Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• The warm-up model used in this unit is raise, mobilise, activate, and rehearse, and its activities can overlap or be adapted to the demands of the main activity rather than following one fixed sequence in every warm-up.
• The purpose of a pulse raiser is to gradually increase heart rate so that more blood and oxygen are delivered to the working muscles, preparing the body for exercise.
• The purpose of mobility exercises is to move joints through their range of movement in order to loosen them and prepare them for activity.
• Activation exercises engage the muscles needed for the main activity, while rehearsal uses controlled, lower-intensity versions of the movement patterns that will be performed.
• The purpose of controlled stretches in this unit is to prepare muscles and joints for the range of movement required in the routine, and each stretch should remain comfortable rather than being bounced or forced.
• Pulse raiser moves used in this unit are March (knees high), Wide March (knees high and wide), Step Touch (stepping side to side), Hamstring Curl (wide stance, alternate heels up), Box Step (stepping forward for 2 counts and back for 2 in a box shape), Knee Lifts (knees high), and Push Backs (stepping back with alternate feet).
• Mobility in this unit focuses on moving the shoulders, elbows, neck, spine, hips, knees, and ankles in a controlled way to loosen the joints.
• In this scheme, students count the music in groups of 4, 8, or 16 beats and begin each new move on beat one of the phrase.
• High-impact aerobics moves have a flight phase in which both feet are momentarily off the floor, such as running, hopping, and jumping, while low-impact moves keep at least one foot in contact with the floor.
• Main aerobics sequence moves in this unit include March, Knee Lift, Hamstring Curls, Grapevine, Spotty Dogs, Pushbacks, Box Step, Cha Cha Cha, Heel Digs, Scoops, Star Jumps, Half Stars, Power Squats, L Step, Walk Forward and Back, and Step Touch.
• Canon in dance means different dancers perform the same movement phrase one after another, while unison means all dancers perform the same movement phrase at exactly the same time.
• Direction in dance refers to the way the body faces, such as front, side, or back; travel refers to moving through space forwards, backwards, sideways, or diagonally; formation refers to the group shape, such as a line, triangle, or circle; and level refers to the height of movement, such as high or low.
• The main performance expectations in this unit are counting in time to the music, starting a move on beat one, repeating accurately for 4, 8, or 16 beats, and maintaining good timing throughout.
• Additional performance qualities required are flexibility and mobility in movements, the ability to move multiple body parts at once, confident and big movements, being loud and clear when using voice, knowing the routine from start to end, and showing energy and enthusiasm.
• Key muscles that students must be able to name and stretch are the quadriceps (front of thigh), hamstrings (back of thigh), gastrocnemius (calf), latissimus dorsi (side of upper back), trapezius (upper back and neck), pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), and triceps (back of upper arm).
• Muscular strength training focuses on high resistance and low repetitions to increase how much force a muscle can produce in a single effort.
• Muscular endurance training uses manageable resistance for high repetitions or sustained isometric holds so that muscles can work for longer without tiring quickly.
• In this unit, the warm-up applies the raise, mobilise, activate, and rehearse model through 4 pulse raiser moves, 4 mobility moves, 4 controlled stretches, muscle-activation exercises, and lower-intensity rehearsal of the main aerobics movements.
• In this unit, the warm-up is followed by a main aerobics sequence of 6 moves and then a short muscular-endurance sequence of bodyweight squats, press-ups, curl-ups, and a forearm plank, with an optional cool-down at the end.
• Muscular endurance in the context of this unit is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform many repetitions of an exercise or maintain a position for a period of time without becoming exhausted.
• Bodyweight squats target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, and a suitable muscular-endurance set is 12–20 controlled repetitions.
• Press-ups target the pectorals, triceps, and deltoids, and a suitable muscular-endurance set is 8–15 controlled repetitions using the knees for support if needed.
• Curl-ups target the abdominal muscles, and a suitable muscular-endurance set is 12–20 controlled repetitions.
• A forearm plank is an isometric exercise that targets the abdominal muscles, gluteals, and other trunk-stabilising muscles, and a suitable hold is 20–30 seconds.
• A cool-down, although optional in this scheme, is performed at the end of exercise to gradually lower heart rate and can include gentle movements and stretches similar to the warm-up but at a lower intensity.

• Perform all seven pulse raiser moves—March, Wide March, Step Touch, Hamstring Curl, Box Step, Knee Lifts, and Push Backs—with correct body position and low-impact, low-intensity technique.
• Execute mobility exercises by moving the shoulders, elbows, neck, spine, hips, knees, and ankles through a controlled range of motion without bouncing or forcing the joints.
• Link at least four different pulse raiser moves into a continuous sequence using counts of 4, 8, or 16, staying in time with the music and changing moves cleanly on beat one.
• Demonstrate and link at least four stretches for named muscles, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and deltoids, using counts of 4, 8, or 16, holding each stretch steadily without jerking, and keeping to the musical beat.
• Perform controlled activation exercises for the muscles used in the routine and rehearse lower-intensity versions of selected aerobics moves before the main activity.
• Count the music accurately in sets of 4, 8, or 16 beats and start each new move or phrase exactly on beat one, maintaining consistent timing throughout the routine.
• Choreograph and perform a main aerobics phrase that links six specified aerobics moves to the end of the warm-up sequence, clearly showing high-impact actions where required while keeping safe technique and timing.
• Incorporate choreographic devices into the routine by changing direction, travelling through space, altering formation, using different levels, and organising dancers to perform sections in canon and in unison.
• Add a muscular-endurance sequence of 12–20 bodyweight squats, 8–15 press-ups, 12–20 curl-ups, and a 20–30-second forearm plank to the end of the aerobics section.
• Perform bodyweight squats with the feet about shoulder-width apart, the chest lifted, the hips moving back, and the knees tracking in the same direction as the toes.
• Perform press-ups with the hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, maintaining a straight line from the head through the hips to the heels or knees while lowering and pressing up under control.
• Perform curl-ups with the knees bent and the feet flat, bracing the abdominal muscles and lifting the shoulders under control without pulling the head or neck.
• Hold a forearm plank with the elbows beneath the shoulders, the abdominal muscles and gluteals braced, and the body in a straight line from the head to the heels or knees without allowing the hips to sag or lift.
• Perform the full routine, including the warm-up, aerobics section, and muscular-endurance section, with an optional cool-down, from start to finish without gaps, demonstrating big confident movements, clear timing, flexibility, coordinated body parts, and visible energy and enthusiasm.
• Give peer and self-assessment feedback on a performed sequence, correctly using key terms such as timing, direction, formation, levels, canon, unison, impact, and energy, and suggesting at least one specific strength and one clear area for improvement.