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Key
Stage 2
Romans
Michelle Rochester
Dance
Key Stage 2
Romans
Lesson Plan for Key Stage 2 Dance
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Project Aim:
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Explore the theme of Roman soldiers
Practice different ways of moving using spatial patterns and dynamics
Experiment with basic body shapes
Develop and practice group dances
Develop movement vocabulary
Dance Units 1 and 2 learning objectives included:
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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
‘Romans’ 6-Week Lesson Plan Contents:
Week 1:
‘Roman Soldiers’
Week 2:
‘Roman Army’
Week 3:
‘Everyday Life’
Week 4:
‘Invasion’
Week 5:
‘Celebration’
Week 6:
‘Rehearse & Perform’
Tracks Used:
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 “Into Battle”
 “Arthur's Feast”
 “Mountain Glen”
 “May I Have The Pleasure?”
 “The Legion”
 “Slowly Comes the Springtime”
 “In the Cavern”
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 1: Roman Soldiers
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Starter
Look at video clips (See ‘Resource’ page): discuss movements of Roman soldiers
Warm up
 “Into Battle”
Begin by directing the pupils around the space by walking, jogging, slow-motion
walking, marching - using changing pathways and maintaining their own space.
Call the following words out to enable the pupils to freeze in a position:
‘March’
‘Shield’
‘Fight’
‘Protect’
Model the most creative and effective shapes that show high or low movements.
Main
A
 “Arthur's Feast”
Develop the four movements into a solo:
March
Shield
Fight
Protect
Remind pupils of the dynamics of the movements, e.g. how performing the
movement slowly can add tension, how being strong and jerky can show aggression.
B
Consolidate by teaching to a partner and perform together in unison.
Have a clear start and finish position.
C
Half class to perform to the others. The audience give positive feedback for
improvements. Swap and repeat.
Cool Down
 “Mountain Glen”
Perform your partner’s moves in slow motion.
Key Vocabulary:
pathways, direction, high, low, dynamics
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 2: Roman Army
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Starter
Re-cap last lesson. Discuss what improvements can be made to the partner
movements
Warm up
 “Into Battle”
As last week. Ask the pupils to add another movement.
Main
 “Arthur's Feast”
Create a Roman Army:
A
In a groups of 4, each pupil take their turn to direct one Army movement.
The director is responsible for creating the movement, dynamics and changing
spaces to alter the formation of the Army.
B
Watch 4 groups at a time and the rest of the class give feedback for improvements
on formation, movements, levels and direction of movements.
C
Swap and repeat
Cool Down
 “Mountain Glen”
Stand, take deep breath and hang torso over straight or slightly bent legs. Bend
legs to come to stand and repeat.
Key Vocabulary:
spatial patterns
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 3: Everyday Life
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Starter
Re-cap the Roman Army that was created last lesson.
Discuss what daily activities the Romans and Celts had.
Warm up
 “Into Battle”
As last week. Ask the pupils to add another movement.
Main
 “Arthur's Feast”
Practise the Roman Army Dance
B
 “May I Have The Pleasure?”
Everyday Life :
In different groups, create a narrative dance based on daily activities of the people
we have been studying.
A
Remember we are making everyday movements into a dance (not miming or acting)
Dance faster and across the music!
C
1 group at a time perform while rest of class evaluate and give feedback.
Cool Down
 “Mountain Glen”
Stand, take deep breath and hang torso over straight or slightly bent legs. Bend
legs to come to stand and repeat.
Key Vocabulary:
narrative dance
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 4: Invasion
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Starter
Re-cap last lesson: Roman Army & Everyday Life
Warm up
 “Into Battle”
As last week. Ask the pupils to add another movement.
Main
A
 “Arthur's Feast”
 “May I Have The Pleasure?”
Practise Roman Army & Everyday Life.
How can we make the transition from the Roman Army into Every Day Life?
Relinquishing our weapons? - turning, rolling, etc.
Practice this.
B
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 “The Legion”
Invasion
What sort of movements were used to invade?
Put two Everyday Life groups together. Each group will take in turn to invade their
Everyday Life group.
Cool Down
 “Mountain Glen”
Stand, take deep breath and hang torso over straight or slightly bent legs. Bend
legs to come to stand and repeat.
Key Vocabulary:
transition
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 5: Celebration
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Starter
Re-cap last lesson: Roman Army, Everyday Life & Invasion.
Warm up
 “Arthur's Feast”
 “May I Have The Pleasure?”
 “The Legion”
Walk through the whole of the dance so far.
Main
 “Slowly Comes the Springtime”
Listen to the music. How does it makes us feel? How would people have danced at
this time.
In small groups create a banquet scene with dancing.
B
Model and discuss which movements and dynamics are most effective for this
section.
C
Teacher evaluate and improve.
A
Cool Down
 “In the Cavern”
Lay on floor with eyes closed: breath in and tense muscles; on exhalation, allow
muscles to fall into floor.
Key Vocabulary:
folk-dance, happy, dynamics
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Week 6: Rehearse & Perform
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Starter
Discuss whole dance so far: Roman Army, Every day life, Invasion and Banquet
Celebration
Warm up
Without the music, Walk through the whole of the dance so far; teacher to direct
corrections and improvements.
Main
A
 “Arthur's Feast”
 “May I Have The Pleasure?”
 “The Legion”
 “Slowly Comes the Springtime”
Practice
B
Performance skills: focus, energy, intention and clarity of movements.
C
Pupils evaluate and improve.
D
Rehearse
E
Teacher evaluate
F
Perform
Cool Down
 “In the Cavern”
Lay on floor with eyes closed: breath in and tense muscles; on exhalation, allow
muscles to fall into floor.
Key Vocabulary:
focus, clarity, intention
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462
Romans
Resource: Video Clips of Romans
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Video clips of Roman army formations:
YouTube:
Roman Testudo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhWXElA-4aM
Romans on the march(formations)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtRsu2jggYs&feature=related
Please review the content of these clips to assess their suitability to your class. You
should find that other suggested clips will also present themselves on following the above
links, so you can do a little further research if required. (It may also be that over time
some links will be removed and/or replaced).
© 2014 Dance Notes
Madmusik, 62 Holcombe Vale, Bath. BA2 6UX; madmusik@brianmadigan.com; +44 (0)1225 313082; fax: 0870 759 8462