasked with memorizing all of their lines in 4th grade*
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
Theater artists make connections to their other classes, school, peers, and their community when experiencing and creating theatre.
Theater artists use their own life to give meaning to the plays they watch and the drama they create.
Theater artists have their own imagination and we use courage and curiosity to make theatre
Theater artists can communicate with their body and voice as well as technical elements to share an idea.
Rehearsing work over and over makes it better.
Theater artists use big body and voice choices to express their character’s idea.
Theater artists have a toolbox that they use to prepare for a performance.
Theater artists perform to share stories.
Theater artists think about their choices in dance and drama to become a better person everywhere.
Skills
Students will be able to...
Collaborate to determine how characters might move and speak to support the story and given circumstances in drama/theatre work
Participate in methods of investigation to devise original ideas for a drama/theatre work
Compare ideas with peers and make selections that will enhance and deepen group drama/theatre work
Collaborate with peers to revise, refine, and adapt ideas to fit the given parameters of a drama theatre work
Participate and contribute to physical and vocal exploration in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work
Investigate how movement and voice are incorporated into drama/theatre work
Participate in a variety of physical, vocal, and cognitive exercises that can be used in a group setting for drama/theatre work
Practice drama/theatre work and share reflections individually and in small groups
Understand why artistic choices are made in a drama/theatre work
Consider multiple personal experiences when participating in or observing a drama/theatre work
Examine how connections are made between oneself and a character’s emotions in drama/theatre work
Use personal experiences and knowledge to make connections to community and culture in a drama/theatre work
Pantomime and Improvisation Review
Unit Sketch
Students will review pantomime and improvisation. They will observe others and create original performances.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
Expressions and gestures can be used to tell a story
Pantomime is the art of creating an object with your body
Improvisation is performing without a script
Skills
Students will be able to...
Create believable objects with their body
Improvise a scene with a beginning, middle and end using several pantomimed props
Forum Theatre
Unit Sketch
Students will utilize a genre of theatre called Theatre of the Oppressed to create a Forum Theatre to identify problems and practice practical solutions for their community. They will learn how to devise and write short scenes.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
I use my own life to give meaning to the plays I watch and the drama I create.
Theater artists make connections to their other classes, school, peers, and their community when experiencing and creating theatre.
Theatre is an experiment: a sample of real life under a microscope. We can use it to change the world.
Skills
Students will be able to...
Develop play writing skills.
Create a short scene based on personal experience.
Present original scenes to their community
Develop problem solving skills to real life issues
Tech and Musical Theatre Workshop (2020-2021 School Year)
Unit Sketch
Students will revisit the backstage aspect of live performance. They will revisit the four main functions of the four technical theatre departments: Lights, Sound, Set and Costume and use a musical theatre number to create their own technical choices.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that...
Performers can communicate with their body and voice as well as technical elements to share an idea.
Performers match the story’s main idea to the colors and sounds they choose to convey meaning.
Performers have their own imagination and use courage and curiosity to make theater.
Performers use their own life to give meaning to the plays they watch and the drama they create.
Rehearsing work over and over makes it better.
Performers use Praise, Question and Polish to assess their work and other’s work.
Performers think about their choices in dance and drama to become a better person everywhere.
Skills
Students will be able to...
Make and execute technical choices using lights, sound, set and costumes
Design a show
Perform a musical number
Use flashlights, props, boxes and found objects to create a production
Create chronological choices in lighting and sound to enhance a live performance
Plan out a costume and set piece and implement it on stage
Make design choices with justification