Active for Life lesson plans

Active for Life is pleased to offer the following resources for educators, caregivers, camp
leaders, and after-school program leaders who want to deliver physical literacy instruction to
children.

Choose from our ready-made lesson plans. There are different lesson plans for ages 3-
5 years, 5-8 years, and 8-12 years. All lesson plans are in PDF format.
Activities CTA

3 – 5 Years Old

Balance
Balance 1.1: Balance poses
Balance 1.2: Balance tag
Balance 1.3: Tightrope walking
Balance 1.4: One-foot hot potato

Locomotion
Locomotion 1.1: Follow the leader
Locomotion 1.2: Island hopping
Locomotion 1.3: Animal walk
Locomotion 1.4: Head and shoulders
Locomotion 1.5: Galloping
Locomotion 1.6: Skipping
Locomotion 1.7: Jumping
Locomotion 1.8: Hopping

LOCOMOTOR AND NON-LOCOMOTOR

MOVEMENTS – LESSON PLAN
Students perform a folk dance and learn about locomotor and non-locomotor
movements.

 Length: 1 class period

 Grades: 4-5

Concepts/Objectives:
  Students will learn about the dance element of space by creating movement
that lets them experience shape, level, and pathway.
 Students will learn and perform locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
 Students will perform the folk dance “Little Johnny Brown” with a comfort level
that lets them improvise movement.

For middle school:

Students will be able to describe the composition and elements of dance in
this folk dance.
Resources Used
Little Johnny Brown
Found On: Dancing Threads
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Vocabulary, Materials, and Handouts

2. Instructional Strategies and Activities
3. Open Response Assessment
4. Performance Assessment
5. Support - Connections - Resources - Author
VO C A B U LA RY, MA T ERIA L S, AND HAND OUTS
Vocabulary
beat, elements of dance, direction, folk dance, improvisation, level, locomotor
movement, non-locomotor movement, pathway
Materials
TV/VCR or DVD player, drums or percussion instrument for keeping beat, eight
or more two-foot squares of bright material, large open space
Handouts:
How To Do the Dance “Little Johnny Brown”
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I N S TR U C T IONAL ST RAT E GIES AND ACTIV ITIES
Background
The dance “Little Johnny Brown” from the KET series Dancing
Threads introduces students to traditional African-American folk dance. “Little
Johnny Brown” is a dance game. Generations of black Americans transported
from Africa enjoyed playing “Little Johnny Brown” as a courtship dance, as a
vehicle for teaching values, and as a source of lively fun.

About Dancing Threads

Dancing Threads: Community Dances from Africa to Zuni is an
instructional series of four half-hour programs featuring outstanding
African-American, Native American, and Appalachian performers
teaching traditional dances and games. The activities featured
are all community dances involving patterns of singing, dancing,
poetry, mimicry, and play-acting.

Preparation
View the video excerpt before showing it to the students. Clear away the desks
and make some open space in the room. Have students form a circle.
Because it’s important to help everyone feel comfortable moving, have
everyone work together as a group first.

About the Dance

“Little Johnny Brown” is a circle dance. For African Americans in
slavery days, it was a courtship ritual, a vehicle for teaching values
such as honesty, and a source of self-expression. The dance/game
and the story have been handed down through generations of
African Americans living on the sea islands off the coasts of South
Carolina and Georgia.

Activity 1
Have students walk normally around the circle (or room). Next have them walk
high up on their toes and then walk lower to the ground. Then let them move
any way they want to (except regular walking). This sequence lets them know
that there is no one “right” way to move during the dance; they need to use
their ideas. Have them try these variations:

 Do the movement at a different level.

 Do the movement in a different direction.
 Choose another way to move and repeat the level and direction changes.
Activity 2
Tell students to think of an animal and move the way it would. There is no need
to stay in the circle. Let each student tell you what animal he or she is imitating.
Students can even demonstrate the movement if it feels comfortable. Next,
ask them to do the following exercises:

 Fly like a bird.

 Fly the same way with a partner.
 Create a new way to fly.

Activity 3
Divide students into pairs, designating one student in each pair as #1 and one
as #2. Have all the #1s make up a movement. Give them an action verb
suggestion like “swing” or “turn,” or suggest something using arms or head or
legs. Have the #2s copy the movement. Then reverse the process, with the #2s
making up the movements and the #1s copying it.
Let students sit and catch their breath. Explain a little about folk dance (see
the teacher’s guide for Dancing Threads below). Then tell the students they are
going to learn an African folk dance. Introduce the background and history of
“Little Johnny Brown,” then show the dance excerpt from Dancing Threads.

