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Dance

Free Sample Year 3

Learning Objectives

  1. Explore and create narratives in response to a range of stimuli.
  2. Understand the link between heart rate and breathing when exercising.

Literacy Keywords
  • Street dance
  • Tutting
  • Beat of 8
  • Unison
  • Canon
  • Levels
Numeracy
  • Counting
Equipment
  • Speaker
  • Marker spots
Risk Assessment
  • Suitable clothing and footwear worn by participants.
  • Equipment suitable for participants, safe and checked.
  • Area safe and checked - any hazards removed.
  • Safety information highlighted to participants.
  • Staff aware of all emergency procedures, including designated 1st aider.
Knowledge Checks

Throughout this plan you will see ‘Knowledge Checks’ to help you ensure the pupils are acquiring the intended knowledge as the lesson progresses. The two types of knowledge to focus on in PE are:

  • Declarative Knowledge: Factual knowledge concerning movement, rules, tactics, strategies, health and participation (best practiced through spoken or written observations of a practical demonstration).
  • Procedural Knowledge: Knowing how to apply declarative facts (best practiced through demonstration or participation).

  • This is the first lesson in the “Rather Be” street dance.
  • Additional guidance for this unit is provided via the Dance Overview at www.PEplanning.org.uk.
  • You will need to download Rather Be from Jess Glynne. The track should be 3 minutes, 47 seconds and can be found on most music and streaming sites, for example Spotify, I-Tunes, Amazon.
  • Street Dance – is a term that originally described dances created on the street / in parks for fun. Today it is a main stream style of dance and is often used in pop music videos. Originally dances were created and evolved by the people performing them. As the style has become main stream, choreography of street dance is more widespread but due to its evolution there are no set moves or steps as with other more traditional dance styles. Therefore anything goes, any actions and movements can be used to tell the story and display the emotion the performers wish to convey to an audience. It is therefore a very creative style of dance.
  • Tutting is using the body to create geometric shapes and positions, such as boxes, and movements that predominantly use right angles. It generally focuses on the arms and hands and includes substyles such as finger tutting.
  • This lesson introduces the dance to the children. Explain that they will be learning and creating their own dance and that once they have learnt and rehearsed the dance, they will be performing it to an audience.
  • It is important the children listen and become familiar with the music so they can perform the actions to the dance.
  • Key concepts for the lesson:

– Beat of 8 – all the parts of the dance are performed to a beat of 8. On this track the beat is approximately 1 count per second –

Remind the children of the importance of the beat of the track – dance moves should be performed in time with the beat.

– Canon – when actions/movements are performed one person after another.

– Unison – when all dancers perform the same action/movement at the same time.

– Levels – making use of different levels to create interesting phrases that are relevant to the music and dance.

Activities & Games

Get in Order
3 - 5 mins
  • Split the class into groups of 4 children and give each child a number.
  • Ensure children remember who is in their team.
  • In a large, safe space, pupils move around in different ways.
  • Call out a random sequence of numbers, for example: 2,4,3,1, – each team must get into this order as quickly as possible.
  • Keep changing the way children move around – skipping, jumping, hopping, sidestepping, jogging etc.
  • Continue playing the game, calling out different number sequences.

 

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Teaching Points
  • Remind children to move around on their own, with their head up, avoiding others.
  • Gradually increase the intensity of the activity.
  • Listen carefully and follow instructions.

 

To make activity harder:

  • Call out one number, so all children of the same number have to get together.
Knowledge Check
  • Why does heart rate change during exercise? The heartrate increases to pump more blood around the body to the working muscles.
  • Why does breathing rate change during exercise? Breathing becomes more rapid to provide the working muscles with the increased oxygen required to keep working.
  • Why are the two rates linked? The muscles require oxygen to work harder and the oxygen is transported to the muscles in the blood. Therefore both rates need to increase to meet the oxygen demands of the muscles.
Moving to the Beat
10 - 15 mins
  • This activity is not part of the dance.  It is designed to help the children understand the beat of 8.
  • Create a dance phrase for the children to use, using the count of 8. eg…

–       Clap

–       Clap

–       Nod

–       Nod

–       Circle right shoulder

–       Circle left shoulder

–       Jump

–       Fold arms

(1 count for each action)

  • Provide a count for the children to perform the dance phrase to, using the beat of 8.

–       Slow Count – 1 count every 2 seconds.

–       Medium Count – 1 count per second.

–       Fast Count – 1 count every half second.

  • Children should perform the phrase in time with the count.
  • Discuss why it is important to move in time with the music:

–     Dance moves are choreographed to match the music, it is important to perform them at the right time.

