Lesson Plan: Amanda Holley
BIG IDEAS:
Stories and other texts connect us to
ourselves our families and our communities
Dance, Drama, Music, and Visual Arts are
each unique languages for creating and
communicating
CURRICULAR COMPENTENCIES:
Show awareness of how story in first peoples
cultures connect people to family and
community
Use developmentally appropriate reading,
viewing and listening strategies to make
meaning
Create artistic works collaboratively and as an
individual using ideas inspired by imagination,
inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play
CONTENT:
Elements in the arts including Dance
Elements of story
LEARNING INTENTIONS:
Curricular:
I can use dance to create and
communicate
I can contribute positively to my
group/community
I can gain meaning and understanding from
listening, viewing, and reading stories/texts
Rationale: Grade 2/3 Students will
be able to discuss how their actions
impact each other and their
communities.
Students will explore indigenous
ways of knowing.
MATERIALS:
Rabbit’s Snow Dance by: James and Joseph
Bruchac
Squamish First Nation Dance video
ASSESSMENT:
Assessment will be done by using the
communication of learning sheet at the end of
the lesson. Follow up questions regarding
group work and collaboration.
ACCOMODATIONS:
Students will be placed into pre-arranged
groups to help facilitate successful group work.
 Lesson Plan: Amanda Holley

TEACHING SEQUENCE:

Collect students: Game of 20 questions- What am I? Rabbit (5 min)

What are the 4 seasons? When does it typically snow? Why? (2-3 min)
Read Rabbit’s Snow Dance- Discussion questions as you go. “more snow is better” for who? How might the other animals be feeling? (10 min)
Discuss Book- Was Rabbit being a respectful member of his community? Why not? How could he have improved? What are some ways you
could communicate with rabbit? (5 min)
Show Squamish First Nations Dance video (2 min)
What did you notice? How did the music make you feel?(2 min)
Put on the song “happy” – play a quick game of Freeze Dance. Give lots of positive reinforcement for creative dance moves.
Separate students into groups of 5. Group must decide what their dance will be for. Think about who the dance might impact. Decide what their
sound will be. (vocal, instrumental, rhythm etc). Each member of the group contributes 1 move. (10 min)
Discuss respectful audience behavior. Practice the group cheer. We will do a cheer after each performance. Each group takes a turn to
perform.(10min)
Closing: What was it like to work as a group? What was a challenge? What worked well? What might you do differently? On large chart paper
each student write one thing you can do to respect our classroom community.

LESSON NOTES:

Squamish First Nations Dance video received from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcnA5nUNSE4

Song- “Happy” by Pharell Williams
Lesson Plan: Amanda Holley