The Arts · Grade 7

Active learning ideas

Dance as Storytelling

Active movement helps students internalize abstract concepts by making them concrete. For dance as storytelling, students physically experience how small shifts in gesture or level change meaning, building deeper understanding than observation alone.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• DA:Cn11.1.7a

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pair Mirror: Emotion Gestures

Pairs face each other across the room. One leads with slow facial expressions and arm gestures to show an emotion like sadness; the partner mirrors exactly. Switch roles after two minutes, then discuss what feelings emerged and why certain movements worked.

Analyze how a dancer uses facial expressions and gestures to convey emotion.

Facilitation Tip

In Pair Mirror, have students exaggerate facial expressions first, then layer full-body movement to show how gestures carry the emotional weight.

What to look for

Show students a 30-second video clip of a dance performance without sound. Ask them to write down three specific gestures or movements they observed and what emotion or idea they think each conveyed. Review responses to gauge understanding of gesture and emotion connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Group: Narrative Prediction

Show a 2-minute dance video clip without sound. Groups of four predict the story by charting movement qualities on paper. Each member shares one prediction; groups present consensus to class and compare with actual narrative if available.

Predict the narrative of a dance piece based solely on its movement qualities.

Facilitation Tip

For Narrative Prediction, pause videos mid-movement to ask students to predict the next action and justify their guesses using movement qualities.

What to look for

Have students work in small groups to create a 15-second dance phrase telling a simple story (e.g., finding something lost, a race). After performing for another group, the audience group answers: What story did you see? Identify one movement that clearly communicated part of the story and one that could be clearer. Provide feedback on clarity.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Story Phrase Creation

Brainstorm simple stories as a class, like 'lost and found.' Students create 16-count phrases using levels and pathways. Perform for peers, who guess the story; provide structured feedback on clear gestures.

Design a short dance phrase that tells a simple story.

Facilitation Tip

During Story Phrase Creation, limit props and music to force reliance on body language; this highlights the power of intentional movement.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How can a dancer use changes in tempo and level to show a character's growing excitement or fear?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to use examples from their own movement explorations or observed performances to support their ideas.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 30 min · Individual

Individual: Gesture Journal

Students watch solo dance excerpts and sketch gestures with emotion labels. Then, perform their own gesture sequence from journal for a partner to interpret. Reflect in writing on matches between intent and perception.

Analyze how a dancer uses facial expressions and gestures to convey emotion.

Facilitation Tip

Require students to keep Gesture Journals in a simple two-column format: movement sketch and one-sentence interpretation of its story or emotion.

What to look for

Show students a 30-second video clip of a dance performance without sound. Ask them to write down three specific gestures or movements they observed and what emotion or idea they think each conveyed. Review responses to gauge understanding of gesture and emotion connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model a wide range of movement qualities themselves, demonstrating how a single gesture changes meaning when tempo or level shifts. Avoid over-explaining; let students discover through trial and error. Research shows that embodied learning cements abstract concepts, so prioritize movement over verbal instruction when possible.

Students will connect specific movements to clear emotions or story moments. They will use tempo, level, and pathway intentionally to communicate intent. Peer feedback will reveal which gestures translate universally and which need refinement.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pair Mirror, some students may focus only on facial expressions to communicate emotions.

  During Pair Mirror, pause after two minutes and ask partners to try again, this time using only their hands and arms to convey the same emotion. Debrief by asking which version felt clearer and why.

• During Story Phrase Creation, students may assume complex choreography is required to tell a story.

  During Story Phrase Creation, limit the phrase to five movements total and ask students to write a one-sentence story before moving. If the story isn’t clear, have them revise the movements to match their intent.

• During Narrative Prediction, students may assume fast movement always signals happiness.

  During Narrative Prediction, replay the same video clip at different speeds and ask students to describe how tempo changes alter the perceived emotion. Use their responses to guide the Group Story Phrase Creation activity.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning