PYP PE: PE and Drama Integration (the process unfolding)

A couple of weeks ago, I did a blog on a PE/Drama integration that we are currently in the midst of at Nanjing International School in China. We are doing movement composition in PE and felt that drama fit in very nicely with this unit. Please see the following link (http://www.pyppewithandy.com/2/post/2012/01/pyp-pe-pe-and-drama-integration.html) of the earlier blog explaining the aims and objectives of this integration.

In yesterday's class we revisited this integration with the students. As we just had a two-week holiday, we needed to give them a refresher. A few weeks ago, our drama teacher, Sam Brown, introduced the idea of wind to the students and had them brainstorm all the ways the wind moved. Here are some examples that the students came up with:

Quickly, slowly, swirly, twitchy, angrily, stormy, loudly, gently, like a tornado/hurricane, changes forms etc.

As individuals, both Sam and I, had the students individually explore all of these ideas. They were encouraged to experiment with the list described above and move their bodies in as many ways possible. They were then placed in groups as they will be performing a final routine (in a few weeks), as a summative assessment task with their team members. The summative assessment rubric was introduced to them using the Smart Board. The assessment criteria was discussed and any questions that they had were recorded. The rubric was kept up on the Smart Board for them to refer back to when they set off with their groups to begin the process of creating a routine. Sam and I have been recording what we have been doing in our lessons and passing these notes back and forth which has been extremely helpful during the collaboration process. 

Some Excellent Student Questions 

As always, during the the inquiry process students come up with excellent questions that always initiate a potential change in direction from teacher expectations. I had envisioned all of the students performing in groups as the 'wind', however, 2 great questions from yesterday were:

Can we act as leaves blowing in the wind? (Teacher response, "Absolutely what a great idea, I never thought of that!" ; Made me think of the forward rolls in gymnastics that we are working on could be the motion of the leaves rolling)

Can we be trees that are being blown by the wind? (Teacher response again was "Absolutely!" : I thought of the yoga posture , Tree Pose, that they will be learning in next week's lesson)

Please see slide show and video of yesterday's class. Also included is the Summative Assessment Task that we will be using with the students at the end of the unit.