Middle & High Grades 6-12: A Social Dance Unit for Schools - Paperback

by Teresa Osborn (Author)

Dance provides the opportunity to develop social and motor skills in a non-competitive, non-sport context. This Unit outlines a course of lessons designed to promote:

• Basic and advanced motor skills
• Cognitive and spatial awareness skills (i.e. remembering routines and patterns, putting them to music, working with other people - keeping in your own space, or knowing how to use space)
• Social and team working skills when working with a partner or larger groups
• An introduction to understanding rhythm and musical appreciation
• An introduction to movement and fitness, using a form which is not "Sport" and which might therefore be attractive to students who may not be good at the usual sports and team games
• At higher levels, an awareness of how the body moves, how the muscles work, the importance of warm up and cool down and good nutrition.
• Presentation skills (during class and when presenting routines they have made up, or giving a show.)

Author Biography

Teresa has been teaching children how to dance for over twenty years, and the contents of this Unit represents a distillation of tried and true techniques and choreography. It is Teresa's belief that dance should be above all, fun. It is also a guiding principal that children are capable of grasping a range of social dance styles at an early age (and it's never too late for PE Educators either!). Last but not least, Teresa believes that great music provides the connection between the children of today and the world of dance, and should always be considered an important part of the experience.