Monks

1
Monks Dyke Technology College Work with year 1
and 2 at Grimoldby Primary School This unit of
work has two components A nature-based unit,
covering autumn leaves, animals and the weather
(fog mist) The second unit is based
on the story, Cant you sleep, Little Bear.
Lesson 1 Autumn leaves Lesson 2 Autumn
leaves Lesson 3 Animals Lesson 4 Fog Lesson
5 Cant you sleep, Little Bear? Lesson 6
Cant you sleep, Little Bear? Lesson 7 Cant
you sleep, Little Bear? The following aims are
covered in the unit Developing increasing
kinesthetic awareness Experimenting with the
elements of dance. Introduce key words at the end
of the lesson. Developing increasing
kinesthetic awareness and Participating
appropriately in movement activities and as
audience members Working in a group to learn a
set movement sequence thus developing movement
memory To introduce a story (link to Literacy)
as a starting point for dance. To begin to
create a dance using basic components of
choreography (dividing the story into sections,
combining pair whole group work) Continuing to
make connections between dance and other content
areas Participating appropriately in movement
activities Recognizing that audience members
critique dance using various methods To prepare
and present a whole group performance piece using
a Literacy text as a starting point. L. Marritt
2

• Monks Dyke Technology College Year 1 and 2
  Dance
• Aims for this unit
• Year 1
• The focus areas at this level include
•    Developing increasing kinesthetic awareness
•    Experimenting with the elements of dance
•    Beginning to create dance using basic
  components of choreography
•     Participating in dance as a form of human
  expression
•    Continuing to make connections between dance
  and other content areas
• Participating appropriately in movement
  activities and as audience members
• Year 2
• The focus areas at this level include
•     Developing increasing kinesthetic awareness
•     Demonstrating the elements of dance
•    Creating dance, alone and with others, using
  basic components of choreography
•      Participating in dance as a form of human
  expression
•     Continuing to make connections between dance
  and other content areas

3

• Monks Dyke Technology College
•  Year 1 and 2 Dance
•  Lesson one Introduction
• Lesson aim Developing increasing kinesthetic
  awareness
• Warm up and short dance development (Autumn
  leaves)
• Focus moving in time to the music and working in
  pairs
•  
• Work covered so far (from the Lets Move
  programme)
•         Using different body parts
•     Small and large movements
•         Stopping and starting responding to
  the music
•         Contrasting steps quick, light steps
  and slow, strong steps
•         Different pathways curved, straight
  and zig-zag
•         Partner work follow-the-leader
•         Stories / poems as a stimulus for
  creating dance
•         Different ways of moving

4

• Warm up B warm up specific parts of the body
  (mostly the feet)
• March
• Tip toe vary on the spot and moving
• Run
• Skip
• Arms above the head
•  
• Arrange class into lines.
• First march / walk on the spot and then around
  the room (choosing own pathway), returning to the
  same place (countdown from 5 to 0 to give them
  time to do this without rushing.)
• For tiptoe, choose a leader. All follow the
  leader around the room to the cookie jar /
  chocolate cupboard to get something they
  shouldnt be getting! Leader chooses when top
  freeze if someone is coming etc.
•  
• Heartbeat clapping the rhythm of the heart
  beating faster as we are moving around more.
  Choose volunteers and rest of the group watches
  them.
• Lesson 2 Autumn Leaves
• Lesson aim   Experimenting with the elements of
  dance. Introduce key words at the end of the
  lesson.
• Recap work covered last week, including words to
  describe leaves falling to the floor.
• Aim to create a dance piece about autumn leaves
  using a structure taught in the warm up.
•  

5

•  Warm up (8 counts for each)
• Nod head Look over the shoulder and then back
  to the centre (right and left) Lift alternate
  shoulders
• Both shoulders up to the ears (repeat,
  faster) Marching on the spot Marching, knees
  higher
• Moving around the room walking, tiptoeing,
  crawling, running, walking as if cross
•  
• Development 1 (in a circle)
• Give each child a number one or two
• All ones to stand up (twos to stay on the floor
  until the ones have finished)
• 2 bars of 8 around, anywhere in the space,
  returning to their place by the second 8
• Movement to include any moves used in the warm up
• One return to places, sit down and twos stand up,
  ready to go.
• Two return to places and sit down
• Use to contrasting pieces of music (Da Rude
  Sandstorm and Big Blue Overture)
•  
• Development 2 (Music Track one from Moby
  Everything is wrong)
• Use the same numbers for this task. Children find
  a space anywhere in the room.
• Children to throw leaves (paper and real) up into
  the air and watch them drifting to the floor,
  using this as a stimulus for their own movement.
• Children need to be careful so that they dont
  stand on them or slip. They can look at the
  leaves dotted around the room to give them an
  idea of the shape of the leaf they would like to
  make.
• Make your body rock from side to side like the
  wind rocking the leaves on a tree. Transfer the
  weight from one foot to the other foot, keeping
  the arms next to the body (trying to keep the
  shape of the leaf).

6
Lesson 3 Lesson aims Developing increasing
kinesthetic awareness and Participating
appropriately in movement activities and as
audience members Warm up A Pupils to follow set
warm up, moving through the body from the head to
the feet.         Head (lower the head onto the
chest and up again, look over the right and then
the left shoulder, tilt the head over to one
shoulder and then the other, always
moving gently so that there is no strain placed
on the neck muscles)         Marching on the
spot, swinging the arms in time to the music.
Running on the spot (like a boxer, with feet
hardly moving off the floor)         Skipping
around the room (not bumping into anyone)
Return to starting places         Bend and
stretch the knees (explain that the knees must
always be bent when landing after a jump to
prevent injury)         Bend and stretch the
knees, then go up onto a rise and lower to flat.
Repeat, then go straight from a bend to a rise
and then from a bend into a jump         4
bounces on 2 feet, 4 jumps changing from one foot
to the other Shake hands and feet, nod head
roll wrists         Shoulders   Everyone walks
around the room while the music plays. When the
music stops everyone assumes the body of a
particular animal. Owl Elephant Giraffe Rabbit
Crocodile Lion   Everyone on the floor from
lion. Stay on all fours and do cat stretch
yawning, stretching (legs, arms, neck), arching
and hollowing the back, rolling through the
shoulders with hands as support, rotating through
the shoulders, head looks left and right and then
rotates, walk through the hands and push up into
a V to warm up the feet, knees slightly
bent.   Group work Children to experiment with
moving as each of the animals (whole class
activity). Children choose an animal and work
with others to further explore different ways of
moving. Encourage children to involve the whole
body in the movement and also to be creative in
the way they portray the animal. Idea for
structure put pictures of the animals in
different areas of the room, thereby forming a
base for each group and giving the children a
visual stimulus.
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• Performance and evaluation
• Arrange children in an audience so that each
  group has a chance to perform in front of the
  rest of the group.
• Before the performances start give the children
  the following prompts
• when you are watching a group try to watch one
  person for a little while so that you can focus
  on what they are doing well
• think about why you liked watching other people
  perform
• a good audience is a group of people who watch
  other people work and then talk about their work
  and say things they liked about it and, sometimes
  give them ways to improve their work.
• As is seen from the above, the children are being
  introduced to evaluation and the language they
  need to appreciate the work of other pupils.
• Plenary
• What have you learnt?
• Discussion about the way the children have used
  their bodies to move like animals.
• Remind them of the task they had to do when
  they watching other people perform ( focus on one
  person) so that they can concentrate on what that
  person has done well.

