Dance Curriculum Designs
appreciates elementary school dance specialist, Kellianne Floyd, in Spartanburg 2 Schools (SC) who sent this image she made of a “thank you” note that one of her 2nd graders wrote to Donors Choose.
Donors Choose was started by a history teacher. In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, wanted his students to read Little House on the Prairie. As he was making photocopies of the one book he could procure, Charles thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials. He figured there were people out there who’d want to help — if they could see where their money was going. Charles sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests, and donors could choose the ones they wanted to support. His colleagues posted the first 11 requests. Then it spread. Today, they are open to every public school in America.
The note that Kellianne’s second grade student wrote was to thank them for providing IPads for their dance classroom. You will see the small drawing of the iPad in the upper part of the drawing. Unprompted, this child drew an image of the “Dance Elements Daisy” which made a strong impression on her as a learning tool to instill the dance elements. Notice the recall and the visual impact the daisy had on her learning. And the drawing is even in scale. That must be a pretty savvy second grader and second-grade class. This is the first year they have had dance in the school’s curriculum. Good work by instilling the dance elements as the movement vocabulary for dance’s artistic processes.
For more than a decade, Dance Curriculum Designs LLC has been creating fine quality dance resources that universities and schools need to build lasting dance literacy and necessary skills. DCD offers teachers and professors inspired materials that form core content, increase understanding in dance, and demonstrate why dance is vital to one’s education.
DCD believes good teachers need great resources that solidify dance’s essential principles and processes for students of all ages. That philosophy drives DCD to create the best materials possible to guarantee conceptual clarity, increase artistic skills, and ensure practical, broad-based achievement in each artistic process. The dance education resources on this site produce well-rounded, literate, and highly educated students of dance from elementary through college.
The Dance Elements Daisy–featuring a 36 x 42 banner–is designed to facilitate creative dance in grades 1 to 7. 110 interchangeable dance elements cards fit into the clear vinyl pockets of the daisy to facilitate exploration, instill the elements, clarify intent, and organize dance-making activities. 20 intent circles mix and match with 90 exploration petals to offer hundreds of creative dance lessons in one simple-to-use product. Comes with a manual to maximize effective use.
Contact Dance Curriculum Designs for more information on their wide variety of dance resources.
Brenda Pugh McCutchen
Dance Curriculum Designs
Columbia, SC USA
www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com