Curriculums /Units

Step Up to Dance
You'll find interactive educational resources, videos, games, learning tools and a wealth of information designed to build your understanding of and appreciation for dance.
Source: ArtsAlive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Arts4Learing
You'll find classroom ideas and materials focusing on best practices in art education at this site. Awesome!
Source: Arts4Learning Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Learning Through the Arts
OK, this site is intended for Canadian educators, but hey, why let an international border slow you down! You'll find integrated arts lesson plans here. You can search for resources by subject, art form, grades, or even language!
Source: Learning Through the Arts Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes

Integrated Dance Curriculum
This curriculum unit from the Kennedy Center ArtsEdge focuses on dance as connected to concepts and constructs in other disciplines. Lesson plans are provided for each grade level, K-6.
Source: Kennedy Center ArtsEdge Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Dance Curriculum Guide
This curriculum guide from Saskatchewan Education includes activities, lessons, and background information.
Source: Saskatchewan Education Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Schemes of Work: Dance Activities
You will find a collection of dance activities at this site from the Standards Site in Great Britain. Select Subject List from the left side of the page for a full listing of activities and units of study. Dance activities are listed under PE. 
Source: Standards Site, UK Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: Yes 

Alliance of Dance Notation Educators
This site features a collection of curriculum materials and articles for grades preK-post secondary.
Source: Alliance of Dance Notation Educators Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Dance for Literature and Film
This unit from the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute uses film and literature as the foundation for dance instruction. Lessons include: Dance Composition for Poems, Creating Ballets for Fairytales, Dances for Shakespeare and Hitchcock, and Dance Inspired by Early Cinema and Soundtracks.
Source: Yale-New Haven Teachers Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Living Pictures Representing The History of Black Dance
This unit from the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute explores the history of black dance and includes five lesson plans as well as background information.
Source: Yale-New Haven Teachers Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No     

Dance Integrated Resource Package Grades 8-10
This collection of resources for teachers is from the Ministry of Education in British Columbia. You will find suggested strategies for instruction and assessment as well as suggested resources.
Source: Ministry of Education in British Columbia Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Dance Integrated Resource Package Grades 11-12
This collection of resources for teachers is from the Ministry of Education in British Columbia. You will find suggested strategies for instruction and assessment as well as suggested resources.
Source: Ministry of Education in British Columbia Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

WebQuests

Poetry in Motion
In this Webquest students select a poem and create a dance, that uses the three elements of dance - space, time and force.
Source: Denee Bannister Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Lesson Plans

Multigrade

Dance Lesson Plans
Collection of 11 lesson plans for grades Preschool-12 developed by a former public school dance teacher.
Source: Angela Weber Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Utah Education Network Dance Lesson Plans
Collection of lesson plans for grades 3-12.
Source: Utah Education Network Intended Audience: Teachers Reading Level: Adult Teacher Section: N/A Searchable: No

Grades K-4

Ballet and Classical Music
Students are introduced to the conceptual and practical elements of classical ballet as they learn ballet history, vocabulary, and steps. Source: ArtsEdge

CanTeach Dance Lessons
You will find a collection of dance lesson plans for grades K-4 at this site from this lesson plan site from Canada.
Source: Can Teach

The Chinese Lion Dance
The Chinese Lion Dance is an important part of the celebration of the Chinese New Year, and it is believed to bring good luck and happiness. Source: ArtsEdge

The Dance of the Butterfly
In this lesson, students will create an original dance that communicates the stages of the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Source: ArtsEdge

Island Breezes: Exploring Hula Dance
In this lesson, students will learn about the history of hula, the gestures and movements of hula, and the meaning of this Hawaiian dance.Source: ArtsEdge

Jazz Music, Dance, and Poetry
In this lesson, students will be introduced to jazz dance and jazz music. They will explore basic jazz dance movements, and will create a cinquain poem inspired by jazz music. Source: ArtsEdge

Making a Dance Involving Balance
Students make a dance that includes several balancing positions. Source: ArtsWorks

