Dance and gymnastics

Physical Education

Primary

Learn about animal movements at the Natural History Museum

Rodmell primary school in Lewes is preparing for a dance performance based on animal movements at a local show. To help the children make their costumes and movements more authentic teacher Leanne Stevenson books two sessions at the Natural History Museum in London. &nbsp; "Investigate" is a hands-on science centre in the museum which allows students to hold, touch, measure and explore real specimens using microscopes, mini cameras and computers. Back in school the pupils draw on their experience to perfect their performance and add the final touches to their costumes. See the resources and support materials page for more information relating to this programme. You can also find the subtitle document for this programme on the resources and support materials page.

Creepy Crawlies

Dance techniques are used to improve cross curricular learning

Find out how pupils at Brindishe Green School have been improving their dancing and cross-curricular learning by using different body shapes in their dance lessons, in this primary lesson idea. Early studies by dance centre The Place and the Open University have shown that using different body shapes in dance classes can help improve cross curricular learning. Dance coordinator and teacher Jenny Powell, with help from The Place, has put this method into practice during her lessons and helped other teachers in her school implement the technique. Jenny explains the method behind the Pin, Ball, Wall and Twist technique, and describes how she has found it useful in her teaching, as well as other benefits. Year 5 pupils demonstrate the different movements and reveal how these body shapes can make dance lessons fun and imaginative.

Dance - Four Body Shapes

A primary dance lesson starter using magnets as inspiration

Magnets inspire movement in this fun Key Stage 2 lesson starter as Year 3 pupils explore the properties of magnets to create dances. Dance becomes a cross-curricular as the pupils at Deansfield School in Eltham, London, explore the features of magnetism: push, pull, repel, attract.Pupils are encouraged to think about the special properties and movements of magnets, such as what happens when opposite and the same ends of magnets come together. This lesson starter can be used to explore and reiterate a basic understanding of magnetism.

Dance - Moving Like Magnets

A look at how dance can be used across the primary curriculum

At Broadway Junior School in Gateshead, teacher Chris Horn and his colleagues have been using dance to engage learners of all abilities across the curriculum. Chris documents this process in his video, Dancing Across the Curriculum. Watch Chris and his class in action as they combine words in extended sentences and express these as short dance sequences. There's also a chance to see an example of geography combined with dance, with children asked to use dance to explore ideas about scale from mountain to sand. Chris joins educational consultant Adrienne Jones plus teacher Andrea Noble and headteacher Margarita Acklam to discuss the benefits of this approach to pupils' learning. In particular, the group discuss the approach in terms of creativity, self-esteem and achievement. They conclude by considering how teacher video supports CPD and can help non-specialists embrace this kind of innovation.

Dancing Across the Curriculum

An expert guides a primary teacher through a dance warm-up

A dance education specialist demonstrates how warm-ups for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 lessons can be easy even for wary teachers, in this CPD resource. Alison Swann, a CPD specialist from The Place has taught dance in education at schools across London. She shows a teacher and a dance coordinator how to have fun, with simple warm-ups that even the most frightened teacher can do with or without music. Alison and the teachers address common fears and talk about the difference between a PE and dance warm-up, as well as the health and safety implications of warming-up properly.

Easy Dance Warm-Ups

Learn about three lively group activities for KS1 and KS2 PE

Discover three suggestions for Key Stage 1/2 physical education (PE), which can be integrated into lesson planning. These fun and lively activities include football skills, warm-ups and a 'dance and stomp' lesson. These ideas are designed to engage children of all abilities, giving them a project to share with the whole school. The first lesson idea uses drill exercises to warm-up for football and other team games. The second lesson - Squares - shows how children can work on their ball skills in small spaces. This allows each pupil to develop at their own speed. Finally, a popular 'dance and stomp' lesson idea is demonstrated. Children work individually and then in groups, before showing their peers what they've done. This dance lesson is designed to appeal particularly to boys.

Group Activities in PE

Three ICT resources for teaching primary creative arts and  dance

In this episode, we highlight three ICT resources for primary creative arts and dance. Claire Pring, AST in dance, recommends: <ul> <li>Wild Child CD-ROM - a recording of the Ludas production of Wild Child with accompanying lesson plans and exercises</li> <li>321 Go! - a CD-ROM containing video, activities, audio, ideas for games and workshops</li> <li>Roald Dahl's Goldilocks and the Three Bears - a book and CD-ROM showing how to put on a musical.</li> </ul> Pring joins presenter Hermione Cockburn in our London studio to discuss the resources with Andrew Flynn, maths coordinator with responsibilities for PE and dance, and Adrienne Jones, an education consultant.

ICT Special: Primary Creative Arts 2 (Dance)

  Teachers at John Perry Primary School attend a dance workshop  

In this programme, we follow a dance workshop for teachers at John Perry Primary School in Dagenham, which focuses on techniques and lesson-planning. With national surveys showing that general levels of fitness and health amongst children are falling, schools are seeking ways to extend their provision of physical exercise. John Perry Primary has identified dance as an area for development. To help achieve its goal of improving dance at the school, the school has invited Bobbie Gargrave, dance advisory teacher for Barking and Dagenham, to work with the teachers. As well as teach the workshop, Bobbie works with the Year 3 teacher to help develop her skills to become one of two planned dance post-holders.

KS1/2 Dance - Improving Dance in Your School

  A dance teacher choreographs a dance piece on Ancient Egypt  

In the programme Bobbie Gargrave, dance advisory teacher for Barking and Dagenham, works with a Year 4 class to choreograph a dance piece about Ancient Egypt. The dance is developed in five sections, representing the first five lessons, and lesson six is a performance of the whole piece. Throughout, Bobbie offers advice on lesson objectives, and ways to encourage the William Ford C of E pupils to develop and learn. This programme aims to show what high quality dance is and the sort of skills that it develops in pupils.

KS1/2 Dance - What is High Quality Dance?

Improving dance lessons at KS2

This programme is for primary school teachers who want to get inspiration, advice and new ideas for teaching dance at KS2. Amanda Garton from Great Wishford Primary has volunteered to be observed by Lyn Paine, a dance specialist, in order to learn more about teaching dance. Amanda's lesson is based on a carnival theme which works at a cross curriculum level with geography and art. Lyn Paine gives guidelines on the basic elements of a dance lesson as well as practical advice on structuring a lesson. This programme demonstrates good teaching styles and provides support for teachers.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Primary Physical Education

> Dance and gymnastics