Minds On
Let’s get started!
Social media is a huge part of contemporary culture. Consider the following statistics:
Description
This is an infographic titled “Canadian’s reported experiences using social media 2018/2019.” It states:
- Over 90% of Canadians aged 15 to 34 regularly use social media. The graph with the percentage of Canadians who use social media apps or websites in Canada, 2018/2019 shows the following percentages: age 15 to 19: 92%, 20 to 24: 94%, 25 to 29: 92%, 30 to 34: 90%, 35 to 49: 81%, 50 to 64: 63% and 36% of people 65 and older.
- Youth are the greatest and most intense social media users.
- Canadians report negative experiences associated with social media use. Loss sleep was the most common negative experience associated with social media use. It was most prevalent among youth. Lost sleep reported by: 47% of people age 15 to 19, 28% of people age 20 to 24, 21% of people age 25 to 29, 20% of people age 30 to 34, 16% of people age 35 to 49, and 7% of people age 50 to 64. Felt anxious or depressed: 23% of people age 15 to 19, 22% of people age 20 to 24, 19% of people age 25 to 29, 15% of people age 30 to 34, 12% of people age 35 to 49, and 6% of people age 50 to 64.
- Intensity of social media use is associated with these negative experiences. Three times as many users with three or more accounts reported negative experiences as those with one account.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
- What is your experience with technology and social media?
- Do these statistics resonate with your own experiences?
Record your ideas using a method of your choice. If possible, share with a partner.
Two student characters having a conversation. Student A: While technology can enhance our opportunities for communicating and learning, it is important to be mindful of our screen time. Student B: Consider trying to balance the time spent on-screen and off-screen engaging in other activities.
Action
Get ready, get set…
Task 1: Describing the dance piece
Dance is an abstract representation of themes and ideas. Audience members construct their own interpretations of a dance piece and different people may interpret a piece differently.
Access this video to explore this dance troupe’s representation of young people’s relationship with social media.
DescriptionThe clip begins with a blackout on stage. The sound of a phone ringing is heard. The lights come up on a stage full of dancers. The lights are brightly coloured, with a yellow background, and illuminate the whole stage. They are all wearing brightly coloured shorts and white T-shirts with different social media logos on them (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) When the lights come up, the dancers are frozen in various poses looking at their phones. You hear several notification dings in a row. With each ding, several dancers come out of their freeze and stand in a neutral pose (feet shoulder-width apart, arm at side) looking at their phones. By the 10th ding, all dancers are standing in neutral. There is another, lower-sounding ding, and all dancers freeze in different selfie poses. Another ding happens and the dancers return to normal. The sound of a mouse clicking is heard and all dancers shrug their shoulders. The sound of the mouse clicking, and social media notifications can be heard layered on top of the music. The dancers begin marching, turning in different directions to all face a different way (e.g., some facing front, some facing to the back, some facing to stage right and some facing to stage left). They continue marching, looking at their phones and rotating to face different directions. They finish all facing the audience. In unison, they all take a step to the left and bring both arms up and in front of their bodies in a punching motion. As the hands come back down in front of them, they step back to centre. They repeat this step to the left again, twice more. Then in canon (one after another, like a wave) starting on the left side they freeze in various poses, looking at their phones. Then, in unison, they all freeze in a selfie pose, holding their phones up in their right hand and looking right. They then go back to individual frozen poses looking at their phone for a beat. A solo dancer on the left then holds up their phone as if to snap a picture and all the other dancers turn to look as if posing for the photo.
Pause and Reflect
Pause and reflect
Consider the following questions:
- What do you think was the overall theme or message of the piece?
- How did the dancers use the elements of dance to communicate the theme of the piece?
- How did the dancers use technology (e.g., lighting and sound) to enhance the message of their piece?
- How did the dancers use costumes to enhance the message of the piece?
Use the following graphic organizer to record your ideas or another method of your choice.
Complete the Reflection on Dance Piece 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 portfolio.
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Dance Piece: Theme or Message of the Piece: |
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Where/How these were included in the piece: |
How it adds to the theme or message of the piece: |
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Elements of Dance |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What levels were the dancers dancing at? What direction were they facing? How did they incorporate freeze into their piece? Were they dancing in unison? What else did you notice? |
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Lighting |
Use the following prompts to guide you: Where did they use blackout? Describe the lights that were used to light the dance piece: What else did you notice? |
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Sound effects and/or Music |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What sound effects were used? Describe the music that was used: What was the relationship between the music and the dancers? What else did you notice? |
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Costumes and props |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What appeared on the dancers’ t-shirts? What props did they use? What else did you notice? |
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Reflection on Dance Piece.
Go!
Task 2: Analyzing the dance piece
Revisit the dance piece again. Pay particular attention to how the things you described help to contribute to the overall message of the piece.
Add your thoughts to the right column in the graphic organizer or use a method of your choice.
Complete the More Reflection on Dance Piece 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 portfolio.
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Dance Piece: Theme or Message of the Piece: |
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Where/How these were included in the piece: |
How it adds to the theme or message of the piece: |
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Elements of Dance |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What levels were the dancers dancing at? What direction were they facing? How did they incorporate freeze into their piece? Were they dancing in unison? What else did you notice? |
How did the elements help to communicate the teens’ relationship to social media? |
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Lighting |
Use the following prompts to guide you: Where did they use blackout? Describe the lights that were used to light the dance piece: What else did you notice? |
How did the blackout help set the mood for the piece? How did the lights help enhance the piece (e.g., colour, brightness, areas on the stage they illuminated)? |
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Sound effects and/or Music |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What sound effects were used? Describe the music that was used: What was the relationship between the music and the dancers? What else did you notice? |
How did the sound effects help to communicate the message? |
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Costumes |
Use the following prompts to guide you: What appeared on the dancers’ t-shirts? What props did they use? What else did you notice? |
How did the costumes help the audience understand the message? How did the props enhance the message of the dance piece? |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access More Reflection on Dance Piece.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Portfolio
Review your learning
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning. Consider adding your answers to the reflection questions to your portfolio.
- What’s your response to the dance piece?
- Do you think it is an effective piece?
- Do you think the message is clearly communicated?
- Does it resonate with your own experiences with social media?
Explain your thinking using examples from the dance and your own experiences. Record your thoughts in a notebook or another method of your choice.
There are many ways to communicate a response to dance (e.g., through writing, through art, discussion, etc.). Select one of the mediums presented in the following printable document to communicate your thoughts on this dance piece. Consider adding your thoughts to your dance portfolio.
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Sharing Ideas.
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel…
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.