Discover the world of ancient Egypt through dance. Experience this advanced yet harsh regime, where slaves were set to work on monumental constructions.

Your ‘The Pyramids’ Teaching Pack for Key Stage 2 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: The Pyramids (KS2)
Brand: dance notes
SKU: 561
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

Discover the world of ancient Egypt through dance. Experience this advanced yet harsh regime, where slaves were set to work on monumental constructions.

Curriculum Objectives:

Apply & develop a broad range of movement skills
Learn how to use these in different ways
Link them to make actions & sequences of movement
Enjoy communicating and collaborating with each other
Develop an understanding of how to improve
Learn how to evaluate and recognise own success

Learning Outcomes:

Use a variety of movements in isolation and combination
Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance
Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
Compare and evaluate performances against previous ones
Demonstrate improvement to achieve personal targets

Week 1: Sad Solo / Trapping Duet

Week 2: Revise Solo / Duet

Week 3: Building Section

Week 4: Pyramid

Week 5: Evaluate & Improve

Week 6: Performance

Week 1: Sad Solo / Trapping Duet

Starter

Discuss the topic of Ancient Egyptians: consider the work involved in building the pyramids and how servants/slaves were sometimes used.

Discuss the type of movements needed for a sad dance representing the Pyramid builders.

Warm up

Sorrow

Let the music set the scene. Begin with small circles; then develop these to travel – changing level and direction – around the space, leading with different body parts and remembering the stimulus of sadness.

Main

Sorrow

Find a partner. Partner “A”, use different body parts to trap partner “B” using circular shapes. Partner “B”, then escape. Do this at least 4 times (in 4 different ways).

Half the class show your work, then the other. Discuss how this can be improved by adding moves such as rolling, turning, and jumping and by altering the speed at different times.

All the “A”s, stand at the back of the room glaring at partner “B” performing their Sad solo. After 16 counts, “A”s begin to walk towards the “B”s until the teacher fades the music and changes track.

Anger

Suddenly, with the change of music, “A”s begin to trap your partners.

Cool Down

Sorrow

Use the warm–up to cool down, stretching through each position.

Key Vocabulary:

levels, direction, trapping

Week 2: Revise Solo / Duet

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