Dance 2 - Lesson 1

In the first lesson of Dance 2 for Year 1, the curriculum introduces young students to the creative world of movement, with a special focus on the Seasons and Weather. The learning objectives are clear: students will explore and experiment with a variety of movements, respond creatively to different stimuli, and enhance their coordination skills. The success criteria set the expectations, encouraging pupils to explore movement ideas, repeat and link actions with coordination, and provide feedback using simple dance vocabulary with teacher support. Key vocabulary for the lesson includes terms like 'phrase', 'pathways', 'travel', and names of the seasons and weather-related terms, which will be used to describe and understand the movements. Equipment needed for the lesson includes gym mats for the cooldown and suggested music like Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' to inspire the dance activities.

The lesson starts with a warm-up where the class teacher defines the dance area and leads the students through various travelling steps, such as skipping and galloping, using different pathways. This is followed by a 'Traffic Lights' activity to get the children moving and responding to commands. During the main part of the lesson, the teacher introduces the theme of Seasons and Weather, prompting the students to create dance phrases that depict different times of the year. Students are encouraged to use their imagination to associate movements with seasonal elements like new leaves in spring or ice skating in winter. The lesson progresses with pupils working in pairs to choreograph and perform their dance phrases, receiving and giving feedback based on the success criteria. The lesson concludes with a cooldown activity that includes a repeat of the 'Traffic Lights' game and stretching exercises to help pupils relax and reflect on their dance experience.