Dance - Lesson 6

In the sixth lesson of a Year 3 dance series, students are introduced to the vibrant world of cheerleading. The learning objectives are clear: to perform basic cheerleading arm positions and movements as a whole class. Success criteria are set to ensure pupils can explore, repeat, and link a range of actions with coordination, rehearse and refine their ideas, perform a choreographed group dance, and give feedback using simple dance vocabulary with teacher support. Key terms such as 'phrase', 'stance', 'choreographic', and 'cannon' are introduced to enrich the students' dance vocabulary. The equipment needed for the lesson includes gymnastic mats for the cool down, marching music, a percussion instrument, and coloured pom-poms to add a splash of visual excitement.

The lesson is structured with a warm-up where the class teacher sets out the dance zone and models different travelling steps, such as skipping and galloping, providing leadership opportunities for pupils to demonstrate these movements. The main session focuses on cheerleading, with pupils creating short dance phrases using cheerleading arm positions and movements. They are encouraged to recall and refine their group dance sequences from previous lessons, incorporating choreographic devices like mirroring, varying heights, alternating positions, and cannons. The rehearsal process is crucial, allowing pupils to practice their dance pieces and work on timing, coordination, and group dynamics. The lesson culminates in a performance that may be filmed for evaluation, and pupils are given the opportunity to appreciate and reflect on their work, discussing what they enjoyed about the cheerleading topic. A cool-down session follows, repeating the 'Copy Cats' activity from the warm-up and incorporating stretching and breathing exercises to promote relaxation and body awareness.