Choreo Graph Activity 1: Create a Dance Move

Expected Activity Time

Part 1: Create Your Own Dance Move (20-40 minutes)

Part 2: Analyze and Compare Moves (20-40 minutes)

Materials and Prep

• Create a Dance Move Student Sheets
• iPad with Choreo Graph app
• Wifi access for sharing work to other iPads or to the online project space
• Graph paper

Introducing the Activity

Create your own six-step dance move. Act it out and then sketch on paper how you might create the move step-by-step. Using Choreo Graph, take a picture of yourself or your friend and animate it, noting the angles and translations used during each step of the dance. Swap your animated dance moves with a classmate and compare and analyze how they are the same and different.

To Do

Part 1: Create a Dance Move(20-40 minutes)

Ask students to:

• Sketch out ideas for a six step dance move.
• Think about the angles and translations that will make up the dance move.
• Create the dance moves using Choreo Graph and take note of any changes in angles or translations as one moves from paper to digital.
• When completed, share their dance with a classmate to see if they can estimate and describe the math in each step of the dance move. Make sure classmates are able to watch dances at least twice before analyzing the math.

Part 2: Analyze and Compare Moves (20-40 minutes)

Analyze a classmate’s dance moves and compare it to your own:

• Once students have analyzed the math in their own dances, they should swap with a classmate and watch the other’s animated dance moves.
• Before examining the mathematics, students should take notes about what is different and the same between the two dances.
• After comparing and contrasting, focus on the math in your partner’s dance. Write down your estimations for each move.
• Check to see how accurate your estimates were using Choreo Graph tools.

Discussion

While students are going through the dance move process, it’s important to prompt them to think about the following areas:

• The angles and transformations needed to make each step of the dance move
• The math needed to create realistic versus unrealistic moves (both are encouraged!)
• The changes made to the dance when it went from paper to virtual
• The mood of the dance

Extensions and Inquiring Further

To take this activity further, students can alternately share just the math behind their moves and challenge their classmates to recreate their moves. This is a good way for students to experience mathematics as code.

Part 1: Create a Dance Move

• Sketch out your ideas for a six step dance move.

• Think about the angles and translations that will make up your dance move.

• Create your dance move using Choreo Graph. Note any changes in angles or translations as you take your move from paper to digital.

• When you are finished, share with a classmate to see if they can estimate the math in each step of your dance move. Make sure they are able to watch it at least twice to get a good look at the dance before analyzing the math.

Storyboard your moves:

Name: __________________________                  Date: _____________

Part 2: Analyze and Compare Dance Moves

Analyze a classmate’s dance move to compare to your own.

• Once you have analyzed the math in your own dance, you are ready to compare what you did to a dance that your classmate created. Trade with your partner, and watch their dance.

• Before examining the mathematics, note the differences and similarities you notice between the two dances.

• After comparing and contrasting the dances, focus on the math in your partner’s dance. Write out your estimates for each move in their dance.

• Use the Choreo Graph tools to see how accurate your estimates are.

Name: __________________________                  Date: _____________

Part 2: Analyze and Compare Dance Moves

Reflection Questions:

1. What types of rotations or translations were used?

2. Did this add to or take away from the reality of the dance move?

3. How do your dance moves compare to your friend’s dance moves?

App Features

You will begin by entering Make Some Moves. In Build mode, students will:

• Take pictures
• Trace and cut out parts of your photo that you want to animate
• Add graphic or musical elements from tool bar below:

In Animate mode, students will use the:

Graph Controller. Choreo Graph uses keyframes much like other movie editing software. At each point in the keyframe, the student can manipulate how each part of the animation rotates. Each point represents the position of that part at a specific time. Stretch the points up and down to set the degrees of rotation. The steeper the line on the graph, the faster the part moves.

Toggle on math tools to notice:

Degrees each part has rotated

Path the main part travels

The location and coordinates of each part.