This is one of those books I just discovered while perusing the children’s section of the library (a frequent activity of mine, much to my husband’s dismay). It is so cute and fun. Great for the preschool/kindergarten crowd! It’s all about a straight line who just gets tired of being straight all the time. He decides to go twirling and looping and zig-zagging. His friends are embarrassed, but then he becomes “The Straight Line Wonder!” Here’s my lesson plan!
The Straight Line Wonder (15 minutes)
Read The Straight Line Wonder
by Mem Fox
- “best of friends” Look at their bodies. Their bodies are very straight, like sticks. Can you make your body as straight as a stick? What’s another way to be straight as a stick? (lay down, stand tall, arms held vertically, etc.)
- “jump in humps” Can you make a shape with humps like the straight line did? Show me how you can jump in humps!
- “twirling in whirls” Show me your chaine turns. Now show me your favorite kind of turns.
- “point his joints” MIRRORING – practice isolations with each joint. Facing the students, have students copy movements you do that are “pointy”. Move just your head, then just your elbows, knees, hips, ankles, etc.
- “creep in heaps” Practice monkey jumps around a hula hoop by placing two hands inside a hula hoop that is laying on the floor. Jump your feet around the outside of the hoop, practicing shifting weight from feet to hands.
- “spring in rings” Practice jumping and turning in the air. Set up an obstacle course of things for students to jump over. Require different jumps over different items (tuck jump over a block, jump turn around in the circle of cones, one foot hops over the spots, etc.)
Finish the book!
More Activities:
Sculptor and Clay – Divide into partnerships. Partner 1 from each partnership is the sculptor. Partner 2 is the clay. Partner 1 create a shape out of your clay by moving him or her into a shape. Walk around your sculpture and make one change. Do you like it? Do you need to change your sculpture? Then partners 1 and 2 switch roles. (This idea came from the exceptional book: Creative Dance for All Ages by Anne Green Gilbert).
Body parts shape game – Pick a body part paper out of the bag and make a shape with those body parts on the ground. (i.e. if the paper says 1 head and 2 feet, make a shape with two feet and your head touching the ground). For more details, read about it here.
Choreograph and Share (5 minutes)
Make a pointy shape.
Make a round shape.
Make a straight shape.
Don’t forget your shapes! Quiz students to remember each of their three shapes.
Let’s connect your shapes. Everyone show me your pointy shape. Skip to a new place in the room. Freeze in your round shape. Turn to a new place. End in your straight shape. Practice your dance!
Closure (2 minutes)
Share your shape dance with a partner or the class, as time allows.
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