My students need resources to help them learn dances from around the world, which will help them learn tolerance and acceptance of cultures different from their own.
My students are energetic and creative. They love coming to music class twice a week. We're a Title 1 school with many musical opportunities. We have an after school choir, an after school world music drumming ensemble, band and orchestra. Almost every grade level performs in a special concert once a year.
Music gives my students a creative outlet during their day.
They are often in the driver's seat of their class. The students decide where to take a lesson and how to improve their musicianship as individuals or as a class. They have opportunities to try new things in a supportive atmosphere and can refine their musicianship in areas they feel they are strong.
My Project
I have selected many wonderful resources to teach dances from many cultures around the globe. West African Drum and Dance and Traditional Dances of Ghana will help my students learn about the culture of the Ewe people of Ghana through dance. Mexican Folk Dances and Dances of Latin America will help my students experience the rich cultures and dances of countries like Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua,and Panama. Movement Stories, Children's Folk Dances and Simple Folk Dances will help my youngest students, my kindergarten through second graders, experience dance for the first time while learning about the cultures of Europe and North America. Canadian Folk dances will help my students learn about the many cultures that make up Canada. Folk Dances from Around the World will give us even more dances to learn, with more opportunities to learn about various cultures. The poly spots and yoga cards will help us experience forms of creative dance.
Dance is a form of communication and expression in every culture on Earth.
One of the best ways to learn about another person is to learn a dance from that person's culture. African dance has traditionally played an essential role in the culture of the tribes. Much more than entertainment, dances communicate emotions, celebrate rites of passage, and help strengthen the bonds between members of the tribe as a whole. Latin dance has a long and complicated history, but the elements that come back again and again are self-expression and rhythm. The many countries of Europe represent many different peoples, each of them as important as all the others. Through learning world dances, my students will experience a piece of someone else's culture, and be given the opportunity to learn tolerance and appreciation for cultures other than their own.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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