Gymnastics
Unit Plan
Physical Education
1st to 4th Grade
Ashley Kuban
Needs Assessment:
The students in Mrs. Close’s physical education classes have not done a unit on gymnastics and rhythm yet. The classes did not complete a unit on balance or tumbling last year. However, Ryan Smith taught a dance unit, so the students have some background in rhythm and dance. The students have just completed a unit on spatial awareness and traveling, and therefore, have enough foundation to begin balance, tumbling, and dance. The first and second grades will cover different bases of support and rotations. They will create their own routines by the end of the unit. The 3rd and 4th grades will cover more advanced bases of support and rotations as well. They will create their own routines with a partner or group.
Management Plan
Entry: Mrs. Close had established “squad dots” on the gym floor and each student has their own spot that they sit at upon entry. The squad dots create lines of students and each student in the line has their own job.
Exit- The homeroom teachers prefer their students in two single file lines (a boy line and a girl line). The students will line up at the door in these lines and be released to their homeroom teacher.
Equipment Routines: (distribution, during activity, collection):
Distribution: The floor mats will already be placed on the floor when the students arrive. The stretch cards (3rd and 4th) will be placed on the stage. The balance beams will be placed in the floor.
During Activity: When they hear the word “freeze”, the students will stop what they are doing and sit on the floor mat or next to the balance beam.
Collection: The equipment managers (3rd and 4th) will collect the equipment used by their team and return it to the stage.
Restroom/Drink Procedures:
The students may use the restroom that is right outside the door and get a drink from the gym water fountain one at a time when given permission. Typically, the students are given a restroom break right after or right before physical education by their homeroom teacher.
Classroom Rules: (Mrs. Close’s rule posters)
· Gym shoes are required.
· Quiet when entering and leaving the gymnasium.
· No gym or candy in the mouth.
· Be careful when in motion!
· When the whistle blows, stop and listen.
· Play by the rules.
Consequences:
1. Teacher Look
2. Proximity Control
3. Verbal Warning (1st strike)
4. Verbal Warning (2nd strike)
5. Time-out on stage (3rd strike)
6. Meeting with Principle/call home
Rewards:
1. Smiling
2. Clapping
3. High five
4. Positive reinforcement
5. Piece of candy
6. Sticker
7. Positive call home
Grouping:
The students will be at their squad dots when given instructions for the warm-up. They will also return to their squad dots when they need refocused. This unit will take place on the floor mats, and the students will stay in their own space.
Unit Specific Rules: (Safety Considerations)
1. When moving or tumbling, the students will avoid touching or bumping others.
2. When tumbling, you must roll in the direction of the arrow on the mat.
3. Stop if something is hurting you.
4. Hold steady and still.
Emergency Procedures:
Tornado and fire drill posters are posted throughout the gym. In case of a fire, the students will line up at the back door, exit into the parking lot, and face the school.
Transitions:
“When I say Go..” will be used to initiate movement
When the students hear “Freeze” or the stoppage of music, they will stop where they are and sit on the mat.
Terminal Unit Goal
· By the end of the unit, the 1st grade students will travel through space and stop in a balanced position, transfer weight from feet to combinations of body parts, and perform at least two rolls.
· By the end of the unit, the 2nd grade students will combine and transition smoothly into at least two locomotor movements, two balances, and a roll to create their own routines containing a beginning, middle, and end.
· By the end of the unit, the 3rd grade students will combine and transition smoothly into at least two locomotor movements, three balances, and two rolls to create their own routines containing a beginning, middle, and end with a partner.
· By the end of the unit, the 4th grade students will combine and transition smoothly into a routine that ends in a pyramid within their groups.
· By the end of the unit, the students will demonstrate an understanding of balances and rotations by identifying each element of their routine or write a sentence using our gymnastics word wall. (1st-4th)
Content Analyses
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Psychomotor |
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Balance |
Rotations/weight transfers |
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Bases of Support: · Number of bases · How many seconds hold · Narrow/wide · Symmetrical and non-symmetrical · Body shapes · Counterbalance · Mirroring · Low beams Pyramids |
Rolls: · Pencil roll · Side tuck (egg roll),
Safety Rolls Cartwheel Round-off
Animal movements: alligator crawl, camel walk, crab walk, inchworm, bunny rabbit jump, frog jump, seal walk, switcheroo, donkey kick, spider walk
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Cognitive |
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Body positions: · Tuck · Pike · Straddle o Supine/Inverted o Standing/Sitting |
Standing: · Scale · Lever · Arabesque Students will identify the different parts of their routines.
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Affective |
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· Respect for our classmates—not laughing when our classmates have trouble doing something · Respect for surroundings—not doing anything that could endanger ourselves or classmates (like flipping/diving crazily on the mats or touching others while they are practicing) |
Block Plan:
1st and 2nd Grade
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Lesson 1
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Lesson 2 |
Lesson 3 |
Lesson 4 |
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Lesson Focus: Balancing on different bases of support and body shapes
Objective: In personal space, the students will balance using different bases of support and body shapes (curved, round, narrow, wide, and twisted).
Warm-up: leaping around the outside of the gym and stretching.
Introduction: Cover safety and rules when using the equipment during gymnastics. Introduce gymnastic body positions.
Activity: Balancing on different bases of support. · Balance on 1,2,3,4 body parts · Wide, narrow Q: Could I push you over? Q: Which one is easier?
Balance using different body shapes. · Round, narrow, wide, curved, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical.
Travelling, stopping, and balancing. · Balance card on mat · Move to music, when music stops, find mat and do what is on card
Balance ABC’s (1st) Twister (2nd)
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Lesson Focus: Travelling and static balances with a partner
Objective: In general space, the students will perform dynamic balances and static balances with correct body form.
Warm-up: leaping around the room to music and doing favorite balance when the music stops.
Instruction: Ask students what they remember from last class and review gymnastic body positions
Activity: Have the students travel around different pathways and perform a balance.
Activity: Have the students find a partner and mirror their partner’s balances.
Assessment: Balancing Commercials TV worksheet to do with parents. |
Lesson Focus: Weight Transfer
Objective: Using mats and low equipment, the students will transfer their weight from feet to combinations of body parts.
Warm-up: locomotor movements
Instruction: we can move our weight from one leg to the other. Do you think you can move your weight from your feet to other body parts?
Activity: Animal movements
Activity: Transfer weight to hands across mats
Activity: Transfer weight from feet to back
Activity: Transfer weight from feet to combinations of body parts.
Activity: Put together 2 weight transfers and 2 balances.
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Lesson Focus: Rolling
Objective: In self space, the students will create their own routine using 2 balances and 2 rolls.
Warm-up: balance tag
Instruction: Rolling sideways The ball Twin Rockers Log roll Egg roll Back rocker
Activity: Have the students practice the rolls on the mat
Activity: Have the students travel around the mats using different pathways. Have the students find a m at when the music stops and perform the roll shown on the mat.
Activity: Put together 2 rolls and 2 balances in to a routine.
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3rd/4th Grade
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Lesson 1
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Lesson 2 |
Lesson 3 |
Lesson 4 |
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Lesson Focus: Balancing on different bases of support and body shapes
Objective: In personal space, the students will balance using different bases of support and body shapes (curved, round, narrow, wide, and twisted).
Warm-up: leaping around the outside of the gym and stretching.
Introduction: Cover safety and rules when using the equipment during gymnastics. Introduce gymnastic body positions.
Activity: Balancing on different bases of support. · Balance on 1,2,3,4 body parts · Wide, narrow Q: Could I push you over? Q: Which one is easier?
Balance using different body shapes. · Round, narrow, wide, curved, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical. Arabesque Scale Lever Pike Straddle Tuck
Travelling, stopping, and balancing. · Balance card on mat · Move to music, when music stops, find mat and do what is on card
Twister
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Lesson Focus: Travelling and static balances with a partner and weight transfer
Objective: In general space, the students will perform dynamic balances and static balances with correct body form.
Warm-up: leaping around the room to music and doing favorite balance when the music stops.
Instruction: Ask students what they remember from last class and review gymnastic body positions
Activity: Balancing while supporting the weight of a partner · create balances- one narrow and one wide · partners are supporting each other’s weight · base partner and top partner. · Create 2 new balances partially supporting or totally supporting each other · Counterbalancing with partner Activity: Transfer weight to hands across mats
Activity: Transfer weight from feet to back
Activity: Transfer weight from feet to combinations of body parts.
Activity: Put together 2 weight transfers and 2 balances.
Assessment: Balancing Commercials TV worksheet to do with parents. |
Lesson Focus: Rolling
Objective: Using mats and low equipment, the students will transfer their weight from feet to combinations of body parts.
Warm-up: Support tag
Instruction: Safety rolls
Rolling sideways The ball Twin Rockers Log roll Egg roll Back rocker
Activity: Have the students practice the rolls on the mat
Activity: Have the students travel around the mats using different pathways. Have the students find a m at when the music stops and perform the roll shown on the mat.
Activity: Put together 2 rolls and 2 balances in to a routine. Assessment: Peer observation and assessment
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Lesson Focus: Rolling
Objective: In self space, the students will create their own routine using 2 balances and 2 rolls.
Forward roll Backward roll Cartwheel Rolling and landing in 3 different positions · tuck · pike · straddle
Activity: Put together routine of 2 balances and 2 rolls. Begin with beginning pose and ending pose.
Activity: Put together a routine with a partner
Assessment: Create sentence with words from the bulletin board word wall. |
Assessment Plan
Pre-assessment:
The week prior to the beginning of this unit, I will observe the students’ locomotor skills and assess how efficiently they move based upon the key elements of each movement. I will assess their understanding of the concepts by asking questions that require the students to recall the names of various locomotor skills. At the beginning of the first lesson, I will gauge the students’ knowledge of gymnastic positions.
During lesson:
I will use questions throughout the lesson that aid in measuring the students’ understanding of the various balances and rotations. I will also use culminating activities where students have the chance to share what they have created. At the end of the unit, the students should be able to create their own routines using various balances and rolls. There will be a bulletin board “word wall” with various gymnastic terms. I will take pictures of the students’ balances and they will be placed on the bulletin board. Then, the students will write one sentence using the words from the word wall.
Instructional Material:
The bulletin board word wall.
Balances and rolls task cards
Bendable skeletons
Mats
Locomotor Assessment
NASPE Standards
Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
Alignment: At the end of the unit, the students will perform balances, weight transfers, and rolls. They will combine them to make routines.
Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
Alignment: At the end of the unit, the students will recognize and recall the various balances, rolls, and gymnastic terms.
Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity.
Alignment: The students will participate in physical activity for a minimum of 40 minutes in class (2 days a week).
Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
Alignment: The students will respect classroom rules, equipment, and other students.
Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.
Alignment: By the end of the unit, the students will express themselves through culminating activities.
Resources:
Graham, Holt/Hale, Parker. 2004, Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching
Physical Education.
Malmberg, E. (2003). KiDnastics:A child-centered approach to teaching gymnastics. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Mitchell, D., Davis, B., & Lopez, R. (2002). Teaching fundamental gymnastics skills. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Ward, P. (1997). Teaching tumbling. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics