Lesson Plan
Emotion & Motion Outline
Students will connect emotions to expressive movement by creating and performing freeze-frame poses, completing a guided worksheet, and reflecting on their emotional expression.
This lesson develops students’ emotional literacy and dance vocabulary, fostering self-awareness, creativity, and physical engagement aligned with national dance standards.
Audience
7th Grade
Time
50 minutes
Approach
Guided movement prompts and reflection
Materials
- Mood Moves Slides, - Emotion Prompt Pages, - Music Player, - Open Space, and - Journals
Prep
Prepare Resources
10 minutes
- Queue up music tracks for movement prompts
- Project Mood Moves Slides
- Print copies of Emotion Prompt Pages
- Arrange classroom into open space for safe movement
- Review the lesson plan and familiarize yourself with all prompts and worksheets
Step 1
Objective & Warm-Up
10 minutes
- Introduce the objective: connect emotions to expressive movement
- Lead a dynamic stretch and locomotor warm-up (e.g., reaching, lunges, quick feet)
- Display three quick emotion prompts (happy, surprised, calm) using Mood Moves Slides – students move to embody each emotion
Step 2
Freeze-Frame Emote Activity
15 minutes
- Display one emotion per slide using Mood Moves Slides
- In small groups, students create a 4-beat movement phrase ending in a freeze-frame pose that captures the emotion
- Rotate through four emotions, with each group sharing their final freeze-frame pose
- Encourage use of level changes, varied body shapes, and facial expression
Step 3
Worksheet Exploration
15 minutes
- Distribute Emotion Prompt Pages
- Students read prompts and sketch or list three movements for each emotion
- Prompt examples include:
• “Angry stomp”
• “Joyful jump”
• “Mysterious glide” - Circulate to support movement vocabulary and clarify safety guidelines
Step 4
Reflection & Wrap-Up
10 minutes
- Have students journal in their movement reflection journals:
• Which emotion was easiest or hardest to express? Why?
• How did your movement choices affect your feelings? - Invite volunteers to share their reflections
- Summarize key concepts: emotional intent, body dynamics, performance presence
Step 5
Assessment
Ongoing
- Observe group freeze-frame performances for clear emotional qualities
- Review Emotion Prompt Pages for creative movement vocabulary
- Read journal entries to assess self-awareness and articulation of emotional expression
Slide Deck
Mood Moves
Express yourself! Use your body to show how you feel.
Welcome students. Introduce the purpose of the Mood Moves deck. Encourage focus on body awareness and emotional expression through movement.
Warm-Up
- Reach high to the sky
- Lunge forward and back
- Quick feet in place
Guide the warm-up. Lead high reaches, lunges, quick feet. Remind students to move safely in the space.
Happy
Bounce with light steps. Open arms wide. Smile big!
Show “Happy” and encourage bouncy, open movements. Smile and use big shapes.
Surprised
Eyes wide open. Leap up and out. Use sudden changes in movement.
Prompt “Surprised”: wide eyes, big jumps, quick changes in level.
Calm
Move slowly like floating. Soften your arms. Breathe gently.
For “Calm”: slow, smooth glides. Gentle arm curves. Deep breaths.
Angry
Stomp feet heavily. Clench fists. Move with power.
For “Angry”: use strong stomps, tense fists, forceful movements.
Joyful
Leap high. Reach up. Let your excitement shine.
For “Joyful”: leap and reach higher with each jump.
Mysterious
Tiptoe softly. Move in curved lines. Keep your movements smooth and secretive.
For “Mysterious”: gliding, tiptoeing, flowing shapes.
Worksheet
Emotion Prompt Pages
Instructions
Read each emotion prompt below. Sketch or list three movements that express each emotion. Use the space provided to draw your body shape or describe your movement.
Part 1: Movement Prompts
- Emotion: Happy
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
- Emotion: Surprised
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
- Emotion: Calm
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
- Emotion: Angry
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
- Emotion: Joyful
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
- Emotion: Mysterious
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
Page 2: Example
Emotion: [Your Emotion Here]
Movement 1:
Movement 2:
Movement 3:
Sketch Your Favorite Pose:
Activity
Expression Explosion: Freeze-Frame Emote Activity
Objective: In small groups, students will create and perform a 4-beat movement phrase ending in a freeze-frame pose that clearly communicates a specific emotion. They will rotate through multiple emotions, share with the class, and reflect on their expressive choices.
Time: 15 minutes
Group Size: 3–4 students
Materials:
- Mood Moves Slides (to display emotion prompts)
- Open, safe movement space
Instructions
- Setup (1 minute)
- Project an emotion from Mood Moves Slides (e.g., “Happy”).
- Remind groups of safe spacing and energy levels.
- Create the Phrase (4 minutes)
- In each group, students brainstorm and practice a short 4-beat movement phrase that ends in a freeze-frame pose embodying the displayed emotion.
- Encourage:
• Level changes (high/low)
• Varied body shapes (angular/rounded)
• Clear facial expressions
- Perform & Rotate (8 minutes)
- Each group performs their freeze-frame phrase for the class (30–45 seconds).
- Class offers one positive observation (e.g., “I saw strong fists that showed anger”).
- Advance to the next emotion slide and repeat until four emotions are explored.
- Whole‐Class Share (1 minute)
- Invite one group to share a favorite freeze-frame across all emotions.
Reflection Questions (Journal or Group Debrief)
- Which freeze-frame pose best captured its emotion? Why?
- What body parts or shapes did you use to make the feeling clear?
- How did collaborating in a group influence your movement ideas?
- In future performances, how might you make your emotional intent even stronger?
Journal
Movement Reflection Journal
Spend the next 10 minutes writing thoughtful, detailed responses to the prompts below. Use complete sentences and refer back to your experiences in the Freeze-Frame Emote Activity and your sketches on the Emotion Prompt Pages.
- Which emotion did you find easiest to express through movement? Which emotion was the hardest to express? Explain your reasons in detail.
- Describe one movement phrase you created during the group activity. How did each element—level changes, body shapes, and facial expressions—help communicate the intended emotion?
- How did working with your peers influence your creative process and final performance? Provide specific examples of ideas you adopted or adapted from teammates.
- Reflect on your notes and sketches in the Emotion Prompt Pages. How did planning your movements on paper help you feel more confident or clear about your performance?
- Imagine you’re telling a story in another class (e.g., language arts or social studies). How could you use expressive movement techniques from today’s lesson to make your storytelling more engaging? Describe at least two ideas.