First sessions

Children really enjoyed the freedom given in the ‘locomotor warm up’. They were eager to give suggestions for ways to travel around the room and loved the freedom of doing their own movements all around the space. I was conscious to keep emphasising that they could do whatever they felt. I intend to build on this coming weeks by talking to them more about the characteristics of each movement – what makes a ‘jump’ or a ‘slide’, this then unpicking what makes the movement unique and opening up more potential to explore that concept in other parts of the body.

The year 1 activity to run and ‘make a mark’ for each different type of weather on big pieces of paper was appealing and they enjoyed rushing around the room and leaving their own ideas in each place using their pencil. Many children were able to think independently and creatively about what that weather may look like on paper, as opposed to visually representing things that describe it such as drawing snowmen or sun, wind and rain were easiest. We began to discuss the typical qualities of each drawing in being short and sharp, long and smooth etc. I will repeat a similar session next week.

How far should we go in catagorising and defining particular movement qualities for each weather, is this me telling the idea to the children and restricting them or them developing a language to describe but still with enough movement freedom?

With Year 2, children were encouraged to describe something they find ‘in the wild’, written on a piece of paper which each child then laid in a space of their choice. Children lay on the floor with eyes closed and were transported away from the school and into a different imagined environment, a rainforest soundtrack assisting, making their way around the space and responding how they wanted to the words. After we tried this once, we discussed and I did some modeling of possibilities before trying again. All children were completely absorped, meeting their own level in terms of movement and imagination, giving them permission to play!

Resisting the temptation to model movement or verbalise ideas before children first try the activity, then modeling afterwards and discussing to increase their options – effective?

Leaving space open – for next weeks physical story, can children choose what will happen, I make a story by putting the ingredients together but still leaving space for children to decide how there character will react emotionally and physically, to make their own sections/endings?

Next week, how can these more open ended explorative tasks be gradually progressed to building specific skills and eventually setting individual/group movement material or sections.

Year 4 and 6 – Dance codes. After the locomotor warm up, I explained the concept of creating dance for everyone to enjoy doing dance week by making a movement code.  Children discussed and decided key movements and symbols to represent each. They all then enjoyed writing their own dance in pairs, using the code.  I emphasised from the start that we would do a test run and try things, adjust, suggest, improve, try again, see what worked etc… to give them a feeling of flexibility and us as a group giving input and changing it over the two weeks. A few children started to respond to this, and had the idea to combine movements such as a jump kick by writing them next to each other instead of in separate rows, also adding  then number of times and if it was a strong or light movement or on a certain level, using another symbol.

Could I have been more vague about the idea of creating a code and posing the question ‘during dance week we want all children to do other dances apart from just in the hall during the dance class, this could be by themselves, with friends and anytime but mainly playtime, how could we do this?’.

Lesson plan ideas - dance codes (year 4&6)

Dance codes (KS2) 2 weeks Laura_Erwin@rocketmail.com
Learning Objectives/key skills: 1.   Identifying key dance movements 2.   Notating dance and explaining this notation to other children 3.   Creating inventive movement within the
Activity	Learning Objectives	Resources
Warm up activities Sequence comprising of key movements as warm up/inspiration for codes. 3 swing wraps to stretch up to one side, tuck knee under and roll to floor legs out in pike, 4 brushes down legs, 2 back, 2 front 2 swing to either side, swish to turn on bottom, crouch lunge forward, little jump (handstand), crouch, roll up Balance holding one knee in to chest, put down to slide to side, repeat other side Can also repeat this sequence, using the key words but the children decide the movement.	Expand movement vocabulary Respond to key words to create own movement	Music: ‘I can see’ Funkhaus sessions by Jazzanova ‘Kiara’ by Bonobo
Lesson 1 Explain the concept – we want to make some dance codes to stick around the school during dance week. So all children can see a code, understand what it means and do it! If they are waiting in the lunch line, in the playground etc.. So we will make them, I will laminate and we can all stick them around together. A fun activity that everyone can do. Need to think of all children including reception and nursery. Year 4 and 6 children will be arranging it so can explain and help the younger ones. What movements could we include? To start off thinking of ideas, we need to agree what the codes will be: What different simple movements can all children do – talk with the person next to you – turn, jump, roll, stretch, bend, punch. What about children who might not be able to read very well – shapes. Explore These key movements through improvisation. 1.     All doing jumps, turns, stretches, balances. Teacher to challenge children around levels, locomotion, body parts etc.. 2.     Open improvisation, performing what they choose, where they choose and when Create code and write on board We all need to use the same one. 4 shapes Jump – triangle, turn – circle, arm/leg movement – square, rectangle – stretch up? How many shapes in each one. Could we give an extra written challenge for older children? Test it out as a group Lets write our own code on the board and then everyone can go off and try it. Watch in two halves what people have done. Do we think this code will work, shall we change some things? Partner codes In pairs – write a code for another group, swap with another pair. 2 minute to make and then show back. Feedback. Make sure its neat – at the end we will take and laminate them. Lesson 2 How shall we explain it to the school Might some children need help? We could have some code ambassadors…? What instructions do they need to give people. Can 2 children visit each class to explain and give them some?	-       identify key dance movements -       improvisation -       creating using a score -       notating dance -       translating the notation through words to other children	Teacher to prepare laminated codes from week 1 for week 2. Music tracks for improvising and making: Jazzonova Clear black and coloured pens/ felt tips, lots of paper

