Resource ID :61680 "Moving Imagery:
Exploring Movement through Poetry"
Resource ID#: 61680
Primary Type: Lesson Plan
This document was generated on CPALMS - www.cpalms.org
Students will explore a poem by T. S. Eliot and, after close reading experiences, use it as a
source of inspiration in the creative process for movement sequences. Students of varying
mobilities will explore their personal range of movement as they explore how various gestures
and movements can represent the characteristics of an animal, person, etc. The lesson allows
students to use varying modalities, including dancing and writing, to demonstrate their
understanding of the concepts.
Subject(s): NGSSS: Dance
Grade Level(s): 6, 7, 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, LCD Projector
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s) 30 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: dance, close reading, poetry, creativity, interpretation, T. S. Eliot, mobility,
mobilities, gestures
Instructional Component Type(s): Lesson Plan , Learning Goal
Instructional Design Framework(s): Structured Inquiry (Level 2)
Resource Collection: iCPALMS
LESSON CONTENT
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Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
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Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of
this lesson?
Learning Goal (Posted on wall for the Unit): We are exploring the use of inspiration in
the creative process, and learning how movement can be representative of animals,
people, times, and more.
Success Indicators (Posted with Learning Goal): I can …
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Read and understand complex text at my grade level.
Explore how an individual body moves.
Work collaboratively to discuss text and create responses to the reading and
discussion.
Use selected text(s) to inspire movement.
Memorize and present movement sequences.
Lesson Objective (Posted on the wall for the Lesson):
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Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
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How are artists inspired?
How does movement reflect character traits?
How do dancers improve movement/performances?
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
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Students will explore a poem by T. S. Eliot and use it to inspire movement
sequences.
This lesson introduces or reinforces the use of inspiration in the creative process.
It also explores how movements can represent the characteristics of an animal,
person, etc. The lesson allows the students to use varying modalities, including
dancing and writing, to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts. Students
of mixed mobilities explore the range of movement in which they are individually
capable of performing.
Students should have some previous movement background in modern dance and
appreciation for dance choreography.
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. Introduction: The teacher will pose this question to the group, “Do you have
another side to your personality that emerges: frequently, sometimes, never?”
After students think about the question, ask them to stand in groups according to
how they would answer the question. Solicit answers from groups about their
experiences.
2. Frontload the following vocabulary: jellicle, airs, graces, roly-poly, gavotte, jig,
toilette, repose, terpsichorean, caper. Randomly distribute the vocabulary and
definitions cards, and have the students move around the room in an effort to
match words to their definitions. After everyone is paired, students reveal their
words and definitions. Make changes to pairs, if necessary. Students remain in
these pairs for their first reading.
3. The teacher will briefly introduce or review the keys terms (see Prior Knowledge
list), and then introduce the poem, the poet, and the first guided-practice activity.
Discuss the term inspiration and note to students that T. S. Eliot appears to have
been inspired by cats to write the poem.
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Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher
guidance?
Part 1 – Reading Complex Text
1. First Read: Read the poem “The Song of the Jellicles” and mark the text with “N”
for normal behavior and “P” for playful behavior. After students are finished,
have them share with their partner how they marked the passages. Ask students
to share with the entire group places in the poem where they recognize normal
behavior vs. playful behavior.
2. Respond: Write a response to the focus question (or discuss). Focus question:
How is the behavior of Jellicle Cats influenced by environment and time?
3. Second Read: Re-read the poem to find descriptions of “cat actions” and
categorize them as normal and playful on the graphic organizer.
4. Third Read: Read the poem again and add environment or time descriptions next
to each cat action on the graphic organizer. In pairs, analyze whether there is a
pattern related to cat action and time or environment. Ask the students to share
their findings.
5. Respond: Using the findings noted on the graphic organizer, ask students to
answer the question again and use examples from the poem to support their
statements.
6. Summarize: Discuss the poem’s message about cats. Ask students to consider the
following: If the poem was about people, would they expect to discover that
people change to match their environment and time of day? Ask students if they
thought T.S. Eliot used cats to represent people?
Part 2 – Poetry into Motion
1. Warm up students for movement exploration. Present physical warm-up that
conditions the body and works to increase flexibility. (This is a place where a
parallel modern technique focus is presented (e.g., an on-going unit on Graham or
Limon technique).
2. Review or teach eight basic locomotor movements: walk, run, jump, hop, leap,
gallop, skip, and slide.
3. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students. Ask students to identify 3-5
“normal” cat movements identified in the poem. Have students repeat the
previous process, identifying 3-5 “playful” cat movements. Encourage students to
explore how their body moves. Ask each group to select an index card, on which
times of day have been written (e.g., morning, afternoon, midnight). Allow time
for groups to develop movement sequences that represent the time on their cards.
Present the phrases to the class and allow students to guess at the time of the day
the group was trying to express.
4. Have students discuss how each group used movement to express the character of
the cat. What kinds of movements were used to represent “playful?” What kinds
of movements were used to represent “normal?”
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Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to
reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the lesson?