Perform
Have the students learn the words to “Little Johnny Brown” by echoing each
line after you. You can alter the structure of the dance to fit your
circumstances (i.e., chant the song instead of using a guitar, or have more
than four people in the circle). Have all the students do the dance together
the first time, using the pieces of cloth as “blankets.” Review the “flying” the
class did earlier and ask, “How can we change that to be more like a
buzzard?” As a class, discuss what “lope” means. After everyone feels
comfortable (especially with “show off y’motion”), repeat the dance in smaller
groups, again imitating the video.
Follow-Up Discussion
Lead a group discussion about the dance. Ask students the following
questions:

 What pathways did we use? (circles)

 Did we change level? (yes, with “lay your blanket down”)
 Did we have locomotor and non-locomotor movements? (yes, loping/laying
down the blanket)

Watch the video segment that discusses the history and purpose of “Little
Johnny Brown.” Discuss these points:

 What are the purposes of dance in general? (worship, entertainment, social,

recreation, artistic)
 What was the purpose of this folk dance and most folk dances? (Refer to the
Dancing Threads teacher’s guide for more information on this point of
discussion.)

Divide the class into two groups and have students perform the dance.
Choose one or more students to keep a beat using drums or other percussive
instruments.

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O P E N R E SPONSE ASSESS MENT
Prompt: (For middle school students.) We have just watched and performed
the dance “Little Johnny Brown.”
Directions: Identify the dance style (folk, ballet, tap, jazz, etc.) and the origin
of the dance. Briefly describe how to do the dance. Give at least three
examples of how this dance used the elements of dance (space, time, and
force) and locomotor/non-locomotor movements.
Open Response Scoring Guide
4 3 2 1 0

Student Student Student Student Student

identifies the identifies the identifies the identifies the does not
dance as a dance as a dance as a dance as a folk identify

folk dance folk dance folk dance dance and shows the dance

and shows and shows and shows limited and/or as a folk

extensive broad basic incorrect dance and

understanding understanding understanding understanding of does not

of the of the of the the connection give

connection connection connection with slavery in examples

with slavery in with slavery in with slavery in America. of

America. America. America. movement

Student is
Student Student Student in the
ineffective in
makes makes makes some dance.
the use of
insightful use effective use correct use of supporting

of supporting of supporting supporting examples

and relevant
examples and examples and examples and
details to
relevant relevant relevant
explain how
details to details to details to the dance

explain how explain how explain how uses different

kinds of
the dance the dance the dance
movement
uses different uses different uses different and the
kinds of kinds of kinds of elements of
dance to
movement movement movement
communicate
and the and the and the
ideas.
elements of elements of elements of

dance to dance to dance to

communicate communicate communicate

ideas. ideas. ideas.

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P E R FO R MA NCE ASSESSME N T
Performance Event: You are going to perform the folk dance “Little Johnny
Brown.”
Directions: Sing or chant the song as you dance, keeping the beat.
Accurately follow the directions for the dance such as “lope like a buzzard”
and “lay your blanket down.” Maintain good concentration and show effort,
enthusiasm, and respect for the dance and the other dancers.
Performance Scoring Guide
4 3 2 1 0

Student Student Student Student does

follows all the performs the basically minimal

directions for required steps performs the performance

the dance. and follows required steps and follows

Student is directions for and follows few or none of

consistently the dance. directions for the directions

effective in Student is the dance. for the dance.

Student
interpreting effective most Student is Student is
does
and of the time in effective some ineffective in
not
communicating interpreting of the time in interpreting
perform
the ideas and interpreting and
the
portrayed in communicating and communicating
dance.
the song. the ideas communicating the ideas
Student portrayed in the ideas portrayed in

exhibits strong the song. portrayed in the song.

effort, skill, Student the song. Student

and teamwork exhibits good Student exhibits little

participation. effort, skill, exhibits basic effort, skill,

and teamwork effort, skill, and teamwork

participation. and teamwork participation.

participation.

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S U P P O R T - C ONNECT ION S - R ESOUR CES - AUTHOR

 Downloadable teacher’s guide for Dancing Threads (PDF format)

 The video of the entire “Little Johnny Brown” program (Program 2 from Dancing
Threads).

Author: