DANCE LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Topic: Tiddalick the Frog

Context: This lesson is targeted at grade 3 and 4s. It has a focus on Indigenous Australians
in particular a focus on the dream time story Tiddalick the Frog. This lesson will also
incorporate a literacy component with the use of a story book, students will need to be able to
identify with the character and understand how they think and move. Students will need to
have the skills to improvise and structure movement ideas and create their dance sequence
which encompasses an element or character from the story Tiddlick the Frog. Students also
will need to have some prior knowledge of indigenous culture, in particular, why Indigenous
people use dream time stories. This lesson could be used as part of an Indigenous and
Torres Strait Islander inquiry unit or a way to incorporate a cross curriculum priority. The
overarching purpose of this lesson is to learn about Indigenous culture through dance
movement. By using dance as a teaching tool, it helps to engage kinaesthetic learners, get
the students out of their seats and get them out of their comfort zones.

Theme: Specific movement/dance content

The theme of the lesson surrounds the story of Tiddalick the frog. The students are required
to come up with a short dance sequence that encapsulates elements and characters from the
story using body actions and movements. They will need to work together in groups to
choreograph the dance using safe dance practice. They will need to perform the dance using
technical and expressive skills to communicate the ideas of the dreamtime story.

Learning outcomes the children will be able to:

Improvise and structure movement ideas for dance sequences using safe dance practice, the
elements of dance and choreographic devices (VCADAE025)

Use choreographic devices to organise dance sequences, and practise body actions and
technical skills (VCADAD026)

Identify how the elements of dance and production elements express ideas in dance they
make, perform and view (VCADAR028)

Perform dances using technical and expressive skills to communicate ideas and intentions to
an audience (VCADAP027)

Assessment
Formative Assessment: The students will be assessed in their ability to work together to
come up with movements and dance sequences that are related to either elements on the
story (e,g water) or the characters of the story (e.g frog, kangaroo, worm, kookaburra)
Summative Assessment: The students will be assessed on the final group performance, how
readable the characters are, how well their ideas are expressed through the body actions
and their technical skills.
Curriculum Mapping:

WHAT - content HOW strategies and approaches

Warm up Kinesthetic tune-up
Students will play a game of Tiddalick chasey.
The chaser will be Tiddalick and the other
students will be water drops. They need to run
away from Tiddalick so he doesnt drink them
up. When Tiddalick catches them they will dry
up and curl up on the floor. To release the
water droplets, another water drop must run
around them twice and they can join the game
again.
Introduction of the concept/theme:
The students will watch the story of Tiddalick
the frog in the form of a video. The video will
help give the students an idea of how the
animals move to inspire them for the dance
sequence.
Using the Content Descriptions for Dance,
what aspects of dance curriculum will you
address?
Exploring and Expressing Ideas
Dance Practices
Present and Perform
Links to General Capabilities: How will your
lesson specifically address:
COMPLETE THE GUIDELINES FOR EACH
ACTIVITY
Organization: How will you establish
expectations about behaviour, responsible
and safe use of the space, stopping cues
and safe dance practices?
Pace and length of each activity?
Tiddalick chase will be a fast paced game
and run for about 5 minutes.
Students will watch the video for 5 minutes
Students will be 10 minutes to create their 4
step movements for each characters
students will have 20 minutes to create their
short dance sequence
Students will have 20 minutes to perform
and watch the performances of their fellow
students
Management of children in the space safely
for each activity?
Each group will have their own area of the
room to work in
Teacher will be moving around the room,
making sure the students are working well
together

Creative and Critical Thinking: Students will

use their critical and creative thinking to create
their performances. The need to be creative
when they are coming up with their dances
and critical of how well these moves can be
interpreted

Intercultural Understanding: Students will

learn intercultural understanding through the
Indigenous dream time story

Literacy Learning: Students will need to be

able to interpret the story and understand how
the characters think and move.
Culminating Dance/Play - Presentation

How will you structure and present their

movement phrases/scenes and bring it to a
presentable form?

Introduction- students create dance

movements for each character.e.g can you
create a 4 step movement for Tiddlalick?

Development- students put their moves

together to create a short dance sequence

Resolution- students perform the their dances

to the class

Discussion Memory integration

What did you have to consider to make sure

you and the other students are safe when
creating your dance sequence?

What dance elements do you think you could

add to your performance? e.g canons