Dance Curriculum Toolkit

Title of Resource: Stamp It Out

 

Target Audience: Educators

 

Description of Resource:  This video is an example of one teacher's interdisciplinary lesson that combines History, Music, Dance, Media, Language Arts, as well as 21st Century Skills for his class.  This educator is not a dance teacher however I found this entire lesson plan/unit to be incredibly inspiring.  The students in this class are learning about Racism and are asked to develop a "rap" and "dance" that will be developed into a full-blown "music video" saying no to hate and racism.  The students are clearly engaged with this activity and are able to truly connect to the material throughout the entire lesson.  The students were able to also learn about African-American culture, Hip-Hop culture, and ways to effect change on top of the academia within the lesson itself.  

 

Appropriateness for High School Students:  Some may find this lesson to be juvenile but I think it can definitely be adapted to meet the needs of high school students.  I think the structure of the lesson is a great way to build connections for students between History, Language Arts, and the Performing Arts.  High School students can engage with an interactive lesson such as the one in the video and will without a doubt gain insight into whatever the topic may be.  High School students will be able to recognize and identify more clearly than younger students how these different subjects come together and are inter-related in a way that makes complete sense.  High School students have the knowledge and understanding to critically think about "The Bigger Picture" of how everything in this world is connected.  

 

Use of Resource in Classroom/Ways to Implement this Resource in my Classroom: 

I would use this resource as a lesson plan in my classroom.  I think that it is a great way to incorporate Hip-Hop culture and dance into the curriculum.  I would adjust the content material within the lesson to meet the needs of high school students however I would keep the core of the lesson the same.  The structure of the lesson I would also keep the same as I think students would enjoy creating a rap, developing choreography to that rap, and ultimately creating a music video that combines the rap with the choreography.

 

Strengths of Resource as a Teaching Tool (Purpose, Value, Uniqueness, Positive Aspects):  I do think the collaboration between the academia and the arts creates an incredible interdisciplinary lesson plan that enhances students overall education.  This lesson is collaborative for teachers as well as for the students.  I am a big supporter of collaboration as an educator as well as amount students, which is one of the main reasons I was so drawn to this lesson.  This lesson addresses, politics, culture differences, and real-world situations that students can engage with and apply to their everyday life.  

 

Possible Modifications to Resource (Weaknesses, Limitations, Supplemental Resources):  Some modifications that would need to be made to this lesson in order to make it age appropriate would be to adjust the subject matter in order to fit the curriculum for high school students so that is academically and culturally relevant to them at this stage in their education.  Depending on what the students are working on in their other classes, would effect how this lesson plan is utilized during the semester.  In order for this lesson plan to work and be effective, all of the teachers involved would need to be willing to collaborate and be committed to making this lesson work for the benefit of the students.  If all of the teachers are willing to stick to the plan and work together, this lesson plan has the potential to be an incredibly enriching experience for the students but it will require work above and beyond from all sides.  

 

Resource Citation:

Powell, D. (2015). Stamp it out. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBpht723UI

 

Stamp it out (2007). Teachers TV/UK Department of Education.