Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Use mime and movement in drama.
• Perform simple rhythms with your body.
• Create a short dance to show a feeling.
• Identify feelings in performance.
• Work together in a group.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces Grade 3 learners to the expressive and exciting world of Creative Arts, focusing on the disciplines of drama, music, and dance. In South Africa, a country rich with diverse cultures, these arts are not just for entertainment; they are the heartbeat of our communities. We see them in traditional Zulu Indlamu dancing, hear them in the rhythms of the Cape Klopse, and feel them in the powerful storytelling of our elders. This lesson helps learners understand that they can use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to express feelings, share stories, and connect with their own culture and the cultures of others.

Lesson notes

This section covers the core ideas of drama, music, and dance for Grade 3 learners.

Drama: Telling Stories with Our Bodies and Voices What is Drama? Drama is like playing pretend, but with a purpose. It's about using your body, face, and voice to act out a story or show a feeling. You become a character!

Mime: This is a special kind of acting where you use no words at all. You tell the whole story using only your body and facial expressions.

Why it's important: Mime teaches us how to communicate powerful messages without speaking, which helps us understand body language in real life.

Example: Let's pretend you are eating a lemon. How would your face look? You would squint your eyes, wrinkle your nose, and pucker your lips. Even without you saying "This is sour!", everyone would understand. South African

Example: Imagine you are trying to mime the action of making 'pap'. You would pretend to hold a big pot, pour in the mealie meal, and stir with a big wooden spoon, showing that it's getting thick and hard to stir.

Movement: This is how you use your body to show who or what you are. You can move like an animal, a person, or even an object.

Why it's important: Movement helps us explore different ways our bodies can move and helps us become more aware of the space around us.

Example: To move like a meerkat, you would stand tall on your tiptoes, with your hands held like paws near your chest, and quickly turn your head from side to side, looking for danger.

Music: Making Sounds with Rhythm What is Music? Music is the art of organising sounds in time. It has a beat (rhythm) and often a tune (melody). It can make us feel happy, sad, or want to dance!

Rhythm: Rhythm is the beat of the music. It's a pattern of sounds that repeats. You can feel it in your favourite songs.

Why it's important: Rhythm is the foundation of music and dance. It helps us keep time and work together.

Body Percussion: This is making music using only your body. It's a fantastic way to create rhythms without any instruments.

How to do it: Stomp: Use your feet on the floor.

Pat: Pat your hands on your thighs (called 'patsching').

Clap: Clap your hands together.

Snap: Snap your fingers. South African

Example: The famous Gumboot dance started with miners in South Africa who would communicate by slapping their boots. This is a powerful form of body percussion!

Found Instruments: These are instruments you make from everyday objects.

Why it's important: It shows us that music is everywhere and we can be creative with whatever we have.

Examples: Shaker: Fill a plastic bottle or tin with rice or small stones.

Drum: Turn a plastic bucket or container upside down and tap it with your hands or two spoons.

Scraper: Rub a stick along a corrugated cardboard box.

Dance: Moving to Express Ourselves What is Dance? Dance is moving your body rhythmically, usually to music. We dance to tell stories, show feelings, or just for the joy of moving.

Locomotor Movements: These are movements that take you from one place to another.

Examples: Walking, running, skipping, hopping, jumping, leaping, galloping.

Non-Locomotor Movements: These are movements you do while staying in one spot.

Examples: Bending, stretching, twisting, turning, swinging, swaying.

Expressive Dance: This is using dance to show a feeling or an idea.

Why it's important: It helps us release our emotions in a healthy and creative way.

Example: To show 'joy', your dance might have lots of locomotor movements like jumping, skipping, and leaping with your arms wide. To show 'sadness', your dance might use non-locomotor movements like slowly bending and swaying with your head down. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: The Invisible Wall (Drama/Mime) Work with a partner. One partner creates an 'invisible wall' with their hands. The other partner must explore the wall using only mime. Touch it, push it, find its edges, and maybe even find a door to go through. Detailed Solution and

Commentary: Method: The goal is to make the audience believe there is a real wall there. The learner exploring the wall should move their hands slowly and press them flat as if touching a solid surface. Their facial expression should show concentration or curiosity. To find the edges, they can run their hands up and down and side to side until the 'wall' ends. To find a door, they might feel for a handle, turn it, and then change their body posture to show they are stepping through to the other side.

Commentary: This exercise teaches learners about creating a sense of space and objects using only their bodies. It encourages focus and cooperation between partners.

Question 2: Rhythm Train (Music/Body Percussion) The teacher starts a simple four-beat rhythm, for example: Stomp, Clap, Pat, Pat. The first learner in a circle copies it. Then the next learner copies it, and so on around the circle, like a train. Once everyone can do it, the teacher changes the rhythm.