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Expressive Movement and Emotions

Lesson Plan

Expressive Movement and Emotions

Explore and express emotions through movement

In this lesson, high school students will engage in creative movement activities to explore and express emotions. This lesson aims to enhance emotional intelligence and self-awareness, which are crucial for personal development and social interactions. By using movement as a medium, students will learn to articulate their emotions and understand the impact of body language in communication.

Audience

Incoming 9th Graders

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Explore and express emotions through movement

Materials

Open space for movement, Music player with various genres of music, Emotion cards (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, anxious, calm), and Discussion Questions

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

  • Welcome students and explain the focus on exploring emotions through movement.
  • Discuss the importance of emotional expression and how it relates to self-awareness and communication.
  • Introduce the concept of using body language to convey emotions.

Step 2

Warm-Up Activity

10 minutes

  • Lead students in a dynamic warm-up to prepare their bodies (e.g., stretching, light jogging).
  • Play an upbeat song and encourage students to move freely, focusing on how different movements can express different feelings.

Step 3

Emotion Exploration

15 minutes

  • Present the emotion cards one at a time (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, anxious, calm).
  • For each emotion, discuss its physical manifestations and how it can be expressed through movement.
  • Play music that aligns with each emotion and guide students to create movements that express these emotions.
  • Encourage students to reflect on how their movements change with each emotion.

Step 4

Peer Collaboration Activity

10 minutes

  • Pair students and assign each pair an emotion card.
  • Ask each pair to develop a short movement sequence that represents their assigned emotion.
  • Encourage pairs to discuss their interpretations and refine their movements together.
  • Have pairs perform their sequence for another pair and provide feedback to each other.

Step 5

Group Activity

5 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups and have them combine their movement sequences into a cohesive performance.
  • Each group performs their sequence for the class and facilitates a discussion on the interpretations and observations.

Step 6

Closure

5 minutes

  • Gather students in a circle and invite them to share their experiences and insights from the activities.
  • Discuss the role of movement in emotional expression and its relevance in daily life.
  • Encourage students to continue exploring emotions through creative outlets.
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Discussion

Discussion Questions

Questions to guide a discussion on emotions and movement for high school students.

What are some complex emotions we experience as teenagers?

Encourage students to think about emotions like anxiety, stress, and joy, and discuss how these might be expressed physically.







How did it feel to use your body to express different emotions?

Ask students to reflect on their experience and share any insights about how movement helped them understand their emotions better.







Why is it important to be aware of our emotions and express them?

Discuss the benefits of emotional awareness and expression, including improved communication and mental health.







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