Let’s put on our space suits and leave the Earth’s atmosphere; experience weightlessness, encounter robots, explore planets and ask ‘are we really alone?’!…

Your ‘Space’ Teaching Pack for Key Stage 1 Dance

Preview Lesson

Everything you need to get started:

6-week lesson plan
integrated music tracks
pupil assessment charts
curriculum objectives
learning outcomes
comprehensive teaching notes

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Lesson Preview

Name: Space (KS1)
Brand: dance notes
SKU: 407
Price: 32.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

This preview includes the lesson overview and first week”s planning in full. To access the entire plan, simply complete your purchase using the ”Add To Cart” button. Alternatively, a Dance Notes Licence will give instant access to all resources for a yearly or monthly subscription.

Outline

Let’s put on our space suits and leave the Earth’s atmosphere; experience weightlessness, encounter robots, explore planets and ask ‘are we really alone?’!…

Curriculum Objectives:

Develop fundamental movement skills (agility, balance & coordination)
Become increasingly competent and confident in moving the body
Work individually and with others
Engage in co-operative physical activities
Explore a range of increasingly challenging situations

Learning Outcomes:

Master a variety of basic movement patterns
Develope balance, agility and co-ordination
Perform dances using simple movement patterns

Week 5: Finalise the Dance

Week 6: Rehearse and Perform

Week 1: Rockets

Starter

Discuss Space and the idea of travelling around our solar system. What is involved in space travel? What would you want to see?

Warm up

Then…I Open the Door

You are an astronaut; put on your space suit, making sure every part is correctly fastened. Start with the toes, rotating and tensing each section of your body, all the way up to putting on your helmet.

Once you are secure in your space suit, find a space and we will count down to blast off.

When you blast off, think of 3 different ways of jumping e.g.

star jump
bunny hop
from crouching
two feet together
from foot to foot
hop scotch
jump to turn or change levels
etc.

Teacher, pick a few of the most inventive ones for everyone to try. (Jumps do not always have to go upwards!)

Main

Inner Space

You have now left the earth’s atmosphere and are travelling into space. Move around the room as if you are a rocket – listen to the music and try to move to it.

Think about spatial awareness, speed and direction.

When the teacher shouts “all change”, change the direction you are travelling, taking care not to bump into each other.

Divide into two groups. One group is to be objects in space (rocks or meteors, satellites, space debris, black holes). The other group, the rockets, need to avoid the space objects while continuing on your journey.

Swap the groups over and repeat.

Cool Down

Drawing Nearer

Imagine how astronauts feel in the vastness of space: it is cold and lonely up here. Curl up into a tiny ball, starting from the head, all the way to your toes, and reverse.

Repeat as desired.

Key Vocabulary:

level, speed, shape, direction, travelling, spatial

Week 2: The Moon

Top

To continue using this plan…

Dance Notes has given me the confidence to deliver Dance, something I have always struggled with or avoided. There are plenty of topics and themes to choose from and it is easy to use. Because there are no ‘rights and wrong’s about what children’s responses are, children were confident to join in and do what they felt and wanted rather than think ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t dance’. Some boys who can sometimes be disruptive were totally engaged in Rough and Tumble. Also, because children can choose their own movements, there were less ‘rules’. Children were back from school after lockdown and thoroughly enjoyed moving and expressing themselves to music. Because the music is there ready and the plans are written for you, there is no scrabbling around finding suitable music. I would previously avoid teaching dance as I didn’t have plans or music.

Trish

This is the best dance scheme of work that I have used in my 40 years of teaching and even better than a dance teacher that comes into school. The children are very engaged in dance and enjoy it much more than they used to do. By doing the dance moves they are able to understand how people used to live. I have had many students who find it difficult to work with others but dance notes helped them find the confidence to change. I have had students who were not willing to join in with dance but with dance notes they find it enjoyable. The notes are so clear and well structured and the tracks are available too so there is no need for new planning.

Pauline

It is so easy to use with loads of possible units that can be used across the year.

Dance Notes has massively helped my planning of cross curricular dance. The children have really enjoyed the lessons. They have been able to bring their learning from the classroom and turn it into performance which has been joyous to watch. My planning time was cut in half with the use of Dance Notes

Kelly

Easy to follow instructions with the music. Good pair and group work. Fits well with my Ancient Greece topic. Thanks so much! It’s a great unit – it worked so well I’m doing it again this year.

Anna