Course Form (revised 5/1/12)
(Instructions: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/courseform_instructionsX.aspx)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
Prefix and Course # U THTR 239
School of Theatre & Dance
Course Title
Creative Drama & Dance for K-8
Please check one or more
 New course  Delete course
of the following:
Course Changes
 Course Title  Description  Learning Outcomes
 Prerequisites  Cross-listing  Other
 Credits
from _________ to________
 Number / Level from _________ to________
 Repeatability
from _________ to________
Justification / explanation (required for ALL proposals) For new courses please provide rationale for why
the course is needed, how it fits with exiting curriculum and whether there are curricular adjustments.
In 2011-2012, the College of Education and Human Sciences Department of Curriculum and Instruction
reduced its arts requirements for elementary-education majors. Previously students enrolled in THTR 339:
Drama in Elementary Education (2 cr.) and DANC 346: Methods: Dance in K-8 (2 cr.). Curriculum and
Instruction has requested that these two classes combine into one two-credit course. Thus we have merged
syllabi and course content in the drama and dance methods courses and combined them into the proposed
course.
Has the Department gone through common course Review?
 Yes  No  In process
II. Syllabus/Assessment Information Required for new courses, learning outcome changes and
course change from U to UG.
Important: please spell out learning goals and learning outcomes clearly in the syllabus.
Learning Goals are a list of what students should know, understand, or be able to do at the end of
the course, including essential information and knowledge or skills relevant to the subject area.
Learning Outcomes are measures of performance or behavior that indicate, to the teacher and the
students, that students understand the material, and what criteria differentiates among different
levels of understanding. Attach syllabus at the end of the document.
III. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Karen Kaufmann
Phone/ email :
x2870
Program Chair(s)/Director:
Dean(s):
All other affected programs:
karen.kaufmann@umontana.edu
Jere Hodgin
x2877
Dr. Stephen Kalm
x4970
Trent Atkins,
Department of Curriculum and
Instruction
Are other departments/programs affected by this modification
because of
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
Signatory Comments (required for disapproval):
Approve
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Please obtain signature(s) from the
Chair/Director of any such department/
program (above) before submission
IV: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Common Course Numbering Review (Department Chair Must Initial):
YES
NO
Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere in the MUS? Check all relevant disciplines if
X
course is interdisciplinary. (http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp)
If YES: Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with existing course(s)? Please indicate
equivalent course/campus. 
If NO: Course may be unique, but is subject to common course review. The course number may be changed
at the system level.
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces) Creative Drama/Dance: K-8
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
U 239 Creative Drama & Dance for K-8 2 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Focus on the use of creative drama
and dance as types of educational tools. Students will explore, experience, and implement creative teaching
methods in order to promote scholarship through kinesthetic teaching in elementary education.
Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Complete for Co-convened courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
New fees and changes to existing fees are only approved once each biennium by the
Board of Regents. The coordination of fee submission is administered by
Administration and Finance. Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific
conditions according to Policy 940.12.1 http://mus.edu/borpol/bor900/940-121.pdf . Please indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
V. Change an Existing Course
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
YES
NO
X
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether the change will eliminate the common course status.
YES NO
5. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check (X)
space provided.
(syllabus must be attached)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Is there a fee associated with the course?
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
Creative Drama & Dance for K-8
THTR 239
2 credits
Karen A. Kaufmann, Professor
School of Theatre & Dance
Office: PARTV Room 191
Phone: 243-2870
Karen.Kaufmann@umontana.edu
Office hours: Thursdays 10-11:30, Fri 10:30-11:30 or by appointment
And
Teresa Waldorf
School of Theatre & Dance
Office
Phone: 243-2854,
teresa.waldorf@umontana.edu
Office hours M-TH 8:30-10:00am or by appointment
COURSE PURPOSE
The purpose of the course is to explore, experience, and implement creative teaching methods,
which focus on the use of creative drama and dance as types of educational tools. The goal of
this course is to promote scholarship through kinesthetic teaching in elementary education.
LEARNING GOALS
 Increase participant’s creativity, imagination, play, self-expression, social awareness, and
collaboration skills.
 Develop an understanding of the educational, artistic, physical and emotional benefits of
kinesthetic learning for children.
 Prepare future educators to thoughtfully use creative drama & dance to teach any subject
within the academic school curriculum.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Teach transitional body/mind exercise to students. Performance measures are based on
student’s knowledge of the activities and ability to successfully teach the movement
exercises.
