Expressive Animal Dance
Dance
•Year 3
•6 Lessons
This unit develops students' expressive dance skills by exploring wild animal movements and characteristics as creative stimuli. Through imaginative exploration and structured choreography, students learn to communicate stories and relationships using whole-body movement. The progression from individual character work to collaborative storytelling builds both technical dance skills and creative confidence in Year 3 students.
Lessons in This Unit
6 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we use our whole body to express the characteristics and movements of wild animals through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To explore and develop characteristic movements of different wild animals
- • To respond to musical stimuli with appropriate movement qualities
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to tell stories about wild animals through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To develop character movement by embodying wild animal characteristics
- • To create and perform a three-movement motif that represents a chosen wild animal
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we express wild animal characteristics through creative movement with a partner?
Key Objectives:
- • Execute a wider variety of movements singly and in extended sequences with a partner
- • Sustain character portrayal to add drama and emotion to dance
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can we show the relationship between wild animals through expressive dance movements?
Key Objectives:
- • To create and perform a sequence with a partner showing wild animal character relationships
- • To sustain character throughout dance movements with expression and creativity
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to tell stories about wild animals through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • Extend dance skills by using more complex actions and movements
- • Develop movement vocabulary with advanced dance terminology
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How can we create and perform a complete dance story that brings wild animals and humans together through movement?
Key Objectives:
- • To combine choreographed sequences from previous lessons into a cohesive final performance
- • To demonstrate expression and creativity whilst maintaining character throughout the dance