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Traveling & Staying

Third graders learn two kinds of movement in dance — locomotor moves that travel through space (walk, run, jump) and non-locomotor moves done in one spot (twist, bend, reach) — and how to combine them.

Grade 3Movement Skills40 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain locomotor moves.
  • ✓Explain non-locomotor moves.
  • ✓Sort the moves.
  • ✓Combine both.
Essential Question

Some dance moves travel across the floor, and some stay right in one spot. What’s the difference between traveling moves and staying-in-place moves?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Traveling or Staying?

Project this and sort each move into traveling (locomotor) or staying in one spot (non-locomotor).

💃 Sort each move — traveling or staying?Try it
👟 Traveling (Locomotor)
🧍 Staying (Non-locomotor)
Tap a move, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Travel or Stay

5 min

Some moves travel; some stay in place — what’s the difference?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a traveling and a staying move.
  • Ask what differs.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move.
  • Notice.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore the Moves

9 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Traveling or Staying?
  • Sort each one.
  • Try them out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Try them.
  • Explain.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do locomotor moves.
  • Do non-locomotor moves.
  • Combine them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Travel.
  • Stay.
  • Combine.
4

Perform — Perform

8 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform a mix of moves.
  • Name traveling vs. staying.
  • Give kind feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Name them.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a traveling move.
  • Name a staying move.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.3

Demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movement.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.3

Move through and within space.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.3

Explore movement possibilities.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.3

Describe types of movement.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Move picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is a ___ move.”
  • Demonstrate each move.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with walking vs. bending.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Try one move.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Create a phrase using both.
  • Add levels to the moves.
  • Lead a movement.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💃Move cards
  • 💻Traveling or Staying?
  • 👟Open space
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

locomotormovement that travels through spacenon-locomotormovement done in one spottravelto move from place to placetwistto turn your body in placebendto curve your bodyreachto extend your body outwardswayto move side to sidephrasea short series of movements
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a locomotor move? Give an example.
A move that travels — like walking, running, jumping, or skipping.
QUESTION 2
What is a non-locomotor move? Give an example.
A move done in one spot — like twisting, bending, reaching, or swaying.
QUESTION 3
Is jumping across the floor traveling or staying?
Traveling (locomotor).

Reflect: travel and stay.

Have students make a short dance that uses one traveling move and one staying move. A printable moves sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Traveling & StayingFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Traveling & StayingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Traveling & StayingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bend, locomotor, non-locomotor, phrase, reach, sway, travel, twist
  1. movement that travels through space
  2. to move from place to place
  3. movement done in one spot
  4. to turn your body in place
  5. a short series of movements
  6. to extend your body outward
  7. to curve your body
  8. to move side to side

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a locomotor move? Give an example.
  2. What is a non-locomotor move? Give an example.
  3. Is jumping across the floor traveling or staying?
Answer key — Part A: 1) locomotor · 2) travel · 3) non-locomotor · 4) twist · 5) phrase · 6) reach · 7) bend · 8) sway
Part B: 1) A move that travels — like walking, running, jumping, or skipping. 2) A move done in one spot — like twisting, bending, reaching, or swaying. 3) Traveling (locomotor).