CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE a Call for Hip-Hop
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE A Call for Hip-Hop Based Dance Curriculum in After-school Programs for High Risk Youth A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology By Rhasaan Sherrill December 2016 The graduate project of Rhasaan Sherrill is approved: _____________________ ____________ Shana Habel Date _____________________ ____________ Dr. Paula Thomson Date _____________________ ____________ Dr. Terry Sweeting, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Table of Contents Signature Page ii Abstract v Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Review of Literature 5 At Risk Youth 5 Decline in Physical Activity During School 5 Benefits of After School Programs 8 Social Cognitive Theory 12 Hip-Hop Dance and Cultural Implications 18 State and National Dance Standards 22 Chapter 3: Methods- Lesson Plan Format 29 Standards 29 Focus and Theme 30 Objective 30 Materials 31 Vocabulary 31 Warm-up and Cool Down 31 Exploring the Concept 32 Skill Development 32 Creating and Composing 33 Reflection 33 iii Chapter 4: Expected Results 35 Chapter 5: Discussion 36 References 39 Appendix A 46 Appendix B 97 Appendix C 98 Appendix D 100 iv Abstract A Call for Hip-Hop Based Dance Curriculum in After-school Programs for High Risk Youth By Rhasaan Sherrill Master of Science in Kinesiology An inadequate amount of physical activity has been identified as a contributing factor in obesity among American at risk youth (Trost, Rosenkranz, & Dzewaltowsk, 2008). Children who are considered at risk have the highest rates of obesity within this population. In addition to decreased levels of physical activity, at risk youth have shown difficulty in adjustment in terms of confidence, self-esteem, autonomy, and the ability to cope (Etzion & Romi, 2015). The characteristics described can result in at risk youth experiencing difficulty in functioning within their age-specific educational and social settings. Numerous v studies have reported the benefits of incorporating physical activity into school settings however, there are few studies that report the benefits of a school-based dance program to high-risk youth. Culturally relevant programs that promote self- efficacy in students have the potential to not only maintain physical activity, but improve the at risk characteristics previously mentioned (Jago, Edwards, Sebire, Cooper, Powell, Bird, Simon, Blair, 2013). This curriculum focuses on integrating the National Core Arts Standards and California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards into a hip-hop dance class for middle school, at risk youth. The 20 lessons and accompanying video contained in this curriculum provide students with an introduction to hip-hop dance so that they will be challenged to be critical thinkers, team builders, and creative artists. There is also potential for improvement in physical fitness upon completion of the course. It is recommended that the curriculum be applied to research by implementing a pilot after-school dance program. To test the efficacy of the curriculum, areas of measurement can include: self-efficacy, physical activity levels, academic performance, and NCAS based assessments. Keywords: hip-hop, dance, at risk, curriculum, National Core Arts Standards, California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standard vi Chapter 1: Introduction Children who engage in recommended amounts of physical activity are at a decreased risk of health-related problems such as obesity, hypertension, respiratory problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance (Beets, Beighle, Erwin, & Huberty, 2009; Trost, Rosenkranz, & Dzewaltowski, 2008). Despite the benefits of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in school-aged children, a large percentage of youth in the United States do not meet recommended guidelines in physical activity. Minority students are among the highest population showing a decline in physical activity and rising health-related problems. This population is also considered high-risk. High- risk youth can be defined as students who qualify for free or reduced-cost meals during school or whose annual income falls below the federal poverty level determined by the Department of Health Care Services. In particular, African-American and Hispanic youth fall behind the rest of the country in meeting suggested levels of daily physical activity (Robinson, Kraemer, Matheson, Obarzanek, Wilson, Haskell, ... & Varady, 2008; Sharma, 2008). High inactivity levels also result in limited opportunities for physical activity when those of lower socio-economic status are exposed to unsafe and undesirable environments (Beets et al., 2009; Witt & Baker, 1997). In addition to neighborhoods not being conducive for physical activity, the quest for school districts to meet the rising demands of academic achievement through standardized testing has significantly impacted attention to quality physical education in many schools (Ahamed, MacDonald, Reed, Naylor, Liu- 1 Ambrose, & McKay, 2007; Beets et al., 2009). The rise of after-school physical activity programs provides an opportunity for high-risk students to access school facilities in a safe environment and achieve recommended levels of physical activity without compromising academics (Beets et al., 2009). Physical activity in the form of sports, fitness, and dance are characteristic of many after-school programs. In creating after-school programs for high-risk and middle school youth, programs that focus solely on physical activity are not enough to change physical activity behavior in students (Huang, Gao, Hannon, Schultz, Newton, & Jenson, 2012). On the contrary programs need to be developed to address what motivates high-risk children to engage in physical activity. The implementation of hip-hop in curriculum has shown to captivate youth due to its predominance of minorities and relevancy in youth culture (Abe, 2009; Robinson et al., 2008; Taylor & Taylor, 2004). In 2009 over 300 courses on hip-hop alone were taught in United States classrooms (Hall, 2009). In addition to developing a program geared to the population served, it is imperative that studies are founded upon theory-based curriculum especially as it refers to student motivation. The use of a theoretical framework to support the physical activities provided in after-school programs identifies determinants of physical activity (Motl, 2007). The efficacy of a program geared towards the population it serves while employing a theory-based model can only be determined through some sort of assessment tool. The National Core Arts Standard (NCAS) in dance, developed by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, has been widely accepted as a 2 resource in achieving dance literacy across the nation and within states (California Department of Education, 2015; NDEO, n.d). NCAS are a set of standards composed of four artistic processes (creating, performing, responding, and connecting) that enable the student to become literate in dance education. California Common Core Standards were developed to promote the highest achievement of students, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should attain at each grade level (California Department of Education, 2016). After-school programs have proven to be successful in reducing at risk behavior in disadvantaged youth (Witt & Baker, 1997). Improvements in physical fitness, academics, and social development have been found (Beets, Beighle, Erwin, & Huberty, 2009) as well. Though research has shown the positive effects of integrating National Core Dance Standards and Common Core Standards into K-12 dance curriculum, very little research has been done on its implementation in after-school programs, and even less on hip-hop based curriculum. This project, therefore, will include the design of a hip-hop curriculum to be implemented by educators in after-school programs for middle school, disadvantaged youth. By completing the contents of this course children will be able to demonstrate the artistic processes of creating, performing, responding, and connecting as outlined in the National Core Arts Dance Standards and will integrate historical hip-hop content that continues to be prevalent in youth culture. Students will also have the opportunity to improve physical fitness through moderate-to-vigorous warm-ups and physical education lectures. 3 Hip-hop dance is defined as an urban dance form that includes popular styles such as popping, locking, breaking, house, grooves, and freestyle. National Core Arts Dance Standards will be defined as a set of standards composed of four artistic processes (creating, performing, responding, and connecting) that enable the student to become literate in dance education. (NDEO, n.d). The California Visual Performing Art Content Standards will be defined as a set of standards for K-8th including: artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context, aesthetic valuing, and connections, relationships and application (California Department of Education, 2015The course will be geared toward middle school, entry-level dancers, however content can be modified for those with prior dance experience. The significance of this curriculum is in its appeal to enhance current physical activity programs that lack quality curriculum needed for 21st century youth while equipping students with the skills needed to be high achievers despite the statistics associated with at-risk youth. The curriculum will be composed of 20 lesson plans