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• Lesson 4 Fog
• Lesson aim to work in a group to learn a set
  movement sequence thus developing movement
  memory
• Foggy day (adapted from www.sportsteacher.co.uk/l
  essonplans/dance )
• Introduction discussion about fog e.g. How
  does fog make you feel? Cold? Creepy ?
  Frightened? Lonely?
•  Brief warm up
• Short, active warm up e.g. shoulder rolls,
  marching, moving through the feet etc.
• Development ask children for suggestions of
  where a fog dance could be set e.g. field,
  North Pole)
• Movement ideas for group dance
• Cold shivering and shaking, wrapping arms
  around the body, shaking different body parts,
  blowing on hands, running to keep warm
• Creepy think of spiky shapes, stretching high
  and crawling along the ground, slow, strong
  movements
• Frightened shaky, slow movements followed by a
  quick run, repeat in different directions, sudden
  jumps
• Lonely wandering with no clear direction,
  dragging feet, looking towards something and then
  looking away
• Development Taught movement section using arms
  to move through fog (arm movements and turns)
• Children start in a group
• Year 2 In small group on stage right.
• Year 1 all together, arms rubbing shoulders,
  then rubbing hands together to show that it is
  cold. All start moving to the right, move the
  right arm as if moving through fog.

9
Cant you sleep, little bear? From QCA
website Explore jumping and turning and use
different parts of the body to make movement.
Create and repeat short dances inspired by themes
such as clowns, penguins and folk dance. (PE
Dance Activities unit 1) This unit is based on
the story Cant you sleep, little bear? and
children will work in pairs to create short
dances based on the story. Initial
ideas Themes Fear, darkness, family love Read
story, discuss movements of Big Bear and Little
Bear. What do the pictures tell us about them
and the way they move? Selected pictures used to
help children come up with ideas. Follow the
leader, moving like Big Bear and then like Little
Bear. In pairs, one to be Big Bear and one to be
Little Bear show the difference. Look closely
at the pictures. Choose2 or 3 that show how
gestures and movements show how the Bears are
feeling (esp.Little Bear) Map out the area from
big Bears chair to Little Bears bed. Teach two
set sequences one for BB and one for LB to move
between the two. Put them together. Introduce
use of different pathways and levels. Useful
websites www.mrsmad.com (book reviews)
www.bearden.org (pictures of bears, text too
advanced but pictures may be useful) Initial
aims of the unit Use story as stimulus for
movement. Children to input ideas for movement
based on what they know about the story.
During the unit, warm ups should be short (but
still adequate) to ensure maximum time for
development of story and dance ideas).
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Lesson 1 playing outside Lesson aims To
introduce a story (link to Literacy) as a
starting point for dance. To begin to create a
dance using basic components of choreography
(dividing the story into sections, combining pair
whole group work) Children will have already
heard the story, Cant you sleep, little bear?
in a Literacy lesson immediately prior to their
dance lesson. Brief discussion of story
including structure and how BB made LB less
afraid (by getting three lanterns and taking him
outside to see the moon and by making him feel
safe and loved) Warm up Link use autumn theme
for warm up. Children to imagine themselves
outside on a cold, crisp morning. Include
movements like rubbing hands together to get warm
as part of the warm up to extend the theme.
Discuss the two characters in the story. How
would each of the Bears move? Follow the
leader, first moving like Big Bear and then like
Little Bear. Development Big Bear and Little
Bear walks BB upper body bent forwards, move R
foot and R arm together, then L . Slow walk LB
walk quickly (small steps), with hands held by
the sides and head moving slightly from side to
side, arms held still by the sides Playing
outside Big Bear and Little Bear play outside.
Refer to the work done on autumn leaves for
movement ideas. Children to work in pairs on a
short taught sequence. BB walks forward 4. Turns
to look at LB and calls to LB to catch up. (LB
to look around while BB walks forward) BB walks
forward 4. Turns to look at LB and calls to LB to
catch up. (LB to look around while BB walks
forward) BB walks forward 4. Turns to look at LB
and calls to LB. LB is not there!! LB is hiding
behind a tree. BB cant see LB at first and then
sees LB and creeps towards the tree to find LB.
LB jumps out from behind the tree and either
throws snow or leaves or cuddles BB. Watch half
the class perform then change over. Children to
focus on the performance of other children in the
same Bear group as themselves (I.e. other
Little Bears) Evaluation children encouraged to
say who they liked watching and why. Ask
questions about the way the bears moved e.g. who
was a very good Big Bear and why? Encourage them
to identify the characteristics of LB and BB and
people they think were using these well.
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• Cant you sleep, Little Bear?
• The story in sections
• Use the sections below to divide the story into
  clear sections for dance
• development
• Playing outside and walking home
• Inside the house 1 Go to sleep, little bear
  why are you scared? lantern 1
• Inside the house 2 Go to sleep, little bear
  why are you scared? lantern 1
• Inside the house 3 Go to sleep, little bear
  why are you scared? lantern 1
• Inside the house 4 Go to sleep, little bear I
  have brought you three lanterns - outside Dark
  and moon
• Inside on chair asleep

