MUSIC &
DANCE
Language learning can be difficult and exhausting work so incorporating technology in the form of online games is one way to keep students engaged and involved in the learning process. Online games and activities provide students with the opportunity to practice a variety of skills outlined in the Ontario Language and Media Literacy curriculum including the ability to identify sight words, parts of speech, proper grammar and the opportunity to practice both their reading and spelling skills.
With technology being so prevalent with the use of listening to music, watching dance/music videos and even playing music/dance games, why not bring it into the classroom and use it as an educational tool for students’ learning? With technology-based ideas to envision cross-curricular scenarios for music and dance, students can enhance their experience with multimedia exposures. Gamification can enable students to not shy away from participating in dancing or music activities. If students feel awkward, then gamification can change their perspectives and allow them to participate in a more welcoming and playful environment together.
GAMIFICATION RESOURCES TO ENHANCE MUSIC AND DANCE LEARNING...
1. Banana Banana Meatball
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Grade Levels: 1-3
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This fun dance along video will surely get students dancing along with its catchy beat, funny lyrics and easy to follow rhythmic patterns.
Curriculum Connections:
MOVING TO THE MUSIC:
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Grade 1
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Body awareness in using repetitive body movements with different parts of the body
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Grade 2
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Understanding how much force and the quality of energy put into the dancing
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Grade 3
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Learning non-locomotor movements such as lifting, pulling, marching, waving arms and the use of body zones
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Grade 4
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Learning about the tempo and rhythmic pulse to the music
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Grade 5:
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Communicating the relationship between the dancers and pointing out emotional connections
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Seeing how the group moves with each other, when do they meet and part?
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Grade 6
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What are the various relationships within the video? I.e. dancers and objects placements
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Describing body movement in more details. i.e. geometric shapes to body symmetry
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Grade 7:
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Analyzing video and identifying dance moves
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Creating choreography and concept within movements
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Grade 8
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Choreograph a dance piece for a specific audience
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Create a dance video that plays with space and movement
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Meaningful Implementation:
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Using the video as a learning tool and activity for a student can explore multiple aspects of music and dance. From involving choreography creation, associating words to movements, making patterns and coordination of dancers can all be taken account of in students’ learning experience. Educators can also address the stylistic choices made in the video, such as the formation of the dancer, the clothes they are wearing, the type of music being played, and the lyrics they sing along to. This can inspire students to make their own music videos to simple rhythmic patterns/beats as they explore their body through movement and sense of time.
2. Purple Stew
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Grade Levels: 1-2
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Using your imagination! Easy to sing along melody and movements to follow along. This is a fun song about an imaginary purple stew and putting in purple ingredients.
Curriculum Connections:
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Catchy melody to explore body movements and sound.
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Invokes imagination in the creative process of the dance, the ingredients and word association
Meaningful Implementation:
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This video shows various ways in which the dancers invite others to add to their purple stew. As they stir, they use a repetitive ritual that helps students follow along. Helps students identify when to use active listening skills. Identifying similar movements in everyday life like the stirring of the pot. Describing various motions, the dancers used on-screen to help students apply terminologies to their own dances.
3. Freeze Dance Video
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Grade Levels: 1-2
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A freeze dance video with fun imaginary characters. Students can dance along with the characters and listen to the prompts given by the MC!
Curriculum Connections:
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Working with space by moving around the classroom
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Understanding time with the pauses during the Freeze
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Exploring new movements with new terminologies like hopping, skipping, jumping and etc.
Meaningful Implementation:
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Allows a demonstration for students to watch and follow along. Invites students to come up with their own movement to follow before a freeze happens. Take on the characters and pretend how they might move around the space. What sort of body movements would they heavily rely on? Have students copy each other and do a free for all!
4. Toca Dance Free
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Grade Levels: 4-6
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A dance app that lets you create your own dance routines with various characters. You become the choreographer and stage the dance video.
Curriculum Connections:
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Body awareness of movements from different body parts
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Understanding time and space within the limited dance sequence
Meaningful Implementation:
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Allows students to take control of characters without taking the risk to make up their own dance routine. Invites students to then try out their own dance routine or even copy the ones they have made on the app. Share between groups to create a dance show-off!
5. Mario Paint Music Composer
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Grade Levels: 7-8
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A fan-made Mario paint music composer in the browser! There are various sound effects for user to paint onto the music sheet. Allows user to save their compositions and download to keep a file of their music. Make sure to lower the length first!
Curriculum Connections:
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Students express their musical choices and provide an explanation to why they chose to place the sounds on the musical sheet
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Using different musical terminologies to describe the sound they are creating and what they are exploring
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Changes the way students perceive how a traditional score can be used with non-traditional notations. Creating comparison to musical scores already experienced
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What kind of contextual settings would this composition be used in?
Meaningful Implementation:
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A fun way to explore a different style of compositions for students to experience. Allows a different kind of conceptualization of notations and musical creativity. Their composition can be downloaded to be used for their own musical project.
6. Groove Pizza
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Grade Levels: 7-8
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An app that allows users to manipulate rhythmic patterns with shapes!
Curriculum Connections:
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Grade 7
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Creating dance pieces based on music created
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Looking into other variations of the original piece
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Observing the shapes to translate into body movements. i.e. interpreting movements ranging from organic shapes to angular shapes and weight transfer
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Grade 8
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What sort of interpretations can you make from the type of groove you have constructed?
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Come up with a concept for which this groove applies to and choreograph a dance to go along with it
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Meaningful Implementation:
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This can be used as a tool for students to create their own rhythmic grove and associate their own movements to it! A great way to make up their own pizza and toppings and acting it out with their body while grooving along to the beats.
FURTHER SUBJECT-SPECIFIC RESEARCH...
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Gamifying Music Lessons
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State of Global Music Education
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Musical Journey: A virtual world gamification experience for music learning
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Gamification in teaching music: Case study
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Rise of the rhythm: using gamification to engage and motivate music students
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Or also here:
