Dance - Lesson Plan

Dance like nobody's watching - a dance exploration lesson plan

Preparation: Find a large flat grassy area, scout the area to be used for safety, removing any sticks, stones or other obtrusions. Set out a perimeter using cones to mark the corners. Optional: provide some instrumental music through a digital speaker etc.

Introduction: Bring the students into the designated area and point out the corners asking the students to move around in the space and walk the perimeter to get to know it.
Bring the students together to stand in a circle in the middle of the area and explain that they will be exploring dance today. 

Warm Up: Keeping students in the circle begin to warm up by side stepping to the right then to left and then bringing moving into the centre of the circle. 

Dance: When everyone is warmed up and comfortable with the circle dance introduce the idea of doing whatever  they want for 4 counts and demonstrate a few ideas. Have the students continue with the circle dance adding their own movements in for several more rounds. 

Then have the students find their own space in the area and swing their arms around so they have clear space to work. Then explain that you're all going to make a dance by following a body part, demonstrate by showing a dance in which you follow your elbow around a space. 

Allow the students to continue to explore the space and develop their dances, move around the space offering suggestions to students who seem stuck and 'just in time' interventions and suggestions to further develop the dances. 

Cool Down: After 15 minutes get the students to start to slow down their dancing and begin to cool down, if using music bring down the volume and tempo. Then take the students a some stretching. 

Assessment: This unit is designed as an introduction to dance and assessment for learning is employed throughout the lesson as the teacher moves around the students and provides feedback to enhance students learning around dance and physical movement.