Minds On
Today’s vocabulary
Press the following tabs to access the definitions for today’s vocabulary.
Hoop dancing is an Indigenous form of dance that tells a story. An Indigenous hoop dancer uses their hoops to create shapes, while they move to music.
The Highland Fling is the national dance of Scotland. It is a folk dance that has several detailed steps that are performed all in one spot. Folk dances celebrate the culture of a particular group of people.
The parts of the body that are used to create movements. They can include head, shoulders, hands, hips, legs, feet, and more.
Let’s get started!
There are different styles of dance around the world.
One example is the Hoop dance, a traditional First Nations dance.
Explore the following two videos from Raven’s Quest to learn more about Emily, who performs the Hoop dance.
Emily is from the Mohawk community of Kahnawà:ke, a First Nations community just outside of Montreal in Quebec.
Portfolio
Portfolio
Reflect on the video.
- What styles of dance does Emily do?
- What did you notice about Emily’s dancing?
- What do you wonder about Emily’s dancing?
Record your responses on the computer, on paper, in a picture, or using another method you choose.
Consider adding your thoughts to your portfolio.
Action
Get ready, get set…
Why do people dance?
Teacher A: For a long time, people have danced for different reasons. Teacher B: People dance to celebrate special events. People dance to tell stories. People dance for fun!
Press the following tabs to learn more about how dance has been used in different cultures.
Highland dancing is a folk dance from Scotland. Folk dance celebrates the culture of a particular group of people.
Access this video to learn more about Highland dancing.
First Nations hoop dancing is a way to tell stories through dance. A hoop dancer uses hoops to create different shapes as they move to the music.
Explore this video to learn more about hoop dancing.
The dragon dance is a traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. It is often performed during the Lunar New Year.
Check out this video to learn more about dragon dancing.
Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest and most popular forms of classical dance in India.
Access this video to learn more about Bharatanatyam.
Asking questions
As we explore a dance, we can use question words to help us understand the dance better. We can ask:
For example, let’s use these questions to understand Emily’s Hoop dance from the Minds On section.
Press the following tabs for examples of questions we can ask about Emily’s Hoop dance.
Who took part in the dance?
What did you notice when Emily was dancing?
What is the name of the dance?
What clothing did Emily wear?
What objects did Emily use in the dance?
What parts of the body did Emily use while she was dancing?
Where did the dance take place?
When did the dance take place?
Why is this dance special? Why is this dance important to Emily?
Explore Emily’s Hoop dance a second time.
Now use the following questions to help describe the Hoop dance.
Who took part in the dance?
Press ’Answer’ to find out who took part in the dance.
Emily took part in the dance.
What did you notice when Emily was dancing?
Press the following tabs to access answers to the following questions about Emily’s dancing.
The dance is called the Hoop dance.
Emily wore her regalia.
Emily used hoops while she danced.
Emily used her arms, hands, legs, feet, and torso.
Where did the dance take place?
Press ’Answer’ to find out where the dance took place.
The Hoop dance was in a dance studio.
Why is this dance special?
Press ’Answer’ to find out why this dance is special.
Hoop dancing is special because it is a storytelling dance. It is performed at powwows and festivals. Emily can use the hoops to make different shapes from nature such as a butterfly, a flower, and an eagle.
Emily makes a butterfly shape with her hoops around her arms. There is an illustration of a butterfly next to her.
Why is this dance important to Emily?
Press ’Answer’ to find out why this dance is important to Emily.
Hoop dancing is important to Emily because it is creative and fun. She gets to perform with her mom.
Go!
Examine the following two video clips to learn more about a Scottish dance. Skye and Aiesha perform a Scottish dance called the Highland Fling.
Let's use the Five W's, while we explore this dance.
Press the following tabs for examples of questions we can ask about the Highland Fling.
Who took part in the dance?
What did you notice when Skye and Aiesha were dancing?
What is the name of the dance?
What clothing did they wear?
What objects did they use in the dance?
What parts of the body did Skye and Aiesha use while they were dancing?
Where did the dance take place?
When did the dance take place?
Why is this dance special? Why is this dance important to Skye?
Complete the Highland Fling: Five W's organizer in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts. Consider adding your work to your dance portfolio.
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Who took part in the dance? |
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What did you notice when Skye and Aiesha were dancing?
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Where did the dance take place? When did the dance take place? |
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Why is this dance special? Why is this dance important to Skye? |
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Highland Fling: Five W's.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Use the following questions to reflect on Emily’s Hoop dance and Skye and Aiesha’s Highland Fling.
Use pictures and/or words to share your ideas.
- What was the same about the two dances?
- What was different about the two dances?
- What was something you enjoyed about each dance?
Complete the What’s the Same? What’s Different? organizer in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts. Consider adding your work to your dance portfolio.
| 1. What did you notice was the same about the two dances? What was different? Use pictures and/or words to share your ideas. | |
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Dance 1: Emily’s Hoop dance |
Dance 2: Skye and Aiesha’s Highland Fling |
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2. What was something you enjoyed about each dance? Use pictures and/or words to share your ideas. |
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Dance 1: Emily’s Hoop dance |
Dance 2: Skye and Aiesha’s Highland Fling |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access What’s the Same? What’s Different?.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.