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The Elements of Dance

Third graders learn the five elements of dance — Body, Action, Space, Time, and Energy — the building blocks dancers use to create and describe every movement and dance.

Grade 3Elements40 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…

  • ✓Name the elements of dance.
  • ✓Explain body & action.
  • ✓Explain space, time & energy.
  • ✓Use elements to dance.
Essential Question

Just like art has elements, so does dance! There are five things dancers think about in every move. What are the elements of dance?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Element of Dance

Project this and match each element to what it means — tap an element, then tap its meaning.

💃 Match each element to its meaningTry it
Element
What It Means
Now tap its meaning!
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Five Building Blocks

5 min

Dance has five building blocks in every move — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a quick movement.
  • Ask what changed.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move.
  • Notice.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore the Elements

9 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Element.
  • Note each one.
  • Try them out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Note them.
  • Try them.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Change your energy.
  • Change your space.
  • Combine elements.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Change energy.
  • Change space.
  • Combine.
4

Perform — Perform

8 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform using an element.
  • Name the elements used.
  • Give kind feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Name them.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name an element.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.3

Explore the elements of dance.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.3

Use space, time, and energy in movement.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.3

Describe movement using the elements.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.3

Develop dance skills and technique.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Element + meaning cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is about ___.”
  • Demonstrate each element.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with body and action.
  • Match one at a time.
  • Try one element.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Create a phrase using all five.
  • Change one element.
  • Describe a dance by elements.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💃Element cards
  • 💻Match the Element of Dance
  • 👟Open space
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

element of dancea building block of dancebodywhat moves in a danceactionwhat a dancer doesspacewhere a dancer movestimewhen and how fastenergyhow a movement feelslevelhow high or low you movedirectionthe way you face or travel
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 two elements of dance.
Sample: body, action, space, time, or energy.
QUESTION 2
What does the element “Energy” describe?
How you move — smooth, sharp, strong, or gentle.
QUESTION 3
What does the element “Space” describe?
Where you move — high/low, forward/back, big/small.

Reflect: elements in a move.

Have students make one movement and name the elements they used — like a sharp (energy) jump (action). A printable dance-elements 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.

🃏 The Elements of DanceFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 The Elements of DanceQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

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.

🖨️ The Elements of DancePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: action, body, direction, element of dance, energy, level, space, time
  1. a building block of dance
  2. the way you face or travel
  3. where a dancer moves
  4. what moves in a dance
  5. when and how fast
  6. how a movement feels
  7. what a dancer does
  8. how high or low you move

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name two elements of dance.
  2. What does the element “Energy” describe?
  3. What does the element “Space” describe?
Answer key — Part A: 1) element of dance · 2) direction · 3) space · 4) body · 5) time · 6) energy · 7) action · 8) level
Part B: 1) Sample: body, action, space, time, or energy. 2) How you move — smooth, sharp, strong, or gentle. 3) Where you move — high/low, forward/back, big/small.