Incorporating Dance and Movement into Core Classes

By: Chelsea LeSueur

Introduction

Have you ever been in a class, finding yourself not being able to focus, daydreaming, thinking off-task about other things, and just overall bored? Well, it's probably because your teacher should've included more dance and movement into class and the topics you were learning. Many students are left sitting at a desk for 8+ hours a day. This topic was very important to me because when I was in elementary school I remember my teachers handing out worksheets, or assignments and expecting me to complete them while sitting at my desk all day. If the teacher has the opportunity to move around the classroom during the day, why shouldn't the students have the same opportunity?

Learning Targets

The students will be able to define dance and movement into core classes, and how it helps a student's learning ability.
The students should be able to explain the importance of dance and movement in core classes.
An example and understanding of what incorporating dance and movement would look like in a given classroom.

The importance of dance and movement into classes

It is important to include dance and movement into core classes due to many students' different learning styles, and their academic needs for success. By incorporating hands-on learning and allowing for movement and mental breaks throughout the day are good for the brain, and are strongly encouraged. (Hidi & Renninger), stated that it is found greater levels of student interests promote stronger attention, content learning, and motivation.

This video is lengthy, but it shows a great example of why dance and movement need to be incorporated into classrooms. Take a few to watch this, and learn something from it.

Why does it need to be incorporated into classrooms?

Students and even adults when seated in a classroom, listening to someone teach can be very boring. However, adding dance and movements in a lesson can help a student's academic success. Studies show, that by doing this they have improved positive attitudes towards math, and other subjects, it also promotes mental clarity, increases brain blood flow. (Abdelbary, M)

So, what does it look like in the classroom?

In Maryland, a public school teacher used a common science topic to incorporate dance and movement into her lesson. The lesson was about photosynthesis, she formed small groups of students and had them come up with their own unique moves that would help them remember photosynthesis. (Powers, C)

However, promoting dance and movement interactions in the classroom isn't as simple as you think. Many teachers use songs or dances to help them incorporate them into their lesson, and get students' involvement. By using songs, they can create new information as the lyrics, and the same as dance moves it can provide additional information and more engagement in the classroom.

(Lindt, S. F., and Miller, S.C.)

Conclusion

Dance and movement are a new way of teaching that not only incorporates learning, but also the physical activity that students would get as if they were in P.E class. By incorporating it in the classroom, it has gained a positive influence on the students and teachers. It also gives both students and teachers to have a brain break and a break away from their workload. The question, would you incorporate dance and movement into your classroom, comes to question. Personally, I would include it because students need more learning than sitting at a desk learning new material.

Review Questions

Which of the following best describes why dance and movement need to be included in most classes?

A. All of the answer choices.

B. It allows students to learn the material faster, by adding movements.

C. It allows students to incorporate physical education into learning.

D. To allow for brain breaks.

Which of the following scenarios best describes dance and movement into classes?

A. Mrs. Bee's class uses their bodies and energy to describe the butterfly life cycle.

B. Mrs. Campbell has her students sit for an entire class period while she teaches about solving math problems.

C. Mr. Ken's class sits for circle time, while he reads a book to the class.

D. Mr. Lee's class playing outside during recess.

References

Abdelbary, M. (2017, August 9). Learning in motion: Bring movement back to the classroom (opinion). Education Week. Retrieved September 19, 2021, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-learning-in-motion-bring-movement-back-to-the-classroom/2017/08

Adams-Blair, H. & Oliver, G. (2011). Daily classroom movement: Physical activity integration into the classroom. International Journal of Health, Wellness, & Society, 1 (3), 147-154.

Hidi, S. & Renninger, K.A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41 (2), 111-127.

Lindt, S. F., & Miller, S. C. (2017, April 1). Movement and learning in Elementary School . kappanonline.org. Retrieved September 19, 2021, from https://kappanonline.org/lindt-miller-movement-learning-elementary-school-physical-activity/

Powers, C. (2010, November 16). Schools integrate dance into Core Academics. Education Week. Retrieved September 19, 2021, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/schools-integrate-dance-into-core-academics/2010/11

Skoning, S. N. (2008, July). Movement and dance in the inclusive classroom - ed. Movement and Dance in the Inclusive Classroom. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ967723.pdf.

University of California Television. “Https://M.youtube.com/Watch?v=Lcpo4tjkk1s&t=173s #Hiking # ...” Youtube, University of California Television ,24 Feb. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CjE6zpEA8I.

Answers