Part 3 – Creating Movement Poems
1. Assign groups a stanza from T. S. Eliot’s The Song of Jellicles. Instruct students
to create a dance sequence, using previously created cat-like movements and the
eight basic locomotor movements. Ask the students to use the poem as
inspiration and the rubric as a guideline for performance characteristics.
2. Ask groups to complete their movement sequences, select a narrator for their
portion of the poem and rehearse the movement with the narrator’s spoken word.
3. Set the groups around the room and initiate a performance sequence that allows
each group time and space to perform their section of the poem in written order.
4. Ask students to suggest how dancers might improve their movements over time.
Give groups time to revise, practice, and give feedback to each other. Perform the
work for an audience, such as a nearby class or an open house. Record the
performance to play back for students during the self-assessment process.
5. As an optional follow-up activity, tell students that this poem inspired a
Broadway show. Show an excerpt of “Jellicle Ball,” using an appropriate source,
and open a discussion with students using this question: “How did the
choreographer express the poem through movement?”
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Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in
the lesson?
The teacher will be able to point out that students now understand the role of inspiration
in creativity. Some questions the teacher might wish to ask are:
o How effective are visual images in helping an artist create?
o Can you re-choreograph your sequence using the characteristics of another
animal?
o How important is physical fitness to the performance of your movement?
o If the Jellicles poem inspired us to create a dance, what other resources can
inspire us to create a dance or write a poem?
ASSESSMENT
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Formative Assessment:
M-J Dance Celebration.Graphic Organizer.docx
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Vocabulary match-up is used to establish familiarity with terms found in the
poem.
Responses on graphic organizer demonstrate analysis and understanding of the
poem.
Observation of students in movement warm-up helps the teacher establish level of
fitness abilities of students.
As groups are working through the activities, the teacher will rotate to monitor
and assess student understanding.
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Feedback to Students:
1. Students will receive feedback from their group as they are working through the
activities. The teacher will also monitor each group to ensure that they are on
task.
2. The teacher answers questions, gives suggestions, and provides positive and
corrective feedback. The students will also receive feedback from the class and
teacher when each group presents.
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Summative Assessment:
The teacher will evaluate student understanding as the group activities progress and
through the group presentations, using the attached rubric.
The teacher will assess the group presentations of the dance poem on the accuracy of
their portrayal of each verse.
o Are the characteristics of the cats clearly and easily identifiable?
o Did the students put an adequate amount of effort into their presentation?
o Did all group members participate?
o Did students take the assignment seriously?
M-J Dance Celebration.Rubric.docx
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
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Accommodations:
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Adjust the groups so there is a positive role model in each one, if needed.
Allow the use of dictionaries.
Provide frequent feedback.
Provide more time to complete activities.
Encourage students to modify their movements based on exploration of individual
movement abilities.
Extensions:
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Students may self-select (or teacher may provide) additional poems for students to
use for movement inspiration. Completed movement studies can be set to oral
interpretations of the poems or music. A full concert of poetry-inspired dances
may be presented.
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Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, LCD Projector
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Special Materials Needed:
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Variety of music
Index cards with key vocabulary words and their definitions on separate cards
Graphic organizer for reading process
Index cards with time periods written on them (i.e., morning, midnight, afternoon,
etc.)
Appropriate copies of T. S. Eliot’s The Song of the Jellicles
Copies of Performance Rubric
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Optional: Cats (the musical) – an appropriate source, cued for “The Jellicle Ball”
M-J Dance Celebration.Graphic Organizer.docx
M-J Dance Celebration.Rubric.docx
PUBLIC REMARKS
By Author/Submitter
Students with mobility issues alone do not suffer from learning issues at any greater rate than
their "able-bodied" counterparts. It will always be important to work with a "mixed mobility"
class in a manner that consistently supports a safe, open, respectful, and generously accepting
learning atmosphere in which the focus is on each student's ability, rather than any perceived
disability. Students will be excellent resources for creative ways in which they can move, and
the Internet will provide them and you with myriad ideas that will inspire greater creativity in a
physically and emotionally safe environment. Enjoy!!
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Name of Author/Source: Patty Gair
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Private
Related Standards
Name
PE.6.M.1.11:
DA.68.C.1.1:
DA.68.C.1.4:
DA.68.S.1.3:
DA.68.H.3.1:
DA.68.F.3.1:
LACC.68.WHST.3.9:
Description
Apply proper warm-up and cool-down techniques.
Examine and discuss exemplary works to gain ideas for creating
dance studies with artistic intent.
Identify and discuss the function and importance of physical and
cognitive rehearsal in the retention, recall, and performance of
movement.
Analyze the possibilities and limitations of the body through
short dance sequences.
Remarks/Examples:
e.g., developmental level, safe transitions, jump height,
physical safety, speed, anatomical function (knee: hinge
joint; hip: ball joint)
Demonstrate response and reaction, through movement
sequences, to various sources of inspiration.
Demonstrate leadership, preparedness, and adaptability by
sharing ideas or teaching skills to others in small and large
groups.
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis
reflection, and research.