Unit - Animals
Reception
Learning Outcomes
Activities
Key Skills
By the end of this unit pupils will be able ICT – preparation for
topic – web/photos
to:
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Lesson 1: The Hungry Caterpillar
starting out as an egg, exploding out of the
egg and travelling slowly using different
ways
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Lesson 2: The Hungry Caterpillar.
Looking at travelling around, under,
through still shapes, making a cocoon and
changing into a butterfly
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Lesson 3: We’re going on a Bear Hunt.
Making a journey through long grass. Over
a river and through mud
Make promotion
material
1. Find and work in space
2. Listen and respond to instructions
3. Find different ways of moving in a
space
4. Choose and link travel actions.
5. Remember and repeat phrases.
6. To use ideas from a story.
7. To choose different body shapes and
hold them still.
Curriculum Cymreig in warm-ups eg body
parts, counting
Communication skills –
sharing and planning
ideas
Information/Technology
skills – preparation for
topic
Problem Solving skills
– open ended tasks set
in groups
Creative skills –
interpretation of a topic
and evaluation of
performing tasks
8. To use different levels
9. To begin to evaluate their own work.
10. To begin to evaluate others work
Personal and Social
Education – working in
groups, peer evaluation,
self-reflection
Resources
Stereo, Music CD tracks:
1 Danze (Sky)
2 Mambo a go go (Chillout)
5 Ugly Bug Ball
7 Once in a Red Mood (Secret Garden)
8 Whirligig (Afro Celt)
9 When I see an Elephant Fly
Books: The Hungry Caterpillar
We’re going on a Bear Hunt
Preparation work – reading the story
in class.
Making finger puppets – elephants
HRE (included in this scheme)
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Lesson 4: We’re going on a Bear Hunt.
Continuing the journey through the forest,
a snowstorm, into a cave.
Lesson 5: We’re going on a Bear Hunt.
Return journey home using quicker
actions. Practise and perform whole dance
.Lesson 6: The Grumpy Elephant.
Travelling using wide shapes, stamps,
darting and dodging moves
1
2
3
About the changes that
happen to their bodies as they
exercise and how to recognise
the effects.
To describe changes to their
breathing, heart rate,
appearance and feelings.
To adopt good posture when
sitting, standing and taking
part in activity.
Lesson 1 The Hungry Caterpillar – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To listen to and respond to instructions
To create a travelling phrase which uses different directions and actions (telling a story)
Warm up
Copy the teacher in a circle
formation. Use clapping
actions, tapping different
body parts, waving, pointing,
stamping, knee bends,
stretches, pushing actions.
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD tracks 1, 5
Cool Down and Conclusion
With a partner one makes a
tunnel for the other to use
crawling soldier to go
under….swap over
What was the title of the
dance? What moves did we
use in our dance? How does a
caterpillar move?
HRE – Good posture to be
highlighted throughout the
lesson
Task 1 – Recap
The Hungry Caterpillar Story. How does a caterpillar start
its life journey?
Task 2 – Explore
Curled up in an egg shape and ‘pop’
out with an explosive jump onto feet
and freeze.
Teaching Points
Talk about the shape of an egg on a leaf…. Tucked up
small on backs/sides/tummies
l
Explore different travelling actions.
Teach caterpillar walk. Hands first
then feet. Try changing the direction
you move in? Backwards,
sideways…
Task 4 – Perform
Your dance with another pupil – side by side. Repeat
with half of the class at a time to allow pupils to
watch.
Teaching Points
Respectful audience with silence and clapping at the
appropriate moment.
Task 5 – Evaluate - 1 Stars and a Wish!
Each pupil to chose and perform their favourite move to
their partner.
Teaching Points
Which words can we use to describe our dance?
Teaching Points:
How do caterpillars move? Slowly.
Look for curled and stretched shapes.
Task 3 – Create
A dance to show the Hungry caterpillar
popping out of egg and travelling in different
ways using different directions
Freeze finishing position
Intervention;
Are they in a small tucked shape? Do they
explode out of the egg? What shape are they
making when jumping? Are they very still in
a shape? Which directions are you using?
Lesson 2 The Hungry Caterpillar – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To choose and link shapes together
To work with a partner using still and travelling shapes.
Warm up repeat from wk 1
Copy the teacher in a circle
formation. Using clapping
actions, tapping different
body parts, waving, pointing,
stamping, knee bends ,
stretches, pushing actions.
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD tracks 1, 5
Cool Down teach the
butterfly dance Right arm open, left arm open,
wave both arms in front
smoothly and then run lightly
forwards to a still position as
though a butterfly.
HRE (include in warm up)
What does the Caterpillar eat
in the story? Fruit and then
unhealthy foods! Which are
the healthy foods we can all
eat to keep us fit and healthy?
