Maypole dancing: England
I can travel in different directions in time with the music.
Maypole dancing: England
I can travel in different directions in time with the music.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Move: responding to the rhythm, tempo and mood demonstrates musicality.
- Move: skipping in time to the music and in different directions requires control.
- Think: moving in time to the music requires concentration.
- Feel: practising a skill requires resilience.
- Connect: working with a partner or in a group involves cooperation.
Keywords
Skip - a light, bouncy stepping action moving from foot to foot
Direction - the way a performer is facing or the course they are travelling along
Musicality - interpreting or expressing the music, responding to the rhythm, tempo or mood
Common misconception
When you skip, you always travel forwards.
Skipping often involves travelling forwards, but it can also be performed on the spot or even travelling backwards.
To help you plan your year 4 physical education lesson on: Maypole dancing: England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 physical education lesson on: Maypole dancing: England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 2 physical education lessons from the Dance: traditional dances of the British Isles unit, dive into the full primary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Suggested music, ribbons or juggling scaves.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