Lesson plan ideas - 'In the wild' (year 2)

In the wild (KS1) 5-6 weeks Laura_Erwin@rocketmail.com
Learning Objectives/key skills: 1.     What constitutes a wild environment – unfamiliarity, natural , not many humans 2.     Use imagination to describe the different obstacles/creatures we might find in the wild and the things our body can do in response, contrasting this with every day life 3.     Exploration of locomotion work including leaps and jumps 4.     Contact work and weight sharing 5.     Sizes – big and small
Activity	Learning Objectives	Resources
Warm up dances 1. Taking our body to new and unusual places – inversions, spine arches Roll down from standing to table 8,  then push up to downward dog 8, coming down smoothly to sit on bottom with hands behind 8, stretch pelvis up to ceiling facing up 8, crouch and then walk out to one side the the other making a straight shape (side plank), walk feet round to stand up. Next week add – balancing on one leg the the other in downward dog, add small hand stands from crouch. 2.Arm and leg extension (practice for shapes in jumps) Simple tendus to each side – 4 to front alternating legs 8, repeat side 8 then back 8, side 8. Moving through plie in second and shooting fireworks out from body – up diagonal and down diagonal. (can you keep the same feet point as the tendu) Lunge by lowering one leg back, step that foot back and join the other one to then step back forward again 8. 2 firework steps forward, 4 steps back 8. Repeat   3. Travelling and jumping Beginning in parallel position, start to bounce, progress this to shakes, jumps, spring etc.. whatever they want to do! The sequence (based on Laban/Newlove) - 8 bounces, 8 jumps. 3 runs and then jump together to front and back x 2, side to side. Side shift bounces 8, 4 jumps on the spot with body shake, turning 90 degrees with each 8. Get bigger and bigger so leaping – how can you use your arms to help and bend your knees.	1.     Develop movement vocabulary – inversions, arches, side tilts 2.     Travel, jump and leap work 3.     Changes of speed 4.     Changes of size	‘im a celebrity’ theme – top 100 film and TV themes 2. Jackson 5 ‘abc’   Travelling and jumping:  ‘Now this is we’ by Jazzanova
Literacy link – 1 session The wild environment Discussion What kind of things might we find in that environment – children discuss in twos then suggest. Tall trees, river rapids, caves, swinging vines, waterfalls, an indigenous tribe, some animals.  Teacher to write them on pieces of paper and have the child place them somewhere in the room. Draw pictures/symbols also for EAL children. Exploration Children spread around the room and close their eyes and lie down. Teacher describes how they are transported to a place in the wild, far far away. When the music starts they will travel around the room, reading the different cards and acting out what they will do. They might imagine touching, tasting, climbing, swimming or anything they want! Must move round by themselves, imagine they are the only one there! Afterwards discuss – what kind of things did you do? How did you feel? What kind of things did you want to do? Can you share this with a partner/write it down?	1.     Understand the wild environment and the things we find their 2.     Start to imagine, describe and explore their own responses, linking environment, movement, emotions and language	Paper/cards with elements of the wild on. Or can use props – stools for trees, blue fabric for a river. Music: ‘Rainforest Reverie’ Ultimate natural sounds ‘Rainforest Run’ by Drumatic
Sizes (2 sessions) Remind ourselves of some of the words from the last session. What makes this environment ‘wild’? A school is not wild, why not? No humans, unfamiliarity, nature. How might you feel if you were to go exploring here? Unprepared, scared, excited? Story response Conveying the above emotions. An adventure in the wild involving lots of different activities. Using our imagination to think that anything is possible for us to do with our bodies. Climbing a tall tree, swing down on vines, sliding through mud to follow a snake somewhere, gliding on a rivers and then being tossed around by rapids. Discussion How did you feel during the story? What was strange to act out or exciting. How do you feel about the wild environment, imagine you are there now, what kind of things might you want to do? Use size to explore the children’s different feelings about being in the wild environment. Exploration Make the biggest shape possible, now change, change again. Now make the smallest shape possible, change a few times. Explore moving between big and small over a number of counts – 1, 4, 8, 16. What moves could you use to go between – turn, jump, roll Make a dance based on this? Elves and Giants Contrasting piece of music. Moving big, moving small when the music changes. Can travel around the room – how would you do a small/big turn, leap, jump, run, walk. Small land and big land. Divide the room in two, everyone begins with the music in big land, doing big movements, whenever they want they can change to the other side of the line and into small land. Change sides whenever you choose. Ask some children to demonstrate movements. Which land did you prefer – small or big. Shadow dances What scenarios can you imagine in the wild, maybe from our story, using big and small movements, can you lead a partner round the room, thye copy your movements. Create Choose a partner, and create a small and big dance with 6 movements.	