GRADE LEVELS: 3-5

LEARNER OUTCOMES:
 

• Students will learn a brief history of folk/square dance
• Students will perform a folk/square dance
• Students will compare/contrast a folk/square dance to country line dance
• Students will perform a country line dance

    1 to 2 sessions approximately 45 minutes in length

MATERIALS:

    Dance directions optional

TECHNOLOGY TOOLS/COURSEWARE:

    CD/Cassettes, CD/Cassette player, Computer, Internet

TEACHER NOTES:

    Teacher will need to choose appropriate music and will want to become familiar with dances.
    Teacher may choose other folk dances to use instead of one used in this lesson

PROCEDURES:

• Introduce folk/square dance.  Ask students what they think folk/square dance is .  Give a brief history of how/why this kind of dancing was started. Use references to find history.
• Introduce folk/square dance "Oh Susanna"  Play song and have students listen to the song.
• Have student choose a partner or teacher may do this.
• Teach the dance steps to  "Oh Susanna" breaking the dance into smaller parts.  Use demonstration when necessary and repeating steps until students have learned the steps.
• Add music to the steps learned.
• Do the dance several times.
• Break students into small groups and have them do the dance for the class.
• Introduce Country Line Dancing.  Give a brief history if necessary.  Lead a discussion as to the differences between Country Line Dancing and Folk/Square Dancing.
• Teach steps to the Country Line Dance "Electric Slide". Use demonstration and repeat steps when needed.
• When students are comfortable with the steps to the dance add music.  It may be necessary to break dance down into smaller parts.
• Break students into smaller groups and let the perform for the class.

• Teach dance in smaller parts
• Modify dance steps according to grade/ability level. Example - Step together instead of a grapevine step

• Invite square dance/clogger/country line dancers to dance for class
• Students use internet sites to learn a folk/square/line dance and teach it to the class

    Based on observation and participation of groups doing square dance and line dance.

WEST VIRGINIA INSTRUCTION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

     Physical Education - 3.17,  3.22,  4.17,  5.20

NATIONAL STANDARDS:

     Arts
         Dance  1,   3,   5
    Physical Education     1

REFERENCES:

    Western Electric Slide - http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/4114/Westelec.txt
   New Line Dance - http://gate.net/~cowboy1/linedanc.htm
   Country &Western Dance Instructions Step by Step
                     http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/4249/danclink.htm
   Jeff's South Australian Line Dancers' & Country Music Page
                     http://www.whyalla.net.au/~jakall/Index.html
   Country Time Dance Lines
                     http://www.country-time.com/archives/ld/line_dances.htm
   Electric Slide
                     http://www.country-time.com/archives/ld/e/electric_slide_1.htm
   Line Dances We Have Acquired
                     http://hometown.aol.com/pbrown4715/
   The Line &Country&Western DAnce &Music FAQ
                     http://www.interlog.com/~rfielder/dance_faq/CONTENTS.HTM
   Line Dances and Solo Dances Bluebird
                     http://www.d4bp.com/dfbp/solo.html
   Round Dance Mixers Cotton Eye Joe
                     http://www.d4bp.com/dfbp/mixers.html#anchor453788
   Clickety Clogging-Austin   (history)
                    http://www.austin360.com/community/groups/clickclog/What_is_cloggin.html
   Contra Dancing  (history)
                    http://freewheelers.org/1DancingFool/contra.htm
   Clogging:What is it?  (history)
                    http://members.aol.com/mdevin/clogtext.html
      Physical Education for Elementary School Children - Glenn Kirchner

CREATED BY:    Brenda McGinnis, Danie Riley, Jennifer Zinn,  Tunnelton-Denver Elementary
 
 
 

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4