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Key
Stage 2
Space
Michelle Rochester
Dance
Key Stage 2
Space
Lesson Plan for Key Stage 2 Dance
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Objectives:
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Explore a new land using changes of speed, direction and levels
Work collaboratively
Share and formulate ideas in whole class and small groups
Learn taught movement
Develop dance vocabulary and performance skills.
The 4 Strands of the National curriculum:
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Acquiring and Developing Skills
Selecting and Applying Skills, Tactics and Compositional Ideas
Knowledge and Understanding of Fitness and Health
Evaluating and Improving Performance
Unit Contents:
Week 1: Rockets & Landing
Week 2: Aliens Are Coming!
Week 3: Aliens
Week 4: Dance Phrase
Week 5: Group Work
Week 6: Rehearse & Perform
Tracks Used (click on links below to audition)
 “Metamorphosis”
 “Race To The Future”
 “Drawing Nearer”
 “Robots on the Run”
 “Globosphere”
 “No!”
 “Hope”
 “Absent Friend”
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 1: Rockets & Landing
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Starter
What do we know about Space, the solar system and planets in our universe?
Warm up
 “Metamorphosis”
What words based on our topic can we use to create our warm-up?
Stars, Jupiter, Astronaught, Rocket, Alien, Moon...
Begin slowly by moving around as though you have just landed on the moon. Focus on
slow exaggerated movement.
Aliens! Speed up to a run, try not to get caught by the aliens.
Teacher to call our chosen words and pupils to freeze in those shapes.
Main
A
 “Race To The Future”
Working in groups, you have 2 minutes to create a rocket ship.
B
Discuss with the person next to you; “If I created a planet it would be…”.
C
Choose an interesting start position for exploration of your planet and begin
exploring, ensuring you are using changes of speed, level and direction.
What does your planet feel like? What can you see?
Let your movement tell your story.
D
Half class show and others give feedback on how it can be improved.
Eg.
Are we using all directions, space, changes of speed & levels.
Can the audience understand what we are expressing?
Is our dance clear to the audience?
Cool Down
 “Drawing Nearer”
Land on the moon again, reaching for stars as slowly as possible
Key Vocabulary:
speed, level & direction
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 2: Aliens Are Coming!
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Starter
Verbal recap of first lesson
Warm up
 “Robots on the Run”
How can we extend or develop our warm-up?
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Rockets can take off (low to high),
Stars can safely shoot across room (fast & direct),
Aliens can crawl,
etc.
Can we add more moves? How can we vary our movement?
Main
A
 “Metamorphosis”
Recreate the rockets from last lesson, can they take off and land?
Recap your exploration on your own planet.
How can you evaluate and improve your performance?
B
 “Race To The Future”
Run from aliens!
When the music changes, all run for 4 steps and make a still hiding shape
Can you hide using different levels
Can you hide using another body
C
Teacher choose pupils to demonstrate creative ways of hiding
D
Repeat with improvements
Cool Down
 “Drawing Nearer”
Perform landing on your planet.
Using your evaluation from earlier, improve your performance with clarity in slow
motion.
Key Vocabulary:
extention, development, variation
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 3: Aliens
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Starter
Verbal recap of first lesson
Warm up
 “Robots on the Run”
Choose 4 movements from last week’s warmup and link them together.
What sort of movements do we need to use to prepare our bodies for excercise?
Can we perform the movements fast enough to prepare our bodies for dance.
Main

A
 “Metamorphosis”
 “Race To The Future”
Re-create the dance so far: Rockets, Planet and Run & Hide.
B
In groups of 4 or more, create an Alien that can travel forward.
C
Each group show to rest of class
Cool Down
 “Drawing Nearer”
From standing, bend legs: perform landing on your planet. Using your evaluation
from earlier, improve your performance with clarity in slow motion.
Key Vocabulary:
Extend & develop by varying the movement
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 4: Dance Phrase
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Starter
Verbally recap last lesson.
 group-rockets
 solo landing
 running & landing
 aliens
Warm up
 “No!”
Link movements together to create a dynamic fast warm-up phrase of
movement.
Main
A
 “Metamorphosis”
 “Race To The Future”
 “Globosphere”
Re-cap whole dance so far: group-rockets, solo landing, running & landing, aliens
B
Set the aliens at the back of the Hall and 1 group at a time move 4 steps forward.
C
What do we need to do to improve our dance?
What could happen next?
Cool Down
 “Hope”
In slow motion consolidate warm-up phrase by performing it in slow motion,
stretching and reaching through each position
Key Vocabulary:
phrase
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 5: Group Work
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Starter
Verbally recap last lesson:
 group-rockets
 solo landing
 running & landing
 aliens
 ideas for what can happen next in our dance
Warm up
 “No!”
How can we improve the warm-up we have made? What do we need to add to make
it even more dynamic?
Main
A
 “Metamorphosis”
 “Race To The Future”
 “Globosphere”
In new groups create a dance based on landing on a new planet: what can happen?
You may like to create 1 move each for your dance and teach to your group, this will
create a unison dance just like our warm-up or all doing individual moves to tell a
story (narrative)
B
Half class show and others give feedback on how it can be improved.
Eg. Are we using:
all directions
space
changes of speed
levels?
Cool Down
 “Hope”
In slow motion, consolidate warm-up phrase by performing it in slow motion,
stretching and reaching through each position
Key Vocabulary:
unison, narrative
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291
Space
Week 6: Rehearse & Perform
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Starter
Recap whole of dance.
What do we need to do to improve our dance., can our dynamic warm-up be
included?
Discuss performance skills, clarity, extension, energy, mental and physical focus
Warm up
 “No!”
As last lesson.
Main
A
 “Metamorphosis”
 “Race To The Future”
 “Globosphere”
Rehearse & perform
B
Teacher to provide feedback.
C
Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse, ready to perform to an audience.
Cool Down
 “Absent Friend”
Lie on floor and take 3 deep breaths – you deserve it!
Key Vocabulary:
performance skills, rehearse, clarity, mental & physical focus, extension
© 2012 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bathampton. BA2 6UX; brian@madmusik.co.uk; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 3291