I found a great resource for easy to follow dance steps that I think students of all ages with special needs will enjoy. I stumbled on it while I was writing the lesson plans for our Elvis Presley book. In the book we talk about Elvis’ nickname being “Elvis the Pelvis” due to the way he danced. From a cultural literacy perspective, we want to familiarize students with Elvis Presley, his music, and famous dance moves.I thought it would be fun to not only hear Elvis sing, but to teach students to dance to one of his songs. That is when I stumbled on Jailhouse Rock led by John Jacobson. It was exactly what I wanted for that unit. What is wonderful, is that Jacobson has a number of free dance videos on YouTube, so check those out. He also has a web site where you can purchase movement videos (I have not seen those). I am impressed with what I have seen so far, so I wanted to share this resource. In a classroom setting, I would project this video on a SMARTBoard and crank the music. At home I would cast it on TV. And of course, lead the dance enthusiastically! Taking a dance break is not only fun, but gets blood flowing. It breaks things up so that students are ready to focus again.
