Lesson Overview
Movement Batteries
GRADES 3-5 SCIENCE AND DANCE
Start by having students randomly move to 2 or 3 different selections of music. Make sure the music is distinct (fast, slow, smooth, choppy, various cultures). Then, ask students to move to each selection again, thinking about the levels they are moving in space (high, medium, low) and the flow of their movements.
Ask students what felt or looked different the second time they moved to the music. Then, share the Elements of Dance poster with them and focus on the following elements: Space: Level, Time: Tempo, Energy: Weight, and Energy: Flow. Have students demonstrate what movements might look like for each of these elements.
Lesson Process:
Step 1: Teach the background content from the lesson “How to Make a Lemon Battery”
Step 2: Examine the terms Voltage, Current, and Resistance from the lesson. Ask students to think back to the Elements of Dance: which element could be used to show Voltage (Space: Level)? Which element could be used to show Current (Energy: Flow)? Which element could be used to show Resistance (Energy: Weight)?
Step 3: Look at the equation engineers use to determine voltage (Current x Resistance = Voltage). Try moving to this equation using the appropriate dance elements (Flow x Weight = Level). Do the same for Power (Current x Voltage = Power) = (Flow x Level = Movement).
Step 4: Students can explore different levels of voltage and power in small group performances. Divide students into groups of 4-5 and assign them a battery level (low, mid, high-voltage). Then, ask each group to create a movement performance using the elements of dance to show both the battery’s voltage and power. Have the rest of the class provide feedback on each performance.
Time Required:
30-45 minutes
Materials List:
- Making a Battery Lesson
- Elements of Dance Poster
- Space to move
- Notebook
- Pencils
- Batteries
- Lemons
- Copper & Zinc electrodes
- Wires with alligator connector clips
- Voltimeters or multimeters
Assessment:
Create a Battery.
From the Making a Battery Lesson, have students create a battery out of a lemon. Then, have them use their bodies to show what is going on with the electrons to produce the power and voltage through a movement performance. Use a rubric to assess both the success of their lemon battery and the movement explanation through elements of dance.
