Formula Elements: smART Ideas Strategy

1 Min Read  •  smART Ideas

Movement and dance are often the most difficult arts areas for integration, mostly because teachers are uncomfortable using their bodies to model the technique.  In today’s smART Ideas video, I’m sharing the Formula Elements strategy which I think will make this whole process much easier for you.

This strategy actually comes from fellow writer and teacher coach Typhani Harris and she originally shared how it can be used to address Standard 4 in the National Core Arts Standards.  I’ve expanded upon her idea a bit so that you could use it in any content area with ease.

What’s great about this strategy is that it so naturally combines math and dance through the use of BEST: the elements of dance.  Body, Energy, Space and Time are all connected through an easy to manipulate and use formula to communicate various vocabulary terms.

As we all know, vocabulary is one of the most critical (but often overlooked) components in a curriculum.  By using the formula elements strategy, students truly get to experience what each vocabulary terms means, whether that’s in an english class or a social studies class.

If you found this idea helpful, be sure to register for our FREE online workshop, 6 Successful Strategies for the STEAM Classroom.  There’s plenty more resources that we have to share that will make integrating the arts much easier.

Your turn: how do you incorporate movement into your classroom?  What challenges do you have in this area?