 Develop classroom management strategies for guiding active groups of children.
Performance measures are based on student’s sensitivity to student behaviors and
knowledge of specific strategies for bringing students into compliance.



Create believable scenes and characters via action, text, subtext, voice and proximity.
Performance measures are based on students’ ability to effectively and convincingly “take
a walk in some one or something’s shoes”.
Write and implement lesson plans involving both dance and creative drama to enhance,
demonstrate, reiterate and teach subject matter. Performance measures are based on the
successful development of activities designed to increase retention, comprehension and
recognition.
Participate in a unit on Reader’s Theatre. Performance measures are built around
students’ embracing characters and communicating them clearly.
ATTIRE
Street shoes are not allowed in the dance studios. Movement will be experienced with bare feet.
Students should plan to wear clothes suitable for movement and may include sweat pants, tshirts, tanks, stretch pants, baggy pants, shorts, etc.
TO RENT A LOCKER ($7.50/semester) see Dance Administrative Assistant Teresa Clark in
PARTV Room 199, x 2849.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
The primary instructional method is participatory learning. This is combined with lecture,
discussion, written and oral assignments, teaching projects, presentations, group interactions, &
sharing.
Part 1 (first 7 weeks)
Finding your playful, creative self in movement, developing comfort in your body in front of
others, stretching your comfort zone and trying new things. Focus is on the basic Elements of
Dance: body awareness, spatial awareness, time, energy and relationships. Students will
experience kinesthetic activities relevant to enriching K-8 curriculum in math, science, social
studies and communication arts. Imagination, creative and critical thinking, collaboration and
play are emphasized. Students will learn classroom management skills for using class exercises
in K-8 schools.
Part II (second 7-8 weeks)
Having found their creative and playful sides, students will revisit the parts of a story, learn to
create believable scenes and characters via action, text, subtext, voice and proximity. Students
will learn to ask “what if. . .” and search for answers by taking a walk in someone or something
else’s shoes. This will lead to the writing and implementing of lesson plans involving both dance
and creative drama to enhance, demonstrate, reiterate and teach subject matter in order to
increase retention, comprehension and recognition. Students will end the semester with a unit
on Reader’s Theatre.
REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS: Total 100 points.
Attendance and Participation in Daily Class Activities 25%
(Missing more than one class will lower your grade by an entire letter.)
Part I Requirements
Creativity Introductions 5%
Mini Teaching Project I (brain dance) 5%
Mini Teaching Project II (movement prompts) 5%
Classroom performances 10%
Brainstorming Activity for Curricular Integration 10%
Part II Requirements
Group Lesson Plans (on an individual subject) 10%
Integrated Project Descriptive Paper 10%
Reader’s Theatre Script (adapted from a children’s book) 10%
Reader’s Theatre Performance for an audience of children 10%
Procedure/Policy:
 There is no eating, drinking, or gum chewing during the class.
 Absolutely no weapons, real or fake, are allowed in the classroom.
 Late work is automatically down-graded one letter grade per class
 Students are encouraged to wear appropriate movement attire to class.
 There is inherent risk involved in many Theatre/Dance classes as they are very physical in
nature. Please proceed through class with caution. Always be mindful of your personal
safety and the safety of others. Students participating in class do so at their own risk.
 You may turn in one extra-credit paper to erase one absence.
 Students with special needs should see the instructor.
 Due to safety considerations, at no point during a student’s time spent in class or serving
on a production (in any capacity) should non-enrolled persons be guests of that student
without my consent. Presence of such unauthorized persons in a class, shop, or any
backstage/off-stage area will negatively affect a student’s grade.
School Handbook:
 All Theatre/Dance students must have an in-depth knowledge of the practices and
procedures outlined in the School of Theatre/Dance Handbook. The Handbook is
available online at http://www.umt.edu/theatredance/about/handbook.
Academic Misconduct and the Student Conduct Code:
 All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an
academic penalty by the course instructor and/or disciplinary sanction by the University.
All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for
review online at www.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php.
Students with disabilities may request reasonable modifications by contacting me. The
University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through collaboration between
students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability Services for Students (DSS). “Reasonable”
means the University permits no fundamental alterations of academic standards or retroactive
modifications. For more information, please consult http://life.umt.edu/dss/.