Locomotor & Non-Locomotor Movement

Body awareness and movement fundamentals stick best when students feel the difference in their muscles. Third graders learn by doing, so active tasks like traveling through space or holding shapes make abstract concepts like 'levels' and 'energy' concrete and memorable.

• 3rd Grade
• Visual & Performing Arts
• 3 activities
• 15 min–30 min

Learning Objectives

1. Demonstrate locomotor movements including walking, running, leaping, hopping, skipping, and sliding.
2. Demonstrate non-locomotor movements including bending, stretching, twisting, and turning in place.
3. Design a short dance sequence incorporating at least three locomotor and three non-locomotor movements.
4. Analyze how changing the tempo of a locomotor movement affects its expressive quality.
5. Compare and contrast the use of space in locomotor versus non-locomotor movements.

Simulation Game

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Simulation Game: The Level Changer

Students move across the room as a specific animal or object (e.g., a snake, a bird, a toaster). They must change their 'level' (high, low, or medium) on the teacher's signal while maintaining the character's movement style.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between locomotor and non-locomotor movements in dance.

Facilitation Tip: During The Level Changer, position yourself at the edge of the space so you can see every level change clearly and give immediate feedback as students move between high, medium, and low.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Shape Architecture

Small groups are asked to use their bodies to create a 'building' or 'bridge.' They must work together to ensure they are using different levels and that their 'structure' is stable and clear to the audience.

Prepare & details

Design a short movement sequence that incorporates both traveling and stationary actions.

Facilitation Tip: For Shape Architecture, limit time to 8 minutes per station so groups must focus on creating clear, intentional shapes rather than rushing through ideas.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Heavy vs. Light

The teacher plays two different types of music. Students move to both and then discuss with a partner which movements felt 'heavy' and which felt 'light,' identifying which body parts they used most.

Prepare & details

Analyze how changing the speed of a locomotor movement alters its emotional impact.

Facilitation Tip: In Heavy vs. Light, model the two qualities first with your own exaggerated movements so students have a vivid reference before they pair up.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with locomotor movements so students experience traveling firsthand. Then contrast with non-locomotor movements held in place while you cue changes in speed and weight. Use simple language like “bend slowly” or “jump sharp” to build their movement vocabulary. Research shows that pairing movement with clear verbal cues strengthens memory and recall.

What to Expect

Students will confidently distinguish locomotor from non-locomotor movements and describe how weight and energy change the way a movement feels. They will use movement vocabulary to explain choices in their own dancing and others’.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Simulation: The Level Changer, watch for students who only move between seated and standing positions when asked to change levels.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt them to explore levels dynamically by asking, 'How would a sneaky cat move low? How would a reaching giraffe move high?' and demonstrate those qualities with your body.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Shape Architecture, watch for students who create shapes only with their arms or legs and ignore the torso or whole body.

What to Teach Instead

Ask them to freeze in a shape and then slowly melt only one part of their body to show how the whole body participates in a non-locomotor shape.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

During Simulation: The Level Changer, call out travel words like 'skip' or 'creep' and stationary words like 'curl' or 'stretch.' Observe which students perform a locomotor movement when called for and a non-locomotor movement when stationary cues are given.

Exit Ticket

After Collaborative Investigation: Shape Architecture, have students draw one shape they created at a low level and one at a high level. Ask them to label each and write one sentence explaining how the shape shows a specific energy, such as 'light' or 'strong.'

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share: Heavy vs. Light, lead a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are creating a dance about a storm. Which movements would you use to show heavy, stormy energy? Which would show light, windy energy?' Call on pairs to share examples from their discussion.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to combine two locomotor movements with two non-locomotor movements into a 30-second phrase and perform it for the class.
• Scaffolding: Provide picture cards of basic locomotor and non-locomotor actions for students to sort before moving.
• Deeper exploration: Have students work in groups to create a short dance that shows a journey from one level to another, emphasizing smooth transitions between low, medium, and high.

Key Vocabulary

Locomotor Movement	Movement that travels from one place to another, changing location in space. Examples include walking, running, and jumping.
Non-Locomotor Movement	Movement that is performed in one spot, without changing location. Examples include bending, twisting, and stretching.
Tempo	The speed at which a movement is performed. This can be fast, slow, or moderate.
Level	The vertical space occupied by a dancer, categorized as high (above the head), medium (at torso height), or low (near the floor).