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• Lesson 2 Lanterns
• Lesson aims
• Continuing to make connections between dance and
  other content areas
• Participating appropriately in movement
  activities
• Recognizing that audience members critique dance
  using various methods
• Structure of lesson
• Warm up (please refer to ideas at the end of the
  scheme)
• Recap work covered last week (playing outside)
• Children to work in same pairs as last week.
• Development
• Work on 3 lantern sequences. Basic sequence to
  be taught with slight variation to each of the
  three groups (one teacher per group).
• Whole group learn the pattern first. Rehearse
  several times before splitting into smaller
  groups. Keep the variation simple e.g. use a
  prop
• (small, medium and large lantern) to show the
  difference in sections.
• Differentiation year 1 and 2 to learn different
  routines
• Note recurring movement motifs to be used
  throughout the piece e.g. Cant you sleep,
  Little Bear? is repeated many times in the text.
  It
• can be repeated through movement using a simple
  gesture (praying hands rested against the
  cheek, head tilted to the side).

13
Year 1 Divide into three groups (based on the
different-sized lanterns) All children to learn
set sequence After playing outside section, all
pairs to return to their cave (line up across the
back of the performance space in their pairs,
holding hands). LB waves goodnight to BB and goes
to bed (three different areas of the room
used). During the LB section (rolling etc), BB is
reading his / her book at the back of the cave
and cant see what LB is doing. LB rolls over
onto side twice and then sits up, scratches head
and turns body to the back of the cave and calls
BB (big hand gesture beckoning). BB takes a
step towards LB, gestures wait (index finger) and
then picks up the tiny-weeny lantern off the
floor, takes it and leaves it next to BBs head,
ruffles LBs hair and then returns to BB chair.
Repeat same sequence twice more for bigger
lantern and for The Biggest Lantern of Them
All. Rehearse taught section. Performance of
taught section. Plenary Recap work covered
playing outside section, lanterns. Prepare for
next lesson moon section, LB falls
asleep. Encourage children to practise with their
partners during the week.
14

• Year 2 feed counts very quietly
• Divide into three groups (based on the
  different-sized lanterns). All children to learn
  set sequence
• After playing outside section, all return to
  their cave (line up across the back of the
  performance space in their pairs, holding hands).
• Goodnight section LB to say goodnight to BB.
  Pairs choose how this happens a hug, a wave.
  LB goes slowly to bed, dragging feet or similar,
  head down (not wanting to go to bed at all)
• During the LB section (rolling etc), BB is
  reading his / her book at the back of the cave
  and cant see what LB is doing.
• Wait four counts so that it looks like LB is
  going to sleep.
• LB rolls over onto side twice, then sits up and
  scratches head, rubs eyes, yawns (hands into a
  stretch) and then slides back down onto the floor
  using the right arm to lead the slide.
• Count 4. Repeat rolls and then sit up, scratch
  head, fold arms, BIG SIGH.
• First group
• LB goes to BB who is still reading, taps him /
  her on the shoulder to get attention. BB puts
  book down on the floor and leads LB back to bed.
  BB then gestures wait (index finger in the air)
  and returns to LB with a tiny-weeny lantern. BB
  rocks from R to L to R to L foot, body forward,
  watching LB and then, thinking LB is asleep,
  tiptoes back to chair to read. LB appears to be
  asleep. This group freezes for the rest of the
  section.
• All remaining LBs
• Wait four counts so that it looks like LB is
  going to sleep. LB rolls over onto side twice,
  then sits up and scratches head, rubs eyes, yawns
  (hands into a stretch) and then slides back down
  onto the foor using the right arm to lead the
  slide. Count 4. Repeat rolls and then sit up,
  scratch head, fold arms, BIG SIGH.
• Second group
• LB goes to BB who is still reading, taps him /
  her on the shoulder to get attention. BB puts
  book down on the floor and leads LB back to bed.
  BB then gestures wait (index finger in the air)
  and returns to LB with a bigger lantern. BB
  rocks from R to L to R to L foot, body forward,
  watching LB and then, thinking LB is asleep,
  tiptoes back to chair to read. LB appears to be
  asleep. This group freezes for the rest of the
  section.
• Rehearse taught section. Performance of taught
  section.
• Plenary Encourage children to practise with
  their partners during the week.
• Recap work covered playing outside section,
  lanterns. Prepare for next lesson moon
  section, LB falls asleep.

