Year: 4 Lesson: 5/6 Time: 35 - 45 min No. of children: 30 Unit Title: The Magic Faraway Tree, [Characters, Relationships and Spells] Focus – Refer to Lesson 1. Vocabulary: In this unit children will have an opportunity to use a range of words and phrases, such as: character, narrative, costume, props; describe, analyse, interpret, evaluate; communication, gesture; words to describe choreographic devices, e.g. unison, canon, repetition, action and reaction, question and answer; mobilise joints; diet. Main Learning Outcomes: By the end of this lesson, most children should be able to: * compose movement phrases working with a partner, using action and reaction; * perform a range of stepping patterns combined with actions alone and with a partner; * have a better understanding of how the dynamics of movement influence meaning particularly characterisation; * experiment with a range of actions, varying and combining spatial patterns, speed, tension and continuity when working with a partner; * remembering and refining sequences of movement with a clear beginning, middle and end; * communicate through their dances and perform with fluency and control; * understand more about warming up; * describe and interpret dance movements using appropriate vocabulary; * suggest how dances and performances can be improved. QCA Core Task: Refer to Lesson 1. Assessment: As in previous lessons. Resources: Projector, large sheets of white fabric; digital camera, dance stimulus sheet [MEH], inclusion spectrum [MEH]; Shakespeare play, ‘Macbeth’, looking at the poem of the three witches. Props: dance sticks, ribbon sticks, brooms, hoops [cauldrons]; pictures of witches, wizards, goblins, fairies, mummies, skeletons, cats and mice; clockwork mice, fairy dolls, feathers [to explore lightness], wings, wands. CDs and music: ‘Apparition on the Train’ and ‘The Prisoner from Azkaban’, [both from Harry Potter], ‘Pink Panther’ [Alan Tew Orchestra], ‘The Jellicle Ball’ or ‘Macavity the Mystery Cat’ [both from Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber], The Carnival of the Animals: Kangaroos [Saint Saens], The Sorcerer’s Apprentice [Dukas]. Videos: ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ [Land of Spells], ‘Cats’, Lloyd Webber, ‘Sorcerers Apprentice’ Disney, ‘Wizard of Oz’, Franks [focus on how the witch flies and spells out Dorothy’s name]. Can also be linked with Top Dance card: ‘Laugh a Minute’ [Youth Sports Trust]. In the Classroom: Watch the video / look at still images / comment sheets from last session. Discuss how to link these ideas. As a class do they want to concentrate on one spell or a combination of spells? For a combination of spells, how will the transitions work from one ‘group spell’ to another? Could they base it on a narrative, how the characters are [movements, gestures], how they interact with each other [scare, befriend] e.g. cats vs. mice or witches vs. fairies, skeletons vs. goblins. How will they create the spell? What will it do? Who could it transform? Ask them to describe them. What makes them different? At the party ‘spell ball’ how will the characters dance / party? Can the class create a programme to show the order of the dance? Ask them to describe each section i.e. Section A: character dance; Section B: friendship dance; Section C: spell scene; Section D: spell ball scene. How can the sections all compliment while contrasting simultaneously? Teaching Activities Teaching Points/Management & Organisation Warm up [5 min] 1. Divide in 4 groups. For example, Ask children which [a] witches & wizards; group they would like [b] mummies and fairies; to be involved in? Why? [c] children from the ‘faraway’ friendship group; [d] cats & mice. [Or whatever characters you and your class have chosen.] 2. Teacher to ask Whole class, teacher led. Individuals in a space. Include children to contribute movements from different characters. Name the body actions [from their parts working on and how they are being warmed up. characters] for the warm up. Development [25 - 30 min] 3. In 4 groups develop Develop group cohesion and relationships, e.g. one in a phrase depicting the front of the other, side-by-side, mirroring, matching, character & music below etc. Encourage children to select actions and making the movement reactions which can be practised and developed. Stress phrase longer with the need to express the mood of the music. refined the actions.

4. Practise and develop In groups. Elicit action words such as: creep, tag, spring, shadowing and explode and link opposites of these words together. matching actions. Do Encourage suggestions to how motifs can be improved to the movements show include these. Use demonstrations for positive role repetition? models. One group perform to another. [use white boards to note actions / Los]

5. Refine, remember In groups. Elicit use of dance related vocabulary, such as and repeat sequences canon, follow the leader etc. How are they working as a of movement with a group? How can we improve performances? clear beginning, middle and end.

6. Whole class Half class observes and the other performs, then swap. demonstrations. Ask the children to describe and interpret dance movements using appropriate vocabulary [See Pallet of Dance]. What does the body do? [Action]. Where does the body move? [Space]. How does the body move? [Dynamics]. With whom / what? [Relationship / props].

7. Decide on a closing Whole class to decide, e.g. ideas such as spells explode, of the performance. whole group freeze etc.

8. Create a simple end Whole class to decide. How can this link fluently with the to the dance ‘The spells section? Can they use motifs from the characters? monster / spell ball.’ Cool down [3 –5 min] 9. Gentle stretches. Teacher leads. Whole class working in a space. Encourage children to focus carefully on own joints. Gently shake arms, wrists, legs and ankles. Circulate wrists / ankle joints. Lesson Evaluation [Written by Merie Eglesfield-Hope 2005]