Dance 3 - Lesson 3

In the third dance lesson of the Striver Lesson Plans for Year 2, students are encouraged to embrace their creativity and coordination through the exploration of bird movements. The learning objectives are clear: they are to create simple dance phrases that capture the essence of different birds. The success criteria involve pupils being able to explore and respond to stimuli imaginatively, listen and respond to music, repeat and link actions with coordination, and demonstrate control while performing. They are also expected to observe and provide feedback on each other's work, using simple dance vocabulary with teacher support. Key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as motif, phrase, gesture, movement, canon, pathways, dynamics, and various bird movements like gliding, soaring, flitting, and swooping. Equipment needed includes gymnastic mats, animal-themed music, and cones to set the dance zone.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the teacher sets out the dance zone and leads a 'Beans' activity, where pupils perform actions based on different types of beans, such as jumping, running, and wobbling. For the main activity, the teacher revisits the dance topic of animals and prompts a discussion about birds, their similarities and differences, and the movements associated with them. Pupils are encouraged to improvise using these movements, with the optional accompaniment of 'The Aviary' from 'Carnival of the Animals'. They explore dynamics and perform in a canon, taking turns to mimic the soaring motion of a bird changing direction. The lesson concludes with group improvisation, where pupils create and perform dance phrases in small groups, considering the audience's perspective. The cool-down activity revisits the 'Beans' activity and includes stretching and breathing exercises on gymnastic mats to relax and prepare the pupils to return to class.