15
Tiny-weeny lantern
16
A bigger lantern
17
The Biggest Lantern of Them All
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Lesson 3 year 1 Lesson aim to prepare and
present a whole group performance piece using a
Literacy text as a starting point. Brief movement
warm up Freeze game (variation) instead of just
freezing, children are given a word e.g. spiky
and have to make a shape that reflects that word.
Other words round, big, tiny, stretched Recap
section already taught Divide into three
groups (based on the different-sized
lanterns) All children to learn set
sequence After playing outside section, all pairs
to return to their cave (line up across the back
of the performance space in their pairs, holding
hands). LB waves goodnight to BB and goes to bed
(three different areas of the room used). During
the LB section (rolling etc), BB is reading his /
her book at the back of the cave and cant see
what LB is doing. LB rolls over onto side twice
and then sits up, scratches head and turns body
to the back of the cave and calls BB (big hand
gesture beckoning). BB takes a step towards
LB, gestures wait (index finger) and then picks
up the tiny-weeny lantern off the floor, takes it
and leaves it next to BBs head, ruffles LBs
hair and then returns to BB chair. Cant you
sleep, Little Bear? Continued Repeat same
sequence twice more for bigger lantern and for
The Biggest Lantern of Them All. Repeat final
time. BB takes Lb outside to look at the moon.
LB yawns and looks very sleepy. BB takes LB
inside takes LB to bed and stays with LB until LB
falls asleep (sits next to LB, watching). BB
yawns. End. Looking back at the story the
narrative has been stuck to apart from the
obvious change at the end which suits the dancers
better so that there is no complication with BB
trying to carry LB!! This is a simplified version
of the dance which can be expanded in several
ways The playing outside section could be made
longer by having LB exploring, playing
hide-and-seek with LB. The Cant you sleep
section could be changed to be slightly different
each time. This could be achieved by keeping the
same motif (the rolling) and adding to it e.g.
maybe LB could pick up one of the lanterns and
try and look around him (trying to convince self
that it is not so bad out there). Performance and
Evaluation Members of the audience to comment on
what they liked about the piece.
19
Lesson 3 year 2 Aim to prepare and present a
whole group performance piece using a Literacy
text as a starting point. Lesson structure Quick
warm up,(Freeze game variation instead of just
freezing, children are given a word e.g. spiky
and have to make a shape that reflects that word.
Other words round, big, tiny, stretched )
reminder of work already covered. Into groups
for rehearsal. All remaining LBs(only one group
left now) Wait four counts so that it looks
like LB is going to sleep. LB rolls over onto
side twice, then sits up and scratches head, rubs
eyes, yawns (hands into a stretch) and then
slides back down onto the floor using the right
arm to lead the slide. Count 4. Repeat rolls
and then sit up, scratch head, fold arms, BIG
SIGH. Third group LB goes to BB who is still
reading, taps him / her on the shoulder to get
attention. BB puts book down on the floor and
leads LB back to bed. BB then gestures wait
(index finger in the air) and returns to LB with
The Biggest Lantern of Them All. BB rocks from R
to L to R to L foot, body forward, watching LB
and then, thinking LB is asleep, tiptoes back to
chair to read. LB appears to be asleep. This
group freezes for the rest of the
section. All BB Rock R to L to R to L, turn
(three step turn to the right) and take arms
above the head in a big yawn. Repeat to the L.
All LBs appear to be asleep. Repeat rolling
sequence. Go to BB again. All pairs go outside,
BB shows LB the moon. NB must be SITTING
watching the moon so that LB can fall asleep. End
with LB asleep with head on BBs knee. BB looks
down at LB and smiles. Looking back at the story
the narrative has been stuck to apart from the
obvious change at the end which suits the dancers
better so that there is no complication with BB
trying to carry LB!! Performance and
Evaluation Members of the audience to comment on
what they liked about the piece.
20

• Ideas for future development
• Could use the same model followed using a
  different text
• Identify the different sections of the text
  (highlighting repeated sections / rule of three)
• Focus on the movement of the characters involved
  and allow children time to experiment with these,
  using their ideas, where possible.
• Break the class into groups, teaching them all a
  set section, giving each group a slightly
  different ending OR allowing each group to
  develop their own ending to their section.
• Perform for an audience, where possible. This
  gives the children something to work towards and
  allows them to get feedback from their peers.
• Use the text as a starting point to explore
  related themes. Find relevant music which may
  highlight or support the work covered.
• Children could work in their own groups to make
  up a dance piece using the movement taught in the
  unit (e.g. the children could use other stories
  they know from the Little Bear and Big Bear
  stories).
• Using the work on Autumn leaves, children could
  work on a dance piece about the seasons either
  one
• group working on each season or all members of
  the class working on all of the seasons and
  showing the
• transition from one to the other.
• Fears following the theme of fear from, Cant
  you sleep, Little Bear? develop the theme of
  childhood fears. Spiders, frogs Dark Thunder
  and lightning
• Could use these themes as a starting point for a
  dance piece. Children could develop own
  narrative about person who overcomes their fears.
  

21
Warm up ideas for KS1 dance Start from the head
and work down through the body, making sure that
the warm up covers all areas. Games can be
played as part of the warm up e.g. musical
statues, Grannys footsteps (focuses on movement
and stillness) Warm ups should be included in
every lesson and can be done in several ways A
discrete section of the lesson. An integral part
of the lesson, using ideas themes from the
lesson as a starting point for the activities
exercises (e.g. a lesson including material about
animals could be started with a warm up using
animal motifs e.g. mouse runs running very
quickly on the spot with hands together at chest
height). This provides a useful link into the
lesson material. Examples of warm up exercises
(this set of exercises starts at the head and
ends with the feet and is a thorough, basic warm
up. It can be extended, where necessary) Head N
od head x 8 Look over alternating shoulders x
8 Tilt head over alternating shoulders x
8 Shoulders Right shoulder up to right ear
(without moving the rest of the arm), alternate x
8 Both shoulders together x 8 Roll shoulders
forward x 4 Roll shoulders backwards x 4 Roll
both together forward x 4 Roll both together
backward x 4 Arms Alternate arms up, reaching up
to the ceiling as if to reach something there.
Look at the end as it reaches up to the
ceiling. Arms out to the side. Circle the arms
forward (x 8) and then repeat backwards (keep the
arm straight) Shake the arms in front of the body
x 8 Feet Balance on one foot. Make circles with
the other ankle. Make circles the other way.
Change feet. Feet together, bend and straighten
knees, then rise up onto the balls of the feet x
8 Stretch up, as if reaching something on the
ceiling again. This time, give up and let the
whole body flop gently (rag doll style so that
the knees bend and the whole upper body bends
forward over bent knees) (this warms up the
back). Running on the spot / around the room for
8 or 16 counts Legs Marching on the spot,
lifting feet higher off the ground, leg swings
Whole body Star jumps. Moving around the room,
stopping when the music stops (musical statues)

22
Warm up games Version of grannys
footsteps Instead of simply freezing, the person
turning around children are given a word and they
need to make a shape representing the word, e.g.
spiky, tiny, big, curled up   Follow the
leader Jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping,
striding, marching and jogging Body part
awareness Walk around the room weaving and out
through the group to the rhythm. Call out the
name of a body part which must be somehow
attached to the floor be creative! Back of the
hand, knees, soles of the feet, hips, knuckles,
backs, noses (try to take everything else off the
floor!) L. Marritt MDTC October / November 2002