Coordinated Movement Experience Design

Mambo No. 5

Rationale
•   Movement is a very effective way of teaching a song to students. When the brain is
working on a certain problem using two different aspects, in this case kinesthetic and
aural, it will retain the information much faster, and for a much longer period of time.
When it comes to this age group, teaching them music by rote or by sheet music can be
boring for them and they will not actively engage in the music. By adding coordinated
movements to the music, the students will have another way to remember it. I remember
being in marching band and struggling to memorize music, but as soon as we started
choreographing the show, I was able to memorize much faster since I now had
movements to associate with different sections of the music.

Understanding Statements
•   Students will be able to walk to a beat.
•   Students will be able to complete movements throughout the song.
•   Students will know about the division of beats (song is fast 4 but students will step in 2)
•   Students will know about form of songs.

“I can” statements/standards
•   VA SOL 2.4.1
o   I can perform rhythmic passages using body percussion and movement.
•   VA SOL 2.5.1
o   I can respond to music with both locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
•   VA SOL 2.5.4
o   I can perform both choreographed and nonchoreographed movements, including
line dancing.

Materials
•   Laptop
•   Link to Mambo No. 5
•   Clothes for movement

Process
•   Teach the first basic moves of the song (9 minutes)
o   Line up the class, two lines facing each other
§   Say
•   In two three four, out two three four
o   Class repeats
o   Do this twice (at least)
 §   Say Do
•   In two three four, out two three four
o   Students walk towards each other and then back away
§   Whisper Do
•   Same as above
§   Think Do
•   Same but no talking
o   Next move (shuffle)
§   Say
•   Front of the class two three four, back of the class two three four
o   Direction based on teacher who is at end of the line
§   Should point when saying it
o   Side to side
o   Class repeats
§   Say Do
•   Demonstrate with above words
o   Class repeats
§   Whisper Do
§   Think Do
o   Next move (later in song)
§   Say
•   Clap clap clap clap, do-si-do three four
•   Class repeat
§   Say Do
•   Demonstrate with words
•   Class repeat
§   Whisper Do
§   Think Do
•   Play 1st verse of the song and have students do motions with you (2 minutes)
o   They should look familiar!
o   Do twice
•   Quickly explain chorus, and then play it until everyone has a chance to go through (1
minute)
•   Tell the students to listen to the second verse and try to guess the moves (2 minutes)
o   Play it twice
•   Play the second verse a third time and have the students show what they think it is (2
minutes)
o   Then show the moves and do it again
•   Play the whole song and students move to the whole thing (3 minutes)
Assessment

Standard
1 2 3 4
I cannot perform I can occasionally I can perform I can perform
rhythmic passages perform rhythmic most rhythmic rhythmic passages
VA SOL using body passages using passages using using body
2.4.1 percussion and body percussion body percussion percussion and
movement. or movement. and movement. movement.
I cannot respond I can occasionally I can respond to I can respond to
to music with respond with music with music with both
VA SOL both locomotor locomotor or non- locomotor and locomotor and
2.5.1 and non- locomotor non-locomotor non-locomotor
locomotor movements. movements most movements.
movements. of the time.
I cannot perform I can occasionally I can perform I can perform
both perform both both
choreographed nonchoreographed nonchoreographed choreographed
and movements, movements and and
VA SOL nonchoreographed and/or basic most nonchoreographed
2.5.4 movements, choreographed choreographed movements,
including line movements. movements including line
dancing. including line dancing.
dancing.

Adaptation
•   For students that need more structure, put dots or grids on the floor where the students are
supposed to stand and move to when they are moving.
•   For students that may be moving past the basic moves, wind it forward to ask them to put
the smaller beat in another part of their body.

Extension
•   Once the students have made it through the song a couple times, the teacher can now start
putting guidelines for the sort of things that the students do when they dance through the
center, such as, “Do your dance on one foot”, or “step with the smaller beat”, and things
like this. This could go on for a while and you could even ask students to come up with
their own ideas.