Dance 3 - Lesson 4

In the fourth lesson of Dance 3 for Year 2, pupils are encouraged to unleash their imagination and physically express the movements of various sea creatures through dance. The learning objectives are clear: create simple dance phrases that capture the essence of different sea animals' movements. To achieve success, the children are expected to explore and respond to stimuli, listen and respond to music, and demonstrate coordination in their movements. They should also exhibit control during their performance and be able to give and receive feedback on their dance, using simple dance vocabulary with the support of their teacher. Key terms such as 'motif', 'gesture', 'canon', 'pathways', and 'dynamics', along with animal movement descriptors like 'gliding', 'soaring', and 'flitting', are introduced to enrich the pupils' understanding and vocabulary.

The lesson is structured with a warm-up, main activity, and cool-down. During the warm-up, pupils engage in playful activities like 'Beans', where they interpret different bean names with corresponding actions, such as jumping or shivering. The main activity immerses the children in the underwater world, with music like 'The Aquarium' from 'Carnival of the Animals' setting the scene. They are encouraged to improvise movements reflecting sea animals like crabs, sharks, and turtles, considering the dynamics of each creature. Pupils work on their improvisation skills, moving through the space and interacting with their peers, and they prepare for a class performance where they will form a 'class aquarium'. The cool-down brings a calm end to the session, with stretching and breathing exercises on gymnastic mats, allowing the children to relax and reflect on their creative exploration of sea animal movements.