ARTSEDGE: Brothers of the Knight

This Unit at a Glance:

Grade Band:

Integrated Subjects:
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Targeted Standards:

The National Standards For Arts Education:

Dance (K-4)
Standard 1: Identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing dance

Music (K-4)
Standard 3: Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments

Music (K-4)
Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Music (K-4)
Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

Visual Arts (K-4)
Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Other National Standards:

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

Physical Education II (3-6) Standard 1: Uses a variety of basic and advanced movement forms

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Brothers of the Knight

Unit Overview:

This unit uses the book Brothers of the Knight, and the musical of the same name by Debbie Allen and James Ingram, to explore topics as diverse as choreography, songwriting and fashion design.

Lesson Overviews:

If the Shoe Fits

Students research the history of shoes and recreate dance movements from a specific time period.

Twelve Dancers

Students read two folktales and act out main events in each tale.

Doggie Dance

Students compose lyrics and choreograph movement based on a dog's life.

Why Dance?

In this lesson, students identify reasons why people dance.

Walk in My Shoes

Students examine a variety of shoes to design a durable dance shoe.

Boys Can Dance

This lesson looks at the male dancer and reinforces that dancing is beneficial for men and women.