PE at key stages 3 and 4    (Year 6/7)

• Ask pupils to explore different stimuli on a chosen theme, eg jitterbug, rock 'n' roll, lindy hop - mood, relationships, stepping patterns, explosive jumps, supporting, lifting, dragging partner.
• Teach pupils some set dance patterns from a variety of dance crazes, eg the jitterbug - step kicks on the diagonal; moving away, towards and round a partner holding opposite hands. Ask them to identify, copy and repeat movement patterns from videos.
• Help pupils to take steps and actions they have been taught, and to improvise and develop their own step and action sequences and variations.
• Ask pupils to practise working in unison or canon with a partner. Focus on step patterns, gesture, body shape, rhythm and, where appropriate, partner shapes and holds, and expressive and dynamic qualities.

• Ask pupils to choose material for dance phrases and whole dances, and to give reasons for their choices. Teach them how to develop dances using compositional principles, eg group design and formations, contact work (lean, push, pull, lift), relationships (unison, canon, mirror, action and reaction).
• Ask pupils to listen to the accompaniment. Talk about the pulse, rhythm and phrasing in the music, and about how their dance ideas link to the music. Teach them to listen to the expressive qualities of the music and talk to them about how they could change the steps and actions they use, or the patterns of dance, so that it is more sensitive to the accompaniment.
• Help pupils to create short dances that explore and combine different compositional ideas, and include partner, group and whole class sections. Encourage them to perform with a sense of the chosen style.

• Ask pupils to try a range of exercises for stamina, strength and suppleness. Teach them how to prepare their knee and ankle joints and leg muscles for high-impact activity. Teach them how to recover after dance.
• Listen to pupils talking about which parts of their body are affected when they take part in training to improve their stamina, strength and suppleness. Ask them why they need stamina for high-energy dances, so that pupils answer using relevant evidence or reasons.
• Teach pupils the principles of contact work, eg bearing weight safely, counter tension and counterbalance.

• Ask pupils to evaluate another group's dance and to suggest improvements. Encourage them to think about strengths and weaknesses in both composition skills and performance skills. Help them to identify how improving areas of fitness might help the quality of the dance. Teach them to evaluate their own dances. In their evaluations, pupils should be encouraged to ask questions, eg what, how, when, why, of themselves and others in order to gain clarification.
• Teach pupils language that they can use to compare and contrast different dance styles, structures and expressive qualities. Help them to compare their own performance with a professional video or performance.
• Talk to pupils about the different styles of moving in different dances, and how these relate to their historical, social and cultural contexts. Ask them about the link between dance and music in particular eras.