Grade: 1st GRADE
Title: Pandogo
Project Description: Students are introduced to the
West African dance known as “Highlife” or “Pandogo” that uses images from
everyday activities in movement.
Materials: Open space, Tape/ CD player, World Map (to
point location of West Africa, Nigeria & Ghana)
Procedure:
1.
After warm-up, students learn the basic rhythm of the Pandogo
song and begin with a sustained, slight bouncing movement.
2.
Demonstrate Rest Step (Movement that takes place in between
each of the other descriptive dance motions).
Right heel out to right side, with right arm moving pointing to the same
side – reverse. (Movement pattern of
hands and feet will be step out, feet back together, out-in-out-in).
3.
Basic traditional movement from the Pandogo is incorporated to
the dance (drumming movement, swimming and chopping wood) in 8 counts. Traditional movement 8 counts, rest step 8
counts.
4.
After rhythm and basic movement are understood by class,
artist should ask, “What kind of movement would you do in YOUR everyday life?”
and encourage students to think of different things they do that can be made
into a dance step – jump rope, brushing your teeth, folding laundry, throwing a
basketball, etc. Demonstrate movements of different levels, rhythms, directions,
etc.
5.
Have students get into a large circle and begin basic
rhythm. Have each student demonstrate
their movement for 8 counts and have the class follow, rest step 8 counts, next
student, etc.
Objectives:
- To
have the idea of taking movement of everyday life and turning it into a
dance. A physical movement can
represent/ demonstrate a specific activity in life
- Have
students be able to keep a steady beat while incorporating physical
movement
- Use of
students imagination and understand the idea of improvisational dance –
not every dance step has to be the same movement
- Knowledge
of rhythm and patterns, levels, directions, etc.
- To
empower the students of being a leader and leading a dance movement for
the class to follow
Vocabulary: Beat, rhythm, West Africa, sustained,
locomotor, high, medium, low, fast, slow, right, left , forward, backward
Visual and Performing
Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools:
1.0
Artistic Perception -
1.1 Build the range and capacity to move in a
variety of ways.
1.3 Understand and
respond to a wide range of opposites (e.g., high/ low, forward/ backward,
wiggle/ freeze).
2.0
Creative Expression -
2.1 Create movements
that reflect a variety of personal experiences.
2.2 Respond to a
variety of stimuli (e.g., sounds, words and images) with original movements.
3.0
Historical and Cultural Context -
3.1 Name and perform
folk/ traditional dances from the United States and other countries.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing -
4.1 Explain basic features that distinguish one
kind of dance from another (e.g., speed, force/ energy use, costume, setting,
music).
5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications -
5.1 Give examples of the relationship between
everyday movement in school and dance movement.