 

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Teaching Points
  • Emphasise the importance of listening to the music to move in time with it.
  • Repeat the different speed counts.

 

To make activity harder:

  • Give the children a more difficult dance phrase.
  • Introduce the music the pupils will be learning the dance to – Rather Be, by Jess Glynne. You will need to download this track.

To make activity easier:

  • Give the children a simpler dance phrase.
Knowledge Check
  • PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
  • DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Part 1a - Canon and Step
10 - 15 mins
  • This is the first section of the ‘rather be‘ dance.
  • The children should form 4 lines. Number the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4.
  • They should stand in their lines smartly, facing the audience with hands by their sides – 4 beats.
  • Then, in the fifth beat, line 1 drops to the floor, in a crouching position – 1 beat.
  • Lines, 2, 3 and 4 copy, in canon, the crouch position, (one line per beat) – 3 beats.
  • In the same order, using canon again, the four lines jump back up to standing, with their feet together and arms in a ‘V’ shape in the air – 4 beats.
  • Staying in their lines the children perform the next phrase in unison…

–       Bring arms slowly down, resting by the side of the body – 4 beats.

  • Then…

–       Step to the right and tap left foot – 1 beat.

–       Step to the left and tap right foot – 1 beat.

–       Step to the right and tap left foot – 1 beat.

–       Step to the left and tap right foot – 1 beat.

  • From the position in their lines, all children move to find a new space on their own– 4 beats.
  • First practise these actions without the music until the children remember the routine, then introduce the music.

 

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Teaching Points
  • This part of the dance uses 0:00 to 0:24 minutes of the song and contains 3 beats of 8.
  • Encourage the children to move to the beat.
  • Count the beats so the children can perform the actions in time.
  • Hold your pose until it is your turn to move again.
  • Watch the video guide at www.PEplanning.org.uk

 

To make activity harder:

  • Allow the lines to choose their own 2 poses (instead of crouching then standing) in the first 2 canon actions.

To make activity easier:

  • Introduce and build up the elements slowly and gradually.
Knowledge Check
  • PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
  • DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Part 1b - Strike a Pose
10 - 15 mins
  • Allow time for the children to create 2 poses they can perform on their feet (on their own, in their own space). The 1st pose should be a high pose, and the 2nd should be a low pose.
  • The children must remember their numbers from the lines in part 1a for this phrase.
  • In the space they moved into at the end of part 1a, children perform their first pose (high) in canon…

–       Number 1’s pose – 2 beats.

–       Number 2’s pose – 2 beats.

–       Number 3’s pose – 2 beats.

–       Number 4’s pose – 2 beats.

  • Children then have the count of 8 to walk into a new space – 1 beat of 8.
  • Children now perform their 2nd pose (low) in the same order (canon) – 1 beat of 8.
  • First practise without the music until the children remember the routine, then introduce the music.

 

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Teaching Points
  • This part of the dance uses 0:24 to 0:48 minutes of the song and contains 3 beats of 8.
  • Encourage the children to move to the beat.
  • Count the beats so the children can perform the actions in time.
  • Hold your pose until it is your turn to move again.
  • Encourage the children to be creative.
  • Perform their poses on different levels.
  • Poses must be performed on the floor.
  • Watch the video guide at www.PEplanning.org.uk

 

To make activity harder:

  • Introduce and build up the elements more quickly.

To make activity easier:

  • Introduce and build up the elements slowly and gradually.
Knowledge Check
  • PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
  • DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Follow the Leader - Canon
3 - 5 mins
  • Children work in their groups for 4 from the warm up.
  • Recap what canon is in dance.
  • Play a follow the leader type game, where the ‘leader’ performs an action, or movement, and one after the other, the rest of the group copy.
  • Play a song of your choice and encourage children to keep to the beat and move in time.
  • Change the leader every minute, ensuring children in the group know the new order of canon.

 

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Teaching Points
  • Ensure each group works in a good space of their own.
  • Groups can be in a line to make it easier for them to know their order… or can be spread out in a different formation, or random.
  • Join in to show pupils what to expect.
  • Encourage pupils to show good control of movements.
Knowledge Check

What is Canon and how did you perform in Canon during the lesson?

  • Canon – when actions/movements are performed one person after another.
  • Encourage the children to describe how they worked in canon during the lesson.

What happens to your breathing and heart rate when dancing?

  • Heart rate increases and breathing becomes more rapid. This is because the muscles require oxygen to keep working hard and oxygen is transported to the muscles in the blood.
  • Both rates need to increase to meet the oxygen demands of the muscles.