Task 1 – Recap the story from the book.
How the caterpillar starts in an egg and pops out with a
jump. Travelling actions into the circle and back out.
Teaching Points
Look for pupil demonstration. Moving slowly and using
different directions. Start to use simple evaluation
questions: Are you still as an egg?l How big is your jump
= can we make it bigger? Are you travelling with your
hands first then your feet?
Task 4 – Perform
Your dance to the teacher – practise go. Then
organise ½ class at a time to perform their pair
dance.
Teaching Points
Respectful audience and watch for children who are
really still when being a fruit. Can you describe the
way their partners travelled?
Task 5 – Evaluate
What do we need to be able to do to work in pairs?
Teaching Points
Can they remember the shapes they made with their
bodies? What other shapes could they have tried?
Task 2 – Explore
Show the class three different
shapes cards, and for each card tells
them to make a still shape – this will
represent the FRUITS in the book.
Explore different positions, share
ideas – levels, on the floor, whole
body, part of a body etc. Then show
a card – children show relevant body
shape after they have tried out some
of their own ideas.
Teaching Points:
Fruit shapes to be very still.
Task 3 – Create a dance in pairs.
Tell the children to make a dance where one
is the fruit shape and the other travels around
them. Then swap over.
Teaching Points:
Allow them time to explore and order their
work – who goes first, which shape will they
make. Whole dance is about 4 moves.
Encourage stillness and different ways to
travel.
Lesson 3 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To explore a range of actions and gestures using a curved pathway.
To select ideas and link a short phrase of travelling actions which follow a curved pathway.
Warm up
Traffic Lights Game. Green –
travel, Red- freeze in star
shape, Amber – roll,
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD track 7
Cool Down
Stretch tall. Curl down small,
Repeat
HRE
Ask the class whether they
feel hot or cold before and
after the warm-up. Exercise
warms your body.
Task 1 – Recap - the story of We’re Going on a Bear
Hunt.
Teaching Points
Can you remember the three parts of the journey for this
week?
Grass, river, mud.
Task 2 – Explore movement actions:
Skipping and running
Stamping and sploshing
Dragging and wading
GRASS
RIVER
MUD
l
Teaching Points:
For each action – explore different
directions and how to incorporate
different levels.
Task 4 – Perform
Your dance to another pupil.
Teaching Points
Respectful audience
With silence and clapping at the appropriate moment
Task 5 – Evaluate - 1 Stars and a Wish!
Each pupil to give 1 star for something they liked, 1
wish for something to improve when talking about their
partners work.
Teaching Points
Did they use different moves for each part of the journey?
Did they follow a curved pathway? Did they hold their
finishing position?
Task 3 – Create
Chose moves to show a journey through the
grass, river and mud.
Travel along a curved pathway.
Sequence 3 moves together.
Intervention;
Teacher to call out sections of the dance.
Look for different levels and pathways.
Encourage the children to use different levels
when performing gestures.
Lesson 4 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To remember and repeat different travelling actions as part of a journey.
To explore a range of actions and gestures using a curved pathway.
Warm up
Traffic Lights Game. Green –
travel, Red- freeze in star
shape, Amber – roll,
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD track 7
Cool Down
Stretch tall. Curl down small,
Repeat
HRE
Ask the children to show
good posture when
performing their dance to
their friend – at the start and
at the end.
Task 1 – Recap;
The journey through the long grass, over the river and
through the mud.
Practise trying to remember the different travelling actions
for each part of the journey.
Teaching Points
Can you remember the three parts of the journey so far?
What kind of pathway are we following?
Draw it in the
l
air.
Task 4 – Perform
Your dance to another pupil – showing good posture
at the start and at the end of the dance.
Teaching Points
Respectful audience
Curved pathway for the travelling dance.
Task 5 – Evaluate
. Can you show me your favourite move?
Teaching Points
Can you think of a word to describe your favourite part
of the dance
Task 2 – Explore:
The Forest: Stumble and trip, climbing over a
fallen tree, crawling under, careful movements,
looking behind you
The Snowstorm: swirling and whirling actions,
walking with difficulty. 2 steps forward- 1 step
back. Huddled over, wrap coat around, head
down, brushing snow away from face
The cave: Narrow and gloomy. Crawling and
tiptoe slowly and carefully.
Teaching Points:
Look for pupil demos. Remind about a
curved pathway.
Task 3 – Create
Chose 3 moves to show a journey through the
forest, through the snowstorm, and through
the cave to find the bear.
Intervention:
Clear start and end positions. Can you follow
a curved pathway?
Lesson 5 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To perform 3 sections of the dance: ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’.
To perform some actions quickly and some slowly.
Warm up
Speed control running game
0 – still in a frozen shape.
