Cinderella Dance Choreography Lesson Materials

Hi there!

Clip art from phillipmartin.com

My class is currently studying the theme of "Cinderella Around the World" as part of our "How We Express Ourselves" unit of inquiry. In the next two P.E. lessons the children will choreograph their own dances. There will be five groups, with each group telling a part of the story.

I have created this sheet to cut in 5 and give to each group. It gives the number of their dance (in order), a description of what is happening and a QR code leading to the music I wish for them to use. My children all have iPads so they can rehearse with their own music. However, if you'd like to use this music to do another sort of activity, the sheet also contains links to the videos so you can play them from your own laptop/mobile device.

Click here to download it for free from Google Drive.

Enjoy!

Free heart investigation sheet

Hi all,

Just a quickie for you tonight! Here's a freebie. It's an investigation sheet to use when examining the effect of exercise on the heart.

Click here or on the image below to download for FREE from my TPT store.

Enjoy!

More rugby resources (FREE)

I've got World Cup fever! Rugby World Cup that is. It's kicking off as I post with New Zealand's All Blacks taking on Tonga in Auckland.


Here are some simple P.E. activities from the IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union) website. They're suitable for a variety of ages and you don't have to be a rugby expert by any means!

If you're interested in more free resources relating to the world cup, have a look at my previous post which also contains ideas for thematic planning about New Zealand!

Shape & space memory game FREEBIE

Today's freebie could be used to integrate maths and P.E. It's a memory game that involves plenty of running so it could be useful as a warm-up/cool down in a P.E. lesson. Here's how it works:

To prepare: 

Print out these templates (click here to view/download in Google Docs) on four different colours of paper. Each set needs 32 shapes (one with an "x," one without). Laminate them so they'll last for a long time!

To set the game up:

Place four cones in a line as the starting point for four teams.

Lay out 8 hula hoops in a giant semi-circle in front of the starting cones.

Place two shapes of each colour (WITH "x"s) in each hoop.

Place the copies of the shapes (WITHOUT "x"s) in a pile beside the starting cones

How the game runs:

1. Divide the children into 4 groups and assign a colour to each group.

2. Each group stands in a line behind the starting cone.

3. The first person takes a shape and has to run around and find the matching shape of the same colour. They then run back and show it to you. When you confirm that they're identical shapes, they place the shapes in front of their cone.

4. The next person may then go.

(As it's a sort of relay, only four people should be running at any one time.)

The first team to line up the matching shapes in front of their cone (all "x"s in one line, all plain shapes in another line, with matching shapes side-by-side) are the winners.

If you're Irish:

Subject: Maths

Strand: Shape and space

Strand Unit: 2-D shapes

Integration: P.E.

GIVEAWAY: PE and fun games station teaching cards

Hello followers, blog-stalkers and new readers alike!


Earlier this week I shared a freebie of station teaching cards for 6 throwing activities. 


Today I'm giving away a bigger pack of station teaching cards, some of which could be used for a P.E. lesson, others of which aren't really P.E. related but are fun nonetheless. They might be useful as part of a fun day. I've given tips on how to run it smoothly with a large group of children. Or you could just pick a few and do it more simply. Either way, click on the image below to open in Google Docs. Enjoy!

PE freebie: Station teaching cards- Throwing

Everyone loves a freebie. Here's a station teaching pack to brighten up your day. It's based on 6 throwing activities for a simple, easy to run P.E. lesson. Just click on the image below to view, save and download in Google Docs.


I'll have a full set of P.E. and fun games station cards in the next week so keep an eye on this blog.

Contents:

6 throwing activity cards

Equipment list

Scoring sheet

If you're Irish:

Subject: P.E.

Strand: Athletics

Strand unit: Throwing

Integration: Maths - multiplication and addition (calculating scores)

Top 5 oldies for freestyle dance

Have been crazy busy this week so am not up to my usual blogging tempo. Will be away for the weekend too so here's a quickie to keep things alive!


Here are my favourite songs from times gone by that instantly make me feel like getting up and dancing. These could be useful for a freestyle dancing warm-up/cool-down in P.E. class or for a class party.

• Twist and Shout - The Beatles
• Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
• Rock around the Clock - Bill Haley
• ABC - The Jackson 5
• Greased Lightning - John Travolta (from Grease) [make sure to get a censored version!]

For more ideas on songs (and simple dances), I posted about them here!

Giveaway: Orienteering cards

I'm giving away this orienteering pack to anybody who comments below to say that they already follow or have just become a follower of my blog (please leave your email address in the comment box!).

The orienteering set is very easy to use. Simply, draw out a map of the area in which the children will play, stick the code cards around the area (put the corresponding numbers on your map), divide the children into teams, give them a solution sheet, then sit back and relax until the children come back to you at the end of the activity to check their solutions against your teacher's solution card.


(Anybody who enters will also grab a copy of my Superlative Olympics cards)

Top 5 simple dances for P.E.

These dances are popular at camps. They're simple to teach, easy to remember and can be used again and again as a warm-up/cool-down.

Here is my top 5 (in no particular order!):


Macarena - Los Del Rio: Everybody knows this. It's really simple and will easily be picked up by children of any age. If you don't already know the moves, there's a video tutorial here!

Saturday Night - Whigfield: Again, this is a very simple dance. If you don't already know the moves, you can copy them from this video. It's probably easiest to see the dance from 1min7secs -> 1min17secs. The entire dance is literally those 10 secs of dance moves repeated for the entire song.

An Dreoilín - Seán Monaghan: This is a modern take on a song in the Irish language (Gaeilge, for those of you not from here!). The name means "The Wren." It follows the same dance moves as Saturday Night (above). You can download the song from here.

Cha Cha Slide - DJ Casper (Mr. C. and The Slide Man: Again, this is one that I'd be surprised if you haven't heard. The dance moves follow the lyrics exactly. If you're not sure about any of it, have a look at the official video.

Shake a Tail Feather - Ray Charles: This is a really upbeat song from the movie, The Blues Brothers. The dance in the movie is a little complicated for classroom scenarios so I've shared the moves from a version I learned in my previous post. Click here to see it.

***

As I think of it, if you are teaching really young kids, this CD has some great songs where the actions follow the lyrics: "Ronno - Jump Start Action Songs"

I used some of the songs "Twist! Stop! Hop!" and "I Can Dance" with 5 and 6 year olds and they went down a treat!

Shake a Tail Feather Dance

If you're familiar with the movie, "The Blues Brothers" then you'll know this song. It's really upbeat and instantly likable. This is a dance I picked up while on an activity holiday as a teenager. It's really good fun and could be taught to any age level. 


We didn't have any specified dance for the first two verses to just make something up according to the ability levels of the kids. The chorus and bridge is very straightforward!


It may look a little complicated with all of my writing here but, when you get down to it, it's really simple!


Shake a Tail Feather - Ray Charles

Well I heard about the fellow you've been dancing with
All over the neighbourhood
So why didn't you ask me baby
Or didn't you think I could?


Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight
but the shingaling's the thing tonight
But if that was you and me a now baby
I would have shown you how to do it right
Do it right (U-huh)
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Aaah (bend forward and roll arms in a roly-poly fashion, as you do this bend your knees to end in a crouched position)


Twist it, (jump up from the crouched position with your hands in the air)
Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby (Do a jive-style, shake of the hips/elbows/feet)
Hey we gonna loop de loop (Place your right hand in a thumbs-down position, with the thumb resting on the centre of your head and turn 180 degrees anticlockwise)
Shake it out baby (Mime as if you're surfing)
Hey we gonna loop de li (Place your left hand in a thumbs-down position, with the thumb resting on the centre of your head and turn 180 degrees clockwise)
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather (jump turn 90 degrees anticlockwise, bend over and place your hands behind your back, palms upwards with your wrists by your bum, wiggling your fingers)
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather (jump turn 180 degrees anticlockwise with your hands in the same position)
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather  (jump turn 180 degrees anticlockwise with your hands in the same position)
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather (Roar out "360!" and get everybody to try to do a full 360 degree jump)
Aaah (bend forward and roll arms in a roly-poly fashion, as you do this bend your knees to end in a crouched position)


(repeat the "Twist it..... --> shake a tail feather" section)


Come on, come on baby
Come on, yeah, come on babe, alright


Do the twist (twist)
Do the fly (flap imaginary wings)
Do the swim (mime swimming)
And do the bird (flap imaginary wings)
Well do the duck (crouch low and bend hands up to armpits, then do a duck waddle)
Aaah, and do the monkey (lift arms and scratch armpits)
Hey hey, watusi
And, ah, what about the frug (do the real frug or else mime being a frog - the kids won't know any different!)
Do the mashed potato (see the real mashed potato or else mime mashing potatoes on your head while turning around in a circle)
What about the boogaloo (do some real boogaloo moves or else pretend that they're saying "bowl of fruit" and cup your hands around your elbows, lift arms to one side and hold)
Oh, the bony moronie (throw in a 60s-style cheesy move here)
Come on let's do the twist (twist!)

Aaah (bend forward and roll arms in a roly-poly fashion, as you do this bend your knees to end in a crouched position)

Twist it, (jump up from the crouched position with your hands in the air)

Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby (Do a jive-style, shake of the hips/elbows/feet)

Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby (Do a jive-style, shake of the hips/elbows/feet)

Superlative Olympics - freebies!

Here's my first ever freebie giveaway. I've created a pack to use for superlative olympics. This is useful for teaching comparatives and superlatives (e.g. big, bigger, biggest). It is particularly good for younger classes but could also be used for any age level as a team-building P.E.-type activity or during a party/fun day. I have used it while working in summer camps.

It's pretty simple to organise and play.
1. Divide the class into teams.
2. Ask each team to come up with a team name and a chant (there will be points going for the best chant).
3. Explain that they will have to nominate one person for each of the individual events (e.g. highest jump, longest hair, best cartwheel). Every team member must have at least two turns. Give out the "Children's Sheets" and allow them to select their nominees.
4. Use the cards to introduce each event (particularly if you are doing this event as part of TEFL). For each event:

• Hold up the card and announce the name of the event
• Line up the nominees and ask them to perform/present
• Announce the winners by very clearly demonstrating the use of comparatives and superlatives, e.g. "Sarah's hair is LONG, Katie's hair is LONGER buuuuut Melanie's hair is the LONGEST"
• Mark the scores on the "Superlative Olympics Scoring Sheet"

At the end of the games, tot up the scores and announce the winners. Don't forget that there are also bonus points going for the best team spirit. (This is noted in the sheet given to the children. Keep reminding them about this the whole way through the game to keep enthusiasm levels high.)

Now onto the freebies...

What's in the pack:

Superlative Olympics Children's Sheet (for nominating), Superlative Olympics Scoring Sheet (does exactly what it says on the tin) and 20 Superlative Olympics Event Cards

How do I get it?

Simply click here to download it for free from Google Docs.