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| Source: https://mathgeekmama.com/measuring-angles-activity/ |
This is a very relevant topic for me because I have seen many students struggling with math concepts in the classroom! As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to help students in math and I absolutely love the idea of incorporating drama and dance into the subject!
When thinking of how to use dance and drama to help students with math, I usually get stuck because I know math has so many abstract concepts. Also, a lot of things in math need precision and accuracy, and having something done artistically doesn't really seem like it would fit into a math class.
During our drama AND dance class, however, we were introduced to a few ways where dramatic arts can be implemented to help students with math concepts!
Angles with Drama
A fun dramatic arts activity that we tried as a class was related to memorization and repetition. We all got in a circle as a class. The first person (A) had a piece of paper that had a type of angle (i.e., obtuse, acute, straight & right).
That person (A) looked at the person (B) beside them and stated,
A: "THIS IS A ____ ANGLE". Their partner (B) now had to say,
B: "A WHAT?", then they (A) replied,
A: "A ____ ANGLE". Lastly, the partner (B) replied,
B: "OHHH, A ____ ANGLE".
This activity continued around the circle (with several papers of angles) until all students got a chance to be both person A and B.
This concept lets students repeat math concepts and helps them gain the knowledge and understanding of key terms in ideas in math. Doing this activity would be a great way to help students prep for a test or assignment, as it allows them to memorize and cement the terms into their knowledge!
Angles with Dance
The same math concepts with a different approach! Teachers could also incorporate dance within an angles lesson. The video above is one way that students could show their knowledge and understanding. I will discuss a different, although very similar activity that we did as a class!
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| Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abxR4dpNrEg |
The activity consisted of partners. With music in the background, one partner (the leader) had to show a type of angle with their body, however they felt appropriate (i.e., a straight angle by extending both arms out to represent this). Their partner had to mirror their movements. They would switch roles so that both could be leaders and create these movements.
In the end, the partners had a sequence of angles and moved their bodies fluently to the music, switching between the angles they had to create as one partner was the leader.
Dance, Patterns and Math
One terrific activity that was led by my fellow colleagues incorporated patterns and math. With bodily movements and dance strategies, we created patterns that led up to creating an AB dance sequence.
The elements of dance that were used were:
Body - the use of the body into forming shapes that create patterns
Space - positive space (the dancer's forms and shape) and negative space (empty space around the dancer) that incorporated directions, pathways, levels and patterns
An AB sequence is: a choreographic pattern form with two parts, that has an A part and a B part. The dance form has two distinct dance sequences or parts.
Here, students got a chance to explore patterns by creating growing and/or shrinking patterns using dance! If the pattern was shrinking, they would take away elements of from their AB sequences and vice versa if the pattern was growing.
An AB sequence is: a choreographic pattern form with two parts, that has an A part and a B part. The dance form has two distinct dance sequences or parts.
Here, students got a chance to explore patterns by creating growing and/or shrinking patterns using dance! If the pattern was shrinking, they would take away elements of from their AB sequences and vice versa if the pattern was growing.
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