Join the circus

Teacher notes

Learn about different circus skills and create a short performance

Student dance, drama and PDHPE resource developed by The Arts Unit

Years 3 to 6 dance, drama and PDHPE

What will your students learn?

Your students will:

explore the art of circus performance
identify different circus skills
analyse how different skills are learnt
learn and perform a short circus routine.

Syllabus outcomes

Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus

Dance

DAS2.1: performs dances from a range of contexts, demonstrating movement skills, expressive qualities and an understanding of the elements of dance.
DAS2.2: explores, selects and combines movement using the elements of dance to communicate ideas, feelings or moods.
DAS2.3: gives personal opinions about the use of elements and meaning in their own and others’ dances.
DAS3.1: performs and interprets dances from particular contexts, using a wide range of movement skills and appropriate expressive qualities.
DAS3.2: explores, selects, organises and refines movement using the elements of dance to communicate intent.
DAS3.3: discusses and interprets the relationship between content, meaning and context in their own and others’ dances.

Drama

DRAS2.2: builds the action of drama by using the elements of drama, movement and voice skills.
DRAS2.4: responds to, and interprets drama experiences and performances.
DRAS3.2: interprets and conveys dramatic meaning by using the elements of drama and a range of movement and voice skills in a variety of drama forms.
DRAS3.4: responds critically to a range of drama works and performance styles.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-10 Syllabus

PD2-4: performs and refines movement skills in a variety of sequences and situations.
PD2-5: applies strategies to solve movement challenges.
PD2-11: combines movement skills and concepts to effectively create and perform movement sequences.
PD3-4: adapts movement skills in a variety of physical activity contexts.
PD3-5: proposes, applies and assesses solutions to movement challenges.
PD3-11: selects, manipulates and modifies movement skills and concepts to effectively create and perform movement sequences.

Additional resource with links to the History syllabus

Extension activity with links to the Stage 3 History syllabus

As a class, view the circus performance 'JUNK' by the Flying Fruit Fly Circus at the Sydney Opera House (via ABC iview). The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is Australia's National Youth Circus.

The story of 'JUNK' revolves around a young boy from the current day who is transported back to the 1930s and discovers all the different games they play.

It can be viewed as an engaging piece of circus theatre or through the history lens of 'then and now'.

History K-10 Syllabus

HT3-2: describes and explains different experiences of people living in Australia over time.

JUNK: Flying Fruit Fly Circus: Series 1 Episode 1 The PerformanceThe live performance of JUNK by the Flying Fruit Circus at the Sydney Opera House.

Suggestions for how to use this resource with your students

Collection of student work

Google Form: create a Google form with activities and/or questions. Students can also upload any files they create. Email this form to your students with the Creative Class link and all your student responses will be combined in a Google sheet.
Google Classroom Assignment: create an assignment or a quiz in your Google Classroom with activities and/or questions. Students can also upload any files they create.
MS Teams: create a quiz or assignment in your class team drive where students can submit responses and upload any files they create.
Email: ask your students to email you any responses and files they create.
Flipgrid: a website that allows teachers to create 'grids' to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is a message board where teachers can pose questions called 'topics'. Students can post video responses that appear in a tiled grid display.
Jamboard: an interactive whiteboard which can be used for class feedback.

For further support on how to create these resources

Offline access

Download and print this document to send to students with limited access to online resources.

Join the circus - @The Arts Unit Creative Classes.docx

Would you like to promote your school and showcase your students' work as a result of engaging in this Creative Class?

Help us celebrate the fantastic work of NSW public school students by emailing photos or videos that you have permission to share and comments on how your students enjoyed the class to digital.artsunit@det.nsw.edu.au.

Please include the Creative Class title and your school name in the email so we can share on The Arts Unit social media and our website.

Teacher feedback

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Third-party content attributions

Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus, © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2006, copied under s113P, accessed 10 May 2020.
PDHPE K-10 Syllabus, © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2018, copied under s113P, accessed 10 May 2020.

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