Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

stimulus & starting points

FoundationHigherAll Boards

4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: stimulus & starting points

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about stimulus & starting points. Then check against the key terms: key terms from stimulus & starting points. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from stimulus & starting points.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: stimulus & starting points. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Dance because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of stimulus & starting points

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about stimulus & starting points.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: stimulus & starting points

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on stimulus & starting points. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: A stimulus is the starting point or inspiration for creating a dance
Key Fact: There are five main types of stimulus: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, ideational and literary
Key Fact: A visual stimulus is something you see — a painting, photograph, sculpture or film
Key Fact: An auditory stimulus is something you hear — music, natural sounds, spoken word or silence
Key Fact: A kinaesthetic stimulus comes from physical sensation — a gesture, body action or quality of movement
Key Fact: An ideational stimulus is a concept or theme — an emotion, issue, memory or philosophical idea

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of stimulus & starting points

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: stimulus & starting points

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from stimulus & starting points. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: stimulus & starting points

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Exam-Style Question

Attempt a past-paper style question on stimulus & starting points from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.

Exam Tips: Always name the specific type of stimulus in exam answers — visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, ideational or literary | When describing a stimulus, give a concrete example and link it to the movement it inspired | Remember that one type of stimulus can lead to many different choreographic outcomes | In NEA tasks, clearly state your stimulus type and explain why you chose it | For professional works questions, identify the choreographer's stimulus and how it shaped the piece
Common Errors: ✗ A stimulus is the music used for a dance. ✓ Music can be an auditory stimulus, but a stimulus can be any of five types: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, ideational or literary. ✗ Ideational and literary stimuli are the same thing. ✓ An ideational stimulus is a concept or theme; a literary stimulus is specifically words such as a poem, story or quote. ✗ You can only use one stimulus when choreographing. ✓ Choreographers can combine multiple stimuli to create richer, more layered work. ✗ A kinaesthetic stimulus means watching someone else move. ✓ A kinaesthetic stimulus comes from your own physical sensation or body awareness, such as a gesture, breath or feeling of weight.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how stimulus & starting points connects to another Dance topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of stimulus & starting points
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in stimulus & starting points?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)