Lesson 6 - Rainforest Creature Movements
Space to Synchronisation
•Year 2
•Dance
•Start Planning Better PE Lessons
Sign up free to access 3 complete units per month, unlimited activity library, and your personal locker.
What's included
- Complete activity instructions & timing
- Teaching tips & differentiation strategies
- Assessment guidance & success criteria
- Downloadable lessons & units
How can we use our bodies to show the different ways rainforest animals move and behave?
Learning Objectives
- To explore balances, pathways and shapes representing rainforest creatures
- To demonstrate clear changes of speed in movement
- To work in unison with a partner to create rainforest-themed dance sequences
Key Outcomes
- Students will perform body actions with control and coordination representing different rainforest animals
- Students will remember and repeat dance phrases showing clear speed variations
- Students will work collaboratively to create partner dances in time with music
Equipment & Resources Required
Pre-load rainforest ambient sounds and rhythmic music
Alternative: Tablet/phone with speaker, nature sounds app
Display where all students can see clearly
Alternative: Printed pictures of rainforest animals, animal picture book
Queue up before lesson begins
Alternative: Gentle instrumental music, nature sounds
Mark clear performance area and audience seating
Alternative: Bean bags, chalk marks, masking tape
Key Vocabulary
The route or track an animal follows when moving through space
Holding a steady position that represents an animal shape
How fast or slow an animal moves
Moving at exactly the same time as your partner
A series of movements performed in a specific order
How high or low an animal moves (ground level, middle level, high level)
Skill Progression Pathway
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Prior Learning
- Basic animal movements and sounds
- Simple travelling actions (walking, jumping, crawling)
- Understanding of slow and fast movements
Current Skills
- Creating animal-inspired shapes and balances
- Controlling speed changes in movement
- Partner work and taking turns
- Following simple dance sequences
Next Steps
- Creating longer dance sequences
- Working in larger groups
- Adding levels and directions to movement
- Interpreting music rhythm and tempo
Milestone Indicators
Key Teaching Points
- Use exaggerated movements to help students understand speed differences clearly
- Provide consistent counting and timing support throughout all sequences
- Encourage creative interpretation while maintaining animal characteristics
- Build partner cooperation gradually from simple turn-taking to unison work
- Connect movement to real animal behaviour for authentic characterization
- Use positive reinforcement to build confidence in performance skills
- Create supportive audience culture for peer appreciation
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think all animals move at the same speed - address by discussing real animal behaviour
- May confuse pathway types - use clear visual and kinesthetic demonstrations
- Might rush through sequences - emphasise control and timing over speed
- Could think louder means better in performance - teach about commitment and clarity instead
- May not understand turn-taking in partner work - model and practice extensively
- Might copy others instead of creating own interpretations - celebrate individuality
SEN Adaptations
ADHD
- Break activities into shorter segments, provide additional movement breaks, use clear visual and verbal cues, assign supportive partners
dyspraxia
- Simplify sequence structure, provide additional demonstration and practice time, focus on effort rather than precision, offer alternative balance options
autism spectrum
- Provide visual sequence cards, maintain consistent routine structure, offer quiet observation space, prepare students for performance elements
visual impairment
- Use verbal descriptions of animal cards, provide tactile animal models, ensure clear verbal instructions for all movements and pathways
hearing impairment
- Use visual signals for timing and transitions, provide written sequence cards, use exaggerated gestures for animal demonstrations
physical disability
- Adapt animal movements for seated or supported positions, modify balance requirements, allow upper body focus for animal characterization
Cross-Curricular Links
English
Descriptive vocabulary for animal movements, sequencing language (first, then, next, finally)
Maths
Counting to 8, understanding timing and rhythm, recognising patterns in sequences
Science
Animal habitats and characteristics, understanding how animals move and behave in the rainforest environment
Art
Observing animal shapes and forms, creating visual representations of movement pathways
Geography
Rainforest locations around the world, understanding different climates and environments
Teacher Guidance
Positioning
Move around perimeter for clear observation of all students, central position for demonstrations and instructions
Observation Focus
Watch for creative animal interpretation, clear speed changes, partner cooperation, and safe movement choices
Intervention Points
Step in if partnerships struggling to cooperate, if movements becoming unsafe, or if students losing focus during sequence work
Demonstration Notes
Demonstrate: Use exaggerated movements for clarity, involve students in demonstrations, show clear contrasts between slow and fast, maintain enthusiasm throughout
Verbal Cues
- •'Super slow like honey!'
- •'Quick like lightning!'
- •'Hold that shape like a statue!'
- •'Listen for the swap!'
- •'Show me your pathway!'
Safety Considerations
Space & Surface Requirements
Space Requirements
Minimum hall space 15m x 12m with clear performance area and audience seating
Surface Check
Clean, non-slip floor suitable for floor work and energetic movement
Equipment Safety
Safety Checks
- •Audio equipment positioned safely away from movement area
- •Visual cards secured and visible to all students
- •Space markers placed to avoid tripping hazards
Risk Management
Key Risks
- •Collisions during quick animal movements
- •Falls when creating balance shapes
- •Over-excitement during partner work
- •Slips during fast travelling movements
Risk Mitigation
- •Clear boundaries established for movement area
- •Adequate spacing between partnerships maintained
- •Progression from slow to quick movements
- •Teacher demonstration of safe balance positions
- •Continuous monitoring during energetic sections
Supervision & Emergency Procedures
Supervision Points
- •Position for clear sight lines to all students during movement
- •Move around partnerships during practice time
- •Monitor quick movements for safety and control
- •Watch for students attempting unsafe balance shapes
Emergency Procedures
Stop signal (whistle/raised hand) for immediate cessation of movement, first aid kit accessible, clear evacuation route maintained