Spreading Out
Spread-Out! (K-Gr. 1)
- While students are sitting, show them the lines of their dance container. Make sure that the container is clear. Run over to the lines and point at them and then invite them to stand and find their own space inside the dance container.
- Stay away from the “1-2-3 GO!” approach when asking them to find their own space. Instead, use a visual to have them find their own space.
- Eg. “Imagine you are dinosaurs! You are as tall as the school and because you are so big you must walk veeeeery slowly. Stomp your way over to your own space inside the dance container!”
- Once they are in (or close to being in) their own space, ask them to “freeze” or use your previously established ANCHOR to get their attention. You may need to move around the class and make sure students are in their own space.
- IMPORTANT: Do not touch the students! Use eye contact and large movements to direct the students to their spot!
Circle (K-2)
Make sure there is a large enough circle painted in the center of the gym. Have students gather into a circle and then lead your class.
If there are 2 or more classes in the gym:
Use your arms to visually divide the kids in half. Ask half of the students to sit on the circle in the centre of the gym. Ask the other half to remain sitting at the front of the class. Ask the students on the circle line to “scooch” back three times (Always count it out loud for them 1-2-3!). There should now be ‘windows’ between each of the students on the circle. Ask the remaining students to go find a ‘window’ to sit in.
Lines (Gr. 2-12)
You have already placed your pylons and now it is time to divide the class into three lines. There are two main ways to do this, which method you use depends on the age group.
Lions, Eagles, and Snakes* (Gr. 2-6)
*Or any other three characters
**If you plan to put your students in lines, consider doing so on the second session with them. You will have already spent a significant amount of the first session on introductions.
- Ask the students to get into groups of 3 and then sit quietly. Give them 10 seconds to do this.
- Once they are sitting, tell them that they have another 10 seconds to decide who in the group is a Lion, an Eagle, and a Snake.
- Ask all snakes to stand.
- Walk over to the furthest line and ask all snakes to spread themselves out on the line between the two pylons and then freeze.
- Do the same with the Lions and Eagles but ask them to fill the windows between the line in front of them.
- Once they are in their lines ask the students to look around and memorize their spot. (Who’s next to you? What color line are you on? etc.)
- Line by line, ask them to make their animal sounds!
- You can play a game at this point where you turn on the music and ask them to dance around the gym like they imagine their animal would dance and when you stop the music they must all run back to their spot.
- Tell them that this is their Jungle Spot and any time that you call out “JUNGLE!” they need to run back to their position.
1’s, 2’s and 3’s (Gr. 2-12)
Assign each student a number between 1-3 and assign each group one of the lines in the gym. The Jungle technique works well for the younger students because it is much easier for a 7 year old to remember that he is a “Lion” than it is to remember that he is a “2”.
Other Suggestions:
- Enlist four kids to stand up, one at a time, pretend you have a microphone in your hands, ask for the child’s’ name, ask them to stand on a line of the rectangular box you are mapping out for space (front, side, back side)
- Instruct students that when you say “GO!” they have 10 seconds to spread out, find their personal bubble or establish the lines they need to be in, stand like a big T and freeze until everyone is still, ready go!
- Kindergarten students will need extra support. You may play Eagles, Snakes and Elephants as a longer movement activity. For large groups of kindergarten students, It is also important to ask the teachers for support as soon as the class begins to spread the kids out into lines right away. For smaller class sizes, use the circle painted on the floor