Dance 3 - Lesson 4

In the fourth lesson of Dance 3 for Year 1, students are encouraged to express themselves through movement, creating a dance phrase inspired by beach activities. The learning objectives are clear: pupils should be able to explore and respond to various stimuli imaginatively, repeat and link actions with coordination, and provide feedback on their peers' work with the support of the teacher using simple dance vocabulary. Key vocabulary for the lesson includes terms like 'motif', 'phrase', 'gesture', 'movement', and 'pathways', along with words related to the seaside such as 'sea', 'waves', 'ebb', 'flow', 'shells', 'flotsam', and 'jetsam'. The equipment needed for this lesson includes gymnastic mats and music that evokes the feeling of summer or the seaside, with Debussy's 'La Mer' suggested as an option.

The lesson starts with a 10-minute warm-up where the class teacher models different travelling steps, such as walking, marching, or skipping, and introduces the 'Sweet Shop' activity where pupils move around the space in response to various commands associated with sweets. The main part of the lesson, lasting 30 minutes, focuses on creating dance phrases that reflect seaside activities. Pupils are shown beach bag items to stimulate their imagination and asked to find a space to express their ideas through movement, such as walking along the beach or building sandcastles. The lesson concludes with a 10-minute cool-down, repeating the 'Sweet Shop' activity and incorporating stretches and breathing exercises to relax the pupils before they return to class.