Exploring Space and Shape

Year Level

Year 1

Duration

40 minutes

Student Number

24

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Curriculum Context

Australian Curriculum Version 9: The Arts: Dance: Years 1 and 2

Content Descriptor:

• AC9ADA2C01: Use the elements of dance to choreograph dance sequences (including dimensions, shape)

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Learning Outcomes

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Use our bodies to move in different ways by showing levels (medium, low), dimensions (big, small) and shapes (straight, curved, angular) in dance inspired by the story "We're Going on a Bear Hunt."

Success Criteria (WILF - What I'm Looking For)

• All students will move their bodies using different levels and shapes.
• Most students will create movements using big and small shapes.
• Some students will create a simple dance sequence using their body.

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Teaching Resources

• Book: We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen (for inspiration and movement prompts)
• Visual cards demonstrating body use in space (levels, dimensions, shapes)
• Shape Charade cards featuring activities from the story and additional movements (e.g., brushing teeth, skipping, crawling)
• Open indoor or outdoor movement space
• Optional: Cones or markers for spatial boundaries
• Assessment checklist chart for observation

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Lesson Plan

1. Inform (5 minutes)

• Teacher explains WALT and WILF aloud.
• Discuss with students:
  • "If I were trying to show how big and tall I am, would I curl up in a ball?" Demonstrate curling.
  • "If I was giggling and wiggling all over, would I be standing still?"
• Bridge the discussion to the movements in We're Going on a Bear Hunt, emphasising how different sizes and shapes of movement tell stories.

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2. Inspire (5 minutes)

• Read We're Going on a Bear Hunt aloud.
• Pause at parts that describe movement (e.g., walking through grass, crawling under a tree).
• Class discussion prompts:
  • "How do we move through the tall grass?"
  • "If we crawl instead, how does that change the way we feel?"
  • "If we are trees in a big forest, are we low and small or big and wide?"
• Encourage students to imagine and embody different shapes and sizes with their bodies.

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3. Show/Share (Explicit Teaching) (5 minutes)

• Teacher demonstrates:
  • Using space and levels: crouch low (small shape), stand tall (big shape).
  • Moving directions: forwards and backwards.
  • Shape forms: straight, curved, angular.
• Check for understanding with instructions such as:
  • "Be as small as a mouse."
  • "Be as wide as a house."
  • "Move forward as if running away."
  • "Move backward creeping."
• Discuss how different body positions communicate feelings or ideas.
• Demonstrate expressive movement: curl up with sad face, then uncurl standing tall and smiling.
• Discuss how movement changes convey emotion and story.

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4. Try/Transfer (Guided Teaching) (10 minutes)

• Activity 1: Simon Says

  • Commands incorporating space and shapes:
    • "Simon says: move through big, wavy grass."
    • "Simon says: be a swirling snowstorm."
    • "Simon says: creep through a dark cave."
    • "Simon says: walk around without bumping friends."
  • After activity, discuss curved body shapes when moving around friends, wavy/swirling movements for snowstorm.

• Activity 2: Following the Leader

  • Each student leads the class with their own movement sequence using big/small, straight/curved/angular shapes.
  • Teacher models giving feedback, e.g. "I loved your slow, high steps pretending to walk in mud."

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5. Apply/Action (Partner Practice) (8 minutes)

• Shape Charades
  • Pairs receive three cards with body actions to act out.
  • Partner guesses the activity.
• Story Charade
  • Reduce to 3 cards, students order and practise a simple movement story (e.g., skipping to find shoes and putting them on).
• Teacher provides feedback encouraging creativity and use of shapes, levels and dimensions.
• Differentiation:
  • Pair students with varying abilities.
  • Provide simpler movement options or focus on one dimension for support.
  • Challenge advanced learners to combine multiple elements.
  • Use props or seated options for physical support.

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6. Review/Revise (10 minutes)

• Groups perform their Story Charade for the class.
• Teacher uses checklist chart to assess achievement against success criteria.
• Students offer compliments using sentence starters:
  • "I liked how you skipped so high."
  • "I liked how you used your hands to show looking for shoes."
• Prompt reflection on how to improve or change movements to express different feelings.
• Feedforward question: "What book should we dance to next?"

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use clear, simple instructions with physical demonstrations.
• Visual aids (cards, videos) for body movement examples.
• Pair stronger students with those needing support.
• Focused tasks (e.g., only shapes or only levels) for students requiring scaffolded learning.
• Allow seated or assisted participation for physical needs.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Combine levels, dimensions and shapes into longer, more complex sequences.
• Create short movement stories inspired by new books.
• Explore using props to enhance movement storytelling.
• Reflect and describe dance movements using dance vocabulary.

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Assessment

Use observational checklist to monitor:

• Ability to vary size (dimensions) of movement (big/small).
• Use of body shapes (straight, curved, angular).
• Incorporation of different levels (low, medium).
• Creativity in creating or following movement sequences.
• Engagement with story-driven movement and expression of emotions through dance.

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By following this plan, teachers build Year 1 students’ foundational skills in dance space and shape aligned with the Australian Curriculum elements of dance, while integrating literacy and imaginative play through the story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt .