Dance 2 - Lesson 5

The Year 6 Dance lesson 5 from the Striver Lesson Plans is designed to engage students in learning and rehearsing a dance routine inspired by the Olympic Games. The lesson's learning objectives are to help students explore, repeat, and link a range of coordinated actions, as well as to combine several movement phrases and patterns within a group. Key vocabulary introduced includes terms like 'phrase,' 'gesture,' 'stance,' 'level,' 'unison,' 'canon,' and 'coordination,' along with Olympic-related terms such as 'pentathlon,' 'stadion,' 'javelin,' 'discus,' 'long jump,' and 'wrestling.' Essential equipment for the lesson includes gymnastic mats for the cooldown and music, with 'Chariots of Fire' by Vangelis suggested to set the tone. The warm-up involves a dynamic activity where pupils travel around the space and respond to movement commands, including forming shapes of letters or numbers.

The main part of the lesson is dedicated to creating dance phrases that reflect various aspects of the Olympic Games, such as the lighting of the torch and the torch relay, along with different Olympic sports. Students will work in groups to symbolically recreate the Olympic Rings and engage in improvisation and rehearsal of a dance routine that incorporates movements associated with Olympic sports. The lesson includes opportunities for pupils to demonstrate leadership by leading activities and providing feedback to their peers. Towards the end of the lesson, pairs of students perform their dance sequences, using feedback to refine their performances in preparation for the next lesson, where they will combine their phrases into a full dance routine. The cool-down session reiterates the alphabet activity from the warm-up and incorporates stretching and breathing exercises to help pupils relax and reflect on their learning experience.