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Ways My Body Can Move

First graders explore all the ways their body can move in dance — wiggling, stretching, spinning, bending, and shaking — discovering their body as their very own dancing instrument.

Grade 1Body Movement30 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explore ways to move.
  • ✓Move your whole body.
  • ✓Move body parts.
  • ✓Dance safely.
Essential Question

Your body can do so many things — wiggle, stretch, spin, and shake! In dance, your body is your instrument. What are all the ways you can move?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Move Explorer

Project this and tap each way to move. Have children explore all the ways their body can move.

💃 Explore ways to move — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Move · Perform · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Your Dancing Body

4 min

Your body can wiggle, stretch, and shake — it’s your dance instrument!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Wiggle together.
  • Ask what else you can do.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Wiggle.
  • Think.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore Moving

8 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to the Move Explorer.
  • Try each move.
  • Move body parts.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Try them.
  • Move.
3

Move — Move

9 min

Children move.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Wiggle and stretch.
  • Spin and bend.
  • Shake it out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Wiggle.
  • Spin.
  • Shake.
4

Perform — Perform

6 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a favorite move.
  • Move to music.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Dance.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a way to move.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.1

Explore movement possibilities.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.1

Move the body in different ways.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.1

Identify ways the body moves.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.1

Practice movement skills.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Move picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can ___.”
  • Move together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with wiggle and shake.
  • Copy the leader.
  • Move slowly.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a move pattern.
  • Move just one part.
  • Move to music.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎵Music
  • 💻The Move Explorer
  • 👟Space to move
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

moveto change how your body iswiggleto move back and forthstretchto reach out longspinto turn aroundbendto curve your bodyshaketo move fastbodywhat you dance withdanceto move for fun
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one way your body can move.
Wiggle, stretch, spin, bend, or shake.
QUESTION 2
What is your “instrument” in dance?
Your body.
QUESTION 3
When you spin, should you go fast or careful and slow?
Careful and slow, so you stay safe.

Reflect: move your body.

Have children show a family member three ways their body can move. A printable move sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Ways My Body Can MoveFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Ways My Body Can MoveQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Ways My Body Can MovePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bend, body, dance, move, shake, spin, stretch, wiggle
  1. to change how your body is
  2. to move back and forth
  3. to turn around
  4. to reach out long
  5. to move fast
  6. what you dance with
  7. to move for fun
  8. to curve your body

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one way your body can move.
  2. What is your “instrument” in dance?
  3. When you spin, should you go fast or careful and slow?
Answer key — Part A: 1) move · 2) wiggle · 3) spin · 4) stretch · 5) shake · 6) body · 7) dance · 8) bend
Part B: 1) Wiggle, stretch, spin, bend, or shake. 2) Your body. 3) Careful and slow, so you stay safe.