Dance - Lesson 5

In Year 3, Dance 1, Lesson 5, the objective is for students to learn and perform simple cheerleading arm positions and basic movements both individually and as a group. The lesson aims to enhance coordination, response to musical beats, and the ability to collaboratively create short dance phrases. The success criteria set out for the pupils include exploring, repeating, and linking a range of actions with coordination, responding to a beat using music, working in a group to select learned arm positions and movements to create a dance phrase, and using choreographic devices to enhance their dance phrases. Key vocabulary terms such as 'phrase', 'stance', 'choreographic', and 'cannon' are introduced, and equipment such as gymnastic mats, marching music, percussion instruments, and coloured pom-poms are utilised.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the class teacher defines the dance zone and models different travelling steps, offering leadership opportunities for pupils to demonstrate movements. The warm-up progresses from gentle to more vigorous activities, including a 'Copy Cats' game. The main part of the lesson involves reminding pupils about cheerleading and encouraging them to use previously learned arm positions to create their own dance phrases. They are shown different choreographic devices such as mirroring, low/high formations, alternating positions, and cannons, and are given the chance to suggest their own ideas. The lesson concludes with group performances, potential filming for evaluation, and a cool down session involving stretching and breathing exercises to relax the pupils and prepare them to return to class.