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The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
The learner will understand that dance can create and communicate meaning.

Language Arts 4.02 Use words that name characters and settings (who, where) and words that tell action and events (what happened, what did _do) in simple texts.

Dance Education 3.01 Show ideas, feelings, and stories through dance movement.

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
A Color of His Own Worksheet
A drum (or something similar)

Students will be reintroduced to the book A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni.

Begin by asking students if they remember the book A Color of His Own. Recap who the author of the book is. Read the book out loud to the class. Have them sound out what sounds the elephant, goldfish, bird, and pig make. Allow them to fill in blanks such as the colors of the animals that the chameleon meets.

After reading have students decide who, what happened, when, and where from the book. Use four sheets of paper to list the student's ideas. (Who on one piece, What happened on the second, etc.)

Tell the students the following rules for the exercise ahead.
1. You must have voice control. There should be no talking. I want you to show me with your body not your mouth.
2. You must have body control. There should be no bumping into someone else. There should be no playing around.
Inform students if they decide to break these 2 very important rules then there is a prepared written worksheet for them to work on instead of participating with the class.

Ask students to show a slow movement that might look like the WHO from the book.

Do the same for the WHAT HAPPENED, WHEN, WHERE.

When students have figured out what movements they have chosen, tell them that we are now going to do them in order. Let them know that what they are creating is a dance sequence. Remind them of the rules. Pull out the drum and tell them you are going to play the drum for 8 beats while they do the WHO part. Each part gets 8 beats.

Make sure the majority of students are participating in the movement and that their movements are meaningful and not "horseplay".

Have students perform their own dance sequence one last time and slowly come to an end and freeze. Everyone gives each other applause.

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