1.     Explore constrasting extremities of big and small sizes using different body shapes 2.     Explore different speeds of transitioning in between sizes 3.     Improvisation 4.     Recognising and creating with own size preference 5.     Travel in space 6.     Response to music	Elves and giants: l’Arlessienne suite Small land and big land: ‘Kiara’ by Bonobo Shadow dances: Jazzanova ‘now there is we’ (Mano Arriba remix)
Exploring the movement potential of the body We need to use our bodies in lots of different ways to move around in the wild environment. What kind of movements do we do in school – writing, sports, sitting (chairs and floor), walking, using our hands. Explain how our body can do amazing things but we just need to train it – think of Athletes we know. Explorations Create a wild environment for us to explore using apparatus -       Climbing over rocks (tall stools) -       Through caves (mat propped up on stools) -       Swinging on vines -       Balancing across a log on a waterfall (bench) -       Jumping over a stream (mat) -       Hopping from rock to rock across a river (spots) -       Slide down a muddy slope Rehearse skills Can you now do these without the apparatus, moving around the room to the music, 1.     Teacher to say and all practice the skill 2.     Open improvisation to music (can also watch in two groups) How far can you jump, low crawling, how long can you leap and swing. Travelling work Travelling from one side of the room to the other with a partner, when they reach the end walk round the side ready to go again. Teacher to model and then go in pairs x 2. Rehearse the format simply using walking before gradually making the moves more complex. - Skipping, galloping - Running - Leaping on each line as long as you can (long jump) - Jumping as high as you can on the line - Bunny hops over someone else - Jumping over obstacles (children lying on the floor) Can stop and look at specific skills – how can they extend the limbs and perform longer/higher movements. Free movement to music Follow a partner around the room as they do these movements. Create sequence Now lets make a sequence together- each one for 8 counts around the room. OR the beginning of the piece – can you enter the space slowly doing these movements and then faster when the music changes.	1.     Understand the idea of physical potential and the need to cultivate it 2.     Develop locomotion skills covering height and width through open and structured travelling work 3.     Develop extension into space 4.     Movement vocabulary – leaps, jumps, skips, gallops 5.     Create sequence	Video: long jump, high jump, pole vault Travelling work: ‘Isatambul (Constantinople) and ‘Mambo italiano’
Contact work (2-3 session) We can use other children’s bodies to help us lean, jump or lift higher than we can go by ourselves. 1. Walk around the room and when you hear ‘person to person’ find a partner who is about the same size as you, as quick as you can and stand back to back. 2. Teacher to call out body parts, and the children make a connection between those two – hand to hand, back to back, foot to foot, hip to hip. 3. Repeat 1 and 2 but now introduce some simple weight sharing – holding hands and pulling away, then pulling back to release. After a couple of times, can children now explore the on the side, facing away etc? How can you use a partner to go further than you would by yourself? Practice a few of these with a partner- can you find different ways. Choose 2 to show in halves of the group. 4. Now how can you use somebody else to get higher. Teach simple lifts - back to back, lock elbows, gently bend forwards so other persons feet come off the floor - front aeroplane – one person laid on the floor, lift the other person up using their feet - hip to hip, one person wraps arm around shoulder, other around hip, level to lift - shoulder jump – one kneels with one knee up, other pushes up on shoulders to jump Can you practice these, find any more? How can you come in and leave smoothly like with 3. Can you choose 3 to show to the group and join them together smoothly?	1.     Weight sharing and partner work 2.     Safe practice with others 3.     Learn simple lifts and execute with care
Possible sharing ideas: Sequence all together Jump in pairs from corner. Simple contact work