Expressing Dance Experiences

Curriculum Area

English – Level 2 (Year 4) of the New Zealand Curriculum

• Strand: Writing
• Achievement Objective:
  • Ideas (Language Features): Students will form and express ideas using personal experiences.
  • Structure (Text Purposes & Audiences): Students will organize texts using simple paragraphs and sequencing strategies to recount experiences effectively.

Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Use descriptive language to explain a personal or group experience with dance in the school.
• Structure their writing using sequencing words (first, next, then, finally).
• Share their recount with a peer and give constructive feedback.

Success Criteria

• I can describe a dance experience at school using my five senses (see, hear, feel, smell, taste).
• I can use sequencing words to organise my writing.
• I can ensure my writing is clear and includes interesting details.

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Lesson Breakdown (60 minutes)

1. Introduction & Warm-up (10 minutes)

Engagement Question (2 min)

• Ask: “Who has participated in a dance activity at school? What was it like?”
• Encourage students to share in a quick class discussion.

Think-Pair-Share (5 min)

• Students turn to a partner and share their most memorable school dance experience.
• Prompt them with questions:
  • What kind of dance was it? 🎶
  • Where did it happen? 🏫
  • How did you feel before, during, and after? 💃🏽

Teacher Modelling (3 min)

• Teacher shares a short recount of a personal dance experience in school.
• Focus on descriptive language (e.g., "My heart was racing as I stepped onto the stage. The music pulsed in my ears, and my hands trembled with excitement.").
• Display on the board how sequencing words help organise ideas.

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2. Planning the Recount (15 minutes)

Brainstorming with a Mind Map (5 min)

• On their whiteboards or notebooks, students create a mind map about their dance experience, writing key words for:
  • What happened?
  • How did you feel?
  • Who else was involved?
  • What did you see, hear, or smell?

Using a Sequencing Frame (10 min)

• Provide a writing frame:
  • First, I...
  • Next, I...
  • Then, I...
  • Finally, I...
• Guide students to organise their recount using the frame to create a rough draft outline.

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3. Writing Process (20 minutes)

Independent Writing (15 min)

• Students write their recount on lined paper.
• Encourage them to:
  • Start strong (e.g., "I will never forget the time I performed in the school dance assembly.").
  • Add emotions and sensory details.

Peer Sharing & Feedback (5 min)

• Students swap writing with a peer and give positive feedback using sentence stems:
  • "I liked the way you described..."
  • "You could add more details about..."

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4. Wrap-up & Reflection (10 minutes)

Sharing Time (5 min)

• Three students volunteer to read their recount aloud.

Exit Ticket (5 min)

• On a sticky note, each student writes one thing they enjoyed or found challenging about today’s writing session.
• Stick notes on the “Writing Wall” before leaving.

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Assessment & Next Steps

• Collect students’ writing for formative assessment.
• Provide individual feedback in the next session, focusing on sentence structure and descriptive language.
• Next lesson: Editing and enhancing writing with similes and stronger adjectives.

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Differentiation Strategies

✅ For Students Needing Support: Provide sentence starters and write key vocabulary on the board. Offer one-on-one guidance.
🌟 For Advanced Learners: Challenge them to extend their writing by adding direct speech or a simile (e.g., "My feet moved as fast as lightning.").

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This lesson plan ensures an engaging, structured approach for Year 4 students to express their dance experiences while aligning with NZ English curriculum standards. With clear objectives, varied activities, and creative elements, it is designed to captivate both students and teachers. 🎭💃✨