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Formations

Fourth graders learn dance formations — the ways a group of dancers arranges itself in space, like lines, circles, and clusters — a key tool for group choreography.

Grade 4Space40 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 dance formations.
  • ✓Match formations to shapes.
  • ✓Move into a formation.
  • ✓Use formations in a group dance.
Essential Question

When dancers perform in a group, how they’re arranged in space is called a formation. What are the different formations?

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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 Formation

Project this and match each formation to what it looks like — tap a formation, then tap what it looks like.

💃 Match each formation to what it looks likeTry it
Formation
What It Looks Like
Now tap what it looks like!
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 — Arranged in Space

5 min

How dancers are arranged in a group is a formation — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a formation.
  • Ask what shape it is.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Guess.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Formations

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Match the Formation.
  • Match each one.
  • Make them as a group.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Make it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

11 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make a line.
  • Make a circle.
  • Change formations.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Line!
  • Circle!
  • Change!
4

Perform — Perform

9 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Dance in a formation.
  • Change to a new one.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Dance it.
  • Change it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a formation.
  • Make it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.4

Use formations in group dance.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.4

Move in and out of formations.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.4

Notice formations in dance.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.4

Practice group spacing.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Formation picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A ___ is when ___.”
  • Make formations together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with line and circle.
  • Make one at a time.
  • Match one pair.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Change between formations.
  • Design a formation dance.
  • Add levels.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💃Formation cards
  • 💻Match the Formation
  • 👟Open space
  • 🖍️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

formationhow dancers are arrangedlinedancers in a rowcircledancers in a ringscatteredspread outclustergrouped closespacethe area dancers usegroupdancers togetherarrangeto place in order
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
What is a formation?
How a group of dancers is arranged in space.
QUESTION 2
What does a circle formation look like?
Dancers arranged in a ring.
QUESTION 3
What does scattered mean?
Dancers spread out all over the space.

Reflect: make a formation.

Have children make two different formations with family or friends. A printable formations 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.

🃏 FormationsFlip
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.

📝 FormationsQuiz
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.

🖨️ FormationsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: arrange, circle, cluster, formation, group, line, scattered, space
  1. to place in order
  2. grouped close
  3. spread out
  4. dancers together
  5. the area dancers use
  6. dancers in a ring
  7. how dancers are arranged
  8. dancers in a row

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a formation?
  2. What does a circle formation look like?
  3. What does scattered mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) arrange · 2) cluster · 3) scattered · 4) group · 5) space · 6) circle · 7) formation · 8) line
Part B: 1) How a group of dancers is arranged in space. 2) Dancers arranged in a ring. 3) Dancers spread out all over the space.