1 – walking
2 – skipping
3 - running
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD track 8
Cool Down
Lie on the floor and relax all
parts of the body.
HRE
Ask the children to all think
of a fruit or vegetable they
like to eat or have recently
tried as a code word to leave
the room.
Task 1 – Recap:
The journey through the long grass, over the river and
through the mud, through the forest, through the
snowstorm, and in the cave.
Practise trying to remember the different travelling actions
for each part of the journey.
Teaching Points
Can you remember the six parts ofl the journey so far?
What kind of pathway are you following? Draw it in the
air/ on the floor – a curved pathway.
Task 4 – Perform
To another pupil.
Teaching Points
Respectful audience
Create a sense of performance
With silence and clapping at the appropriate moment
Task 5 – Evaluate - 1 Star and a Wish!
What was your favourite part of the journey?
Teaching Points
Who managed to dance without talking?
Can you remember your starting and ending positions?
Task 2 – Explore:
Now we have seen the bear!
Explore travelling quickly – running.
Can we repeat our six moves quickly?
Teacher lead exploration of all six.
Teaching Points:
Reverse the dance order.
Look for a change in speed. Teacher to
call out the story.. Keep the moves
controlled although quicker
Task 3 – Create
Children to chose three movements to do very
quickly.
Intervention;
What are your starting and finishing
positions?
Can you perform without talking? Are you
moving into space?
Lesson 6 The Grumpy Elephant – Reception DANCE - Learning Intentions:
To move and freeze with control using different directions
To perform and link basic actions showing a change of speed.
Warm up
Copy the leader in a circle,
using different claps, taps,
stamps, marches – sitting and
on feet - moving forwards,
backwards and to the side
Equipment
Stereo
Music CD track 2 warm up
Track 9 Elephant Dance
Cool Down
Show any wide shape. Can
you stretch even more?
Teacher to tell the children
one by one who is still and
that they can go and line up.
HRE
After the warm up ask the
children to think about the
parts of the body that might
be working faster? Breathing
faster… our hearts… and
experiencing feeling out of
breath as a consequence of
working hard.
Task 1 – Recap;
Discuss the shape of an elephant. How does an elephant
walk?
Teaching Points
Show a wide shape on feet, on all 4’s, Travel like an
elephant. Are you using small or big
l steps? Encourage
good tension
Task 4 – Perform
The whole class performs the dance.
Teaching Points
Are you still at the start, can you remember 3 still
shapes, are you dodging and darting lightly around
the angry elephant?
Task 5 – Evaluate - 1 Star and a Wish!
Each pupil is to say one part of the dance they thought
they were really good at and something they wish to
improve at.
Teaching Points
Allow the children to talk to one another first and
encourage them to talk about their work to one another.
Task 2 – Explore:
Elephant shapes: Wide, strong, stamping
shapes and movements.
Frightened small mice! – dodging, quick
darting around.
Teaching Points:
Stretch out limb by limb. Can you make
the shape wider? Use all 4 directions
when stamping. Can you add a turn and
jump into your dance moves?
Look for quick and controlled steps- side
steps. Encourage the children to try
different levels.
Task 3 – Create:
The Grumpy Elephant dance.
Teacher led – slit the class in to 2 – label
them elephants and mice.
Intervention;
Elephants start spread out in the space, and
perform 3 different still shapes to represent an
elephant.
The mice start hiding at the back of the space
and dodge in and out of the elephants. Then
they all swap over and repeat the dance.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. (Michael Rosen)
Story Synopsis:
A family and their dog set off on a beautiful day to catch a bear! They encounter different places on the way: the long grass, the river,
the mud, the forest, the snowstorm and the cave where they find the bear! They quickly head back home through all the places they
encountered on the way. They run into their house and up the stairs into bed where they hide and decide never to go bear hunting again
Dance Framework:
(Teacher to speak the words of the story)
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Walk along the pathway until you get to the grass. Go through the grass
Walk on along the pathway until you stop at the river. Go through the water
Walk along the pathway until you stop at the mud. Go through the mud
Walk along the pathway until you stop at the forest. Go through the forest
Walk along the pathway until you stop at the edge of the snowstorm. Go through it.
Walk along the pathway until you stop at the mouth of the cave. Stop very still just like a statue. The Bear!
Quickly turn around and hurry back home – through the cave, then run, through the snowstorm, then run, through the forest then
run, through the mud, then run, through the river, then run, through the grass, then run then run to the front door, open the door
 Up the stairs, back down, shut the door, up the stairs and climb into bed.
 Hide and peep out. Call out ‘ We’re not going on a bear hunt again’
Swishy Swashy grass
Splash and Splosh
Squelch Squerch
Stumble and Trip
Swirling, Whirling