Unit Overview
This unit develops pupils’ ability to perform and link gymnastic actions with control, balance and coordination.
- Develops body control, balance, strength and flexibility
- Explores a range of shapes, balances, rolls and travelling actions
- Links movements together to create short gymnastic sequences
- Introduces use of levels, directions and pathways
- Encourages safe use of space and apparatus
- Develops the ability to evaluate and improve performance
Unit Outcomes
By the end of this unit, pupils will be able to:
- Perform a range of gymnastic actions with control and balance
- Use shapes, balances, rolls and travelling actions effectively
- Link movements together to create short sequences
- Use different levels, directions and pathways within sequences
- Perform movements safely on floor and apparatus
- Evaluate and suggest improvements to their own and others’ performances
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Static & Dynamic Balances
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to maintain our balance using a wide range of body parts and apparatus
- To understand the terms static and dynamic balances
Success Criteria:
- I can hold a balance for at least 5 seconds
- I can transition between balances with control
- I can show good posture and body tension
Key Words:
- Static
- Dynamic
- Control
Equipment:
- Mats
- Cones
- Benches
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Body Part Balances
Children to find a space in the playing area. When the teacher says go, the move around in a number of different ways around the playing area. This could be jumping, hopping, skipping, running, doing a gymnasts walk etc.
When the teacher shouts a number, the children must balance, using the number of body parts called e.g. 1 – they could balance on one foot, 2 – they could balance using one hand and one foot. Allow the children to be creative in what body parts they use when balancing.
Progression:
>Give the children a bean bag or cone to balance on a part of their body as they are moving around the area. Can they keep it balanced as they move and how do they have to change the way they move to keep the piece of equipment balanced.
Skill Development
Static and dynamic balances
Explain to the children what we mean by the two terms static and dynamic balances
>Static balance – When we are still and balancing e.g. a front support
>Dynamic balance – When we are moving a balancing e.g. walking across a bench
Static balance – Arabesque
>Start with feet together and arms outstretched to the side for balance.
>Take one step forward on weaker foot and then take another step forward with your strong foot, planting the foot
>Lean forward to create a T shape, keeping your arms outstretched for balance. We want to lean forward as far as possible but making sure that we maintain our balance. If we lean too far, we will lose our balance. Hold for a minimum of 5 seconds
Get the children into a space in the playing area. Make sure they have enough space around them and are not crowding around each other.
Allow the children to practice this and see how far they can lean whilst maintaining their balance. This is all about control and taking your time. Make sure they children aren’t rushing into their movement and that they understand that when we do a static balance, maintaining stillness is important.
Progression:
>Give the children a piece of equipment e.g. a bean bag or cone and place it on their heads. Can they keep the equipment balanced whilst completing the arabesque
Extension work:
Get the children into pairs. One person performs the arabesque and holds their balance whilst the other partner in the group balances cones on their body (a bit like buckaroo). How many cones can be placed on their body without falling off?
Dynamic balances – Bench work
Get the children into groups of 4-5. Ability levels will determine what type of bench work will be completed.
Flip the bench upside down so they are balancing along the narrow beam. Ensure the equipment is safe to do this as some benches can wobble when placed upside down. Ask the children to firstly just try to walk across the bench, maintaining their balance throughout before stepping onto a mat placed at the end. For those who struggle, get someone to walk alongside them to hold their hand to keep their balance. Alternatively, get them to walk across the bench the correct way around and progress from there.
Progression:
>Bench upside down and ask the children to complete dips. This is where you dip the foot just below the beam and back round with each step. Can they do this whilst balancing the equipment on their head
>Bench upside down and ask the children to place a bean bag/cone on their head and ask them to complete a walk across without the equipment dropping
Creative Application – Balance Combinations
Get the children to combine the static and dynamic balances together in a small routine. They can have the bench either way, and ask them to combine a dynamic balance (walking across the bench) with a static balance in the middle of the bench.
Progression:
>Get the children to then perform a body part balance once they step off the bench onto the mat.
Teaching Points:
- Control is key when balancing. Children should be concentrating on their balances showing good focus
- When moving across benches, have arms out to balance – acting as stabilisers
- Make sure we are always looking forward as we move forward. We should not be looking down at our feet
Key Questions:
- What is the difference between a static and dynamic balance?
- Can you give me an example of both?
- When moving across a bench, how can we maintain our balance?
National curriculum links:
- Developing control and balance through gymnastics
- Comparing their performance against previous attempts, looking for improvements to their personal best
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing confidence in the session
- Showing and developing resilience if they fall from a bench or cannot hold a balance
- Showing creativity in coming up with their own balances
Lesson 2: Jump & Vault Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to perform balances and jumps from different pieces of apparatus
- To be able to follow instructions and maintain safety in the lesson
Success Criteria:
- I can take off and land safely with bent knees
- I can show control when jumping from equipment
- I can travel over apparatus safely
Key Words:
- Take-off
- Landing
- Safety
Equipment:
- Benches
- Vaults
- Mats
- Cones
- Hoops
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Rainbow Rock, Paper, Scissors
Depending on the size of the class, you may want to set up multiple games of this. Set up a rainbow shape of hula hoops, with minimal space between each. There are two teams that will be set up on either side of the rainbow. When go is called, the person at the front of each queue will jump through the hoops until the reach the person from the other team. When they meet, they complete a game of rock paper scissors.
The winner will continue around the rainbow, whilst the loser joins the back of their queue. If your team loses the head to head, the next person at the front of the queue needs to be ready to go straight away. The aim of the game is to make it all the way around the rainbow, winning multiple games of rock paper scissors. If you make it all the way around, your team is awarded a point.
Ensure that the children are jumping through the hoops with two feet at all times, bending their knees and swinging their arms.
Skill Development
Bench work
Split the class up into groups of 4-5 children per group. To begin with we are going to start where we left off last week (see balance session). Get the children to complete the same task as where they finished last weeks session, looking to improve in the time they have for this task.
Vault and Bench work
Safety rules:
>Land safe and on your feet
>Only one person at a time on the bench and vaults
>Make sure the mats are clear before jumping
>No running across the benches
There will be different vaults set up for different ability groups in the class. If you have a variety of sizes, I would suggest starting each group on small-medium sized vaults. Set up a bench with the vault at the end and a mat placