Five-Minute Activities for Young Learners
5.3 Create your own dance Level Language focus Skills focus Thinking focus Teaching approach Interaction Preparation
* Instructions, vocabulary: parts of the body, action verbs Speaking, listening and reading Inventing Promote creativity – accept errors Pairwork, suitable for large classes Choose a music CD – something you know the children will love to dance to.
Procedure 1 Tell the children that, together, you are going to create a new dance routine. Play some of the music and suggest the first set of actions, e.g. Put your hands on your arms and tap, tap, tap with your fingers. Write this sentence on the board, and get the children to do the actions. 2 Give the children a few seconds to talk with their partner about what actions could come next. Some suggestions are in Box 95. Then choose one of the children to suggest a dance move. 3 As each new set of movements is suggested, write them on the board. The children may not have the language to fully express what they want to do. Encourage them to say as much as they can in English, and then supply the missing words for them. 4 As you write the dance instructions on the board, ask the children to read them and do the actions. 5 Finally, play the music and have the whole class moving, tapping, jumping and generally having a wonderful time.
Box 95
104
Dance movements
Parts of the body
Movements
Put your hands on your arms Put your hands on your head Put your hands on your ears Put your hands on your knees Put your hands on your feet Put your knee on your nose Put your foot on your leg
Wiggle Tap Shake Kick Clap Jump
Run Walk Spin Point Bounce Fly like a bird