This pack includes 4 easy to follow dance lessons that cover
cave paintings
hunter gatherers
moving from caves to simple houses
into the Iron Age with the creation of weapons (battles).
Each lesson comes with a link to suitable music as well as hints and tips along the way to help you to keep the children on task and challenged. There is also a side column indicates the key skill for each section of the lesson.
The lessons are in step-by-step form that require the teacher to simply ask questions & set tasks - this allows the children to be very creative & it is also a very inclusive way of working.
If you require any further support please feel free to contact me at cpring@live.co.uk
3 lessons aimed at upper ks2 or ks3 that introduce the students to the Lindy Hop and how it connected with other dance styles of the time.
Each lesson includes some taught movement material which is then developed to enable the students to have some creative input and problem solving opportunities.
Each lesson plan comes in a clear, step by step form with hints & tips along the way as well as an identification of the skills involved in each section of the lesson.
Further to this there is a suggestion of music that you may wish to use (easily available via iTunes, Spotify, YouTube or many other platforms.
In order to further support learning I have include links to examples of Lindy Hop/Swing Dance fromYoutube.
5 Creative dance lessons suitable for ks1 or lower ks2 based on the original Toy Story film.
The lessons focus on the characters & their qualities/attributes.
These lessons have been written with covid 19 restrictions in mind & whilst still allowing the children to work together they do not require physical contact, limit travelling around the space and the activity level is moderate & sustained rather than high impact.
Each lesson follows a simple step by step format where the teacher is simply required to ask questions to stimulate movement ideas in the children; there are hints & tips along the way to guide the teacher how long each task might last & what they can do to further support learning. Further to this the skills that each section of the lesson focus upon are noted in a column on the right.
The lessons can be performed in any order & you do not need to cover all of them.
Three easy to follow dance lessons based on ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ by Julia Donaldson.
The lessons allow the children to create their own movements based on ideas from the text & each section of the lesson focuses on a particular (identified) skill such as balance, control, sequencing or travelling.
The lessons could be amalgamated to create a short performance piece & music suggestions are included with each lesson plan.
This pack includes 4 dance lessons for KS1 or lower KS2 based on the book ‘The Dragon Machine’ by Helen Ward.
Each lesson focuses on a section of the text and comes in an easy to follow step-by-step format, with hints & tips along the way & a clear indication of the skills they will be focusing on in every section of the lesson.
At the end of the plan there is a suggestion of a piece of music that will complement the lesson (with the link to Youtube) to make it easy to access.
An additional lesson could easily be added consolidating the themes and ideas from the previous lessons.
This pack includes 4 step by step creative dance lessons suitable for KS1 or lower KS2. Each lesson links to ideas from a poem ‘Under the Sea’ and enables the children to explore a wide range of actions & physical skills.
The lessons come with music suggestions that are easily accessed through the internet, alternatively feel free to add your own choice.
The lessons are written with the non-specialist in mind & hints and tips are included to help you to create a positive working environment without having to dance a step yourself!
Lesson 1 looks at swimming, limpets and coral reefs; Lesson 2 links with octopus, jellyfish, starfish & dolphins; Lesson 3 uses sharks, sea snails and hermit crabs & Lesson 4 explores building sandcastles, gathering shells & paddling/splashing in the sea & these can be performed in any order.
This pack includes 6 dance lessons aimed at Reception/year one.
Three of the lessons link to the book ‘Dinosaur Roar!’ by Paul & Henrietta Stickland.
Each lesson comes in an easy to follow step-by-step format, with hints & tips along the way & a clear indication of the skills they will be focusing on in every section of the lesson.
At the end of the plan there is a suggestion of a piece of music that will complement the lesson (with the link to Youtube) to make it easy to access.
The final lesson is a consolidation lesson - but the other lessons can be completed in any order - and you don’t have to do all of them!
A wide selection of warm up activities suitable to get the children moving in a fun and engaging way.
The warm ups would suit Dance, Drama or PE activities.
6 step by step lesson plans to support the non-specialist teacher to deliver a high quality, creative dance experience.
Each lesson plan comes with a link for suitable music as well as a breakdown of the skills that each section of the lesson focuses on.
The lessons follow the story, the first covering the children’s evacuation to their Uncles house; the second playing hide & seek & Lucy discovering Narnia; the third with Edmund following Lucy & meeting the Witch; the fourth looks at the characters that the witch has turned to stone; the fifth where winter turns to spring & the final plan covers the battle. It is not essential to cover every lesson.
Teaching The Tempest by Shakespeare? Want to bring it to life?
4 dance lessons based on key sections from the plot to help the children understand & recall the text more easily.
Each lesson comes in a step by step format that requires the teacher to set creative tasks (all included) to allow the children to develop their imagination and team working skills. There are tips and guidance along the way to help you anticipate any potential problems. Music is suggested with each lesson plan with a link to access it from either Youtube or iTunes.
The lessons could be further linked together to create a performance piece.
Three easy to follow dance lessons following the story of Goldilocks that allow the children to be very active and creative.
The first lesson plan follows Goldilocks travelling through the forest & entering the house.
The second lesson introduces the porridge and the chairs.
The third lesson has Goldilocks trying out the beds & the bears returning.
A final lesson could be added to amalgamate the whole story.
Each lesson plan includes suggested music (with a link to it), a column at the side that identifies the key skill for each section of the lesson as well as hints & tips along the way to help you identify good work and anticipate any possible problems.