The Monkey Dance: Exploring Balinese Culture
In this lesson, students will learn about the country of Bali and the story of Ramayana and research varied aspects of the sounds, costumes, and images of the Monkey Dance. Source: ArtsEdge

Musical Harlem
Students will learn to identify musical styles and musicians associated with Harlem, focusing on jazz. Source: ArtsEdge

Swing Your Partner: The Basics of Square Dancing
This lesson will introduce students to the history of square dancing as well as provide an opportunity to learn some basic steps and formations. Source: ArtsEdge

Telling a Story through Dance
This lesson uses The Nutcracker to introduce the concept of telling a story through dance and pantomime. Source: ArtsEdge

You’re Invited to a Ceili: Exploring Irish Dance
Students listen to Irish music, learn about ceilis, view the intricate costumes worn by Irish dancers, and listen to an Irish poem. Source: ArtsEdge

Grades 5-8

Contrasting Emotions
Groups collaborate to create a movement study based on two contrasting emotions.
Source: ArtWorks

Discovering Russian Folk Dance
Students will learn the Russian folk dance "Troika." Then, they will work in groups of three (the traditional grouping used in the "Troika" to research Russian culture and history. Source: ArtsEdge

Elements of Ballet - Grades 5-8
How many ways can a person move? Students will explore and discover the elements of dance by demonstrating various simple movements. Source: ArtsEdge

Fancy Fencing
Stage-fighting, and especially sword-fighting, is important to the plot of many Shakespearean plays. In theatre, fights are based on precise choreography. Source: ArtsEdge

Interpreting Mythology Through Dance - Grades 5-8
In this lesson, students learn about the mythological 12-hour journey of the sun god Re. Working individually and in groups, the students choreograph a movement that represents one of the hours in Re's journey. Source: ArtsEdge

The Language of Ballet
Students learn basic ballet vocabulary and associate it with the actual physical movement. Source: ArtsEdge

Living Pictures Representing The History Of Black Dance - Grades 7-8
In this unit, students study the history of black dance through paintings, books, photography, and poetry. Source: Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute

Moccasins Are Made for Dancing
Students will read either of Tomie DePaola's versions of two Native American legends: The Legend of the Bluebonnet or The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush and create a dance for the legend they read.. Source: ArtsEdge

Pantomime vs. Abstract Gesture
Students demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture.
Source: ArtWorks

Interpreting Mythology Through Dance
In this lesson, students learn about Ancient Egyptian rituals and attitudes about death and the afterlife. Source: ArtsEdge

Systems of the Body: Movement and Choreography
In this lesson, students will create movement patterns that express information about the basic systems, organs, and processes of the human body. Source: ArtsEdge

Grades 9-12

Baila! Latin Dance in the Spanish Classroom - Grades 9-12
Students demonstrate and learn about the Latin dances of salsa, mambo, merengue, rumba, cha cha, bachata, and samba through oral group presentations on the dance. Students will also research and report on information about the country from which the dance originated. Source: ArtsEdge

Chance Art: Pollock, Cage and Cunningham
Students identify commonalities and differences between dance and other disciplines.
Source: ArtWorks

Improvisation and Choreography
Students use improvisation to generate movement for choreography.
Source: ArtWorks

Interactive Gateway Curriculum
Students learn about 1960’s choreographers Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Deborah Hay, Trisha Brown, Merce Cunningham, Anna Halprin and their choreographic devices. Source: ArtWorks

Nureyev: After Petipa
Nureyev’s early life and work were affected by changing social, political, and cultural forces in Russia. His artistic genius was influenced by the work of Marius Petipa. Source: ArtsEdge

Nureyev: Bringer of Light
This lesson focuses on the alignment of Nureyev’s artistic endeavors and achievements in the dance world of the West. Source: ArtsEdge

Nureyev: The Unconquerable Will
This lesson provides an overview of how creative expression developed in the West, particularly in the development of dance. Source: ArtsEdge