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This unit develops Year 2 students' ability to use their whole body as a tool for storytelling, progressing from animal movements to complex character narratives. The penguin theme provides a familiar and engaging context that naturally supports creative expression while building fundamental dance skills. Through this progression, students discover how movement quality, spatial relationships, and collaborative choreography can communicate stories and emotions effectively.

Lessons in This Unit

6 lessons in this unit

Lesson 1

Penguin Huddle Movement
45 min

Big Question:

How can we use our bodies to create movements that tell the story of penguins huddling together for warmth?

Key Objectives:

  • • Explore whole body actions to create movements as a group and in pairs
  • • Apply the idea of a theme to a dance using penguin imagery

Lesson 2

Expressing Feelings Through Dance
45 min

Big Question:

How can we use our whole body to tell a story and show feelings through dance?

Key Objectives:

  • • Create a sequence of movements for performance with clear starting and finishing positions
  • • Demonstrate comprehension of the Penguin Small story through expressive dance movements

Lesson 3

Creating a Friendship Duet
45 min

Big Question:

How can we use our bodies to tell the story of friendship between two different characters?

Key Objectives:

  • • Create a duet that shows the relationship between the penguin and the snowman
  • • Explore unison, levels and canon within choreography

Lesson 4

Solo Adventure Dance
45 min

Big Question:

How can we tell stories through movement using changes in direction and speed?

Key Objectives:

  • • Explore the theme of Penguin Small's adventure to create a solo dance with changes of direction and speed
  • • Create a short dance solo which demonstrates changes in direction and speed

Lesson 5

Happy Feet Dance Choreography
45 min

Big Question:

How can we create our own dance story inspired by the characters from Happy Feet?

Key Objectives:

  • • Explore footwork with creativity, matching movements to music with some attempt at musicality
  • • Use movement imaginatively, responding to music with attention to speed, level and direction

Lesson 6

Formation Dance & Group Work
45 min

Big Question:

How can we use different shapes and formations to make our group dance more exciting to watch?

Key Objectives:

  • • Select actions as a group to create a short dance phrase that reflects rhythmic qualities
  • • Explore formations through dance sequence and explain our choice