The lessons are very inclusive as they ask the children to find their own way of moving, they also do not require the teacher to dance along - but to ask questions & describe what they see the children doing.
A key stage one resource where the 4 lessons encourage the children to explore and develop their own movement ideas (you don’t have to dance a step - unless you want to!)
Each lesson comes in a step by step format with notes and prompts for you to ensure the children are developing their skills - and each lesson also comes with a recommended piece of music that is easily accessed via the internet.
Lesson One includes Autumn leaves falling & bonfires with curling smoke.
Lesson Two uses the angular shapes & sudden actions of Jack Frost.
Lesson Three is the swirling patterns of snow, gusting and settling.
Lesson Four looks at travelling through the snow & links with arctic explorers such as Scott of the Antarctic.
Each section of the lesson has a clear aim, these might involve physical skills such as balance or control; performance skills such as projection or focus; teamworking skills such as cooperation or giving feedback; or choreographic skills such as mirroring or strucutring their work.
Five creative dance lessons for KS2 children based on the Tudor themes of The Battle of Bosworth, The Spanish Armada, Tudor Houses, The Tudor Rose and Jousting.
Each lesson is in a step by step format but simply asks the teacher to set creative tasks for the children - so you don’t need to dance a step yourself! The work helps to embed their knowledge and understanding of the topic as well as develop their physical and choreographic skills.
Each lesson comes with a suggestion for the music you might like to use - there is an iTunes link on the sheet to help you access it quickly & easily.
The lessons can be performed in any order & you don’t need to complete them all.
These 3 dance lessons cover themes of plate tectonics & how this affects Japan, Mount Fuji (volcanoes), The painting The Great Wave & tsunamis as well as the Japan being known as ‘The Land of the Rising Sun’ & its flag.
All lesson plans are written in a step by step format taking you through the lesson logically, but with the focus being on the children generating the movement ideas rather than you teaching them ‘steps’ for them to recreate.
With each section of the lesson there are hints and tips along the way regarding how to structure sections, or things to look out for… the key skill(s) of each section is also identified. There is a suggestion of the type of music you might use & a link to it… this is purely to save you time… feel free to select other music that you might prefer or think more suitable for your group.
The lessons can be delivered in any order & they could be amalgamated at the end to create a ‘Japan’ dance.
3 dance lessons using the story of Rama & Sita as the stimulus for creative movement ideas suitable for dance or drama.
Each lesson comes in a step by step format to help the teacher structure the work, there are hints and tips along the way & the key skills for each element of the lesson is identified in a column on the side.
Suggested music is also included which is easily accessible via iTunes or Youtube.
The lessons can be amalgamated to create a performance piece covering the whole story.
Each lesson has been written by a dance specialist - if you require any extra help or advice please feel free to contact me via the email address on the notes.
4 creative dance lesson plans for ks2 covering the story of ‘The Selfish Giant’ by Oscar Wilde.
These focus on
The Giant returning to his castle & building a wall to keep the children out.
The garden in its Winter state - snow - frost - wind & hail.
Children re-entering through a gap in the wall.
Lifting the small child into the tree & spring returning.
Each plan enables the teacher to deliver the lesson simply by asking questions & setting creative tasks for the students - this encourages imaginative responses, high levels of engagement, opportunities for students to work together, share ideas, analyse and evaluate.
The lessons are written in a clear formula & include hints & tips along the way as well as the key skill of each section being identified in the right hand column.
This method of working is very inclusive of children with different physical abilities and levels of experience - it also includes an i-Tunes link for suitable music - the tracks suggested would also be available on other platforms such as Spotify or YouTube.
This pack includes 4 dance lessons for KS1 or lower KS2 based on the poem ‘Learning to Fly’ by Kenn Nesbitt.
Each lesson focuses on one verse and comes in an easy to follow step-by-step format, with hints & tips along the way & a clear indication of the skills they will be focusing on in every section of the lesson.
At the end of the plan there is a suggestion of a piece of music that will complement the lesson (with the link to Youtube) to make it easy to access.
An additional lesson could easily be added consolidating the themes and ideas from the previous lessons.
A unit on choreography that would help year 9 students prepare for GCSE or BTEC level 2 Dance. Aimed at teachers with some knowledge and confidence in delivering dance the pack guides the students through an 11 week scheme (but feel free to dip in & out to suit your needs) & helps students through the process of creating and crafting a piece of dance as well as reflecting upon the process & developing their understanding of the correct terminology.
For KS1 & KS2 teachers delivering dance.
The document looks at the skills that I would be hoping children would achieve by the end of each academic year - I’ve broken them down into Physical Knowledge; Physical Skills; Creative/Choreographic Skills and Interpersonal Skills.
The overview spans from nursery to Y6.
I have delivered many, many dance cpd sessions over the years & the common question is ‘where do you find your music?’ So I have put together a list of my regular ‘go-to’ pieces, complete with the name of the artist, a direct link to that song on iTunes & themes that I think they could match with.
This is obviously not a complete list but it is a really good start and I recommend building up your own library of 'music for dance - it makes finding suitable music so much quicker!
But if I can give you one piece of advice when finding music for dance… don’t look for the perfect piece of music (it doesn’t exist!) - just look for a good match - then stop looking!
Another tip - a good place to start are film scores - they’ve been written with a visual image in mind - doing The Romans? Then something on the score of ‘Gladiator’ will probably suit.
This is mainly aimed at KS1 & 2, but a good piece of music doesn’t have age boundaries… I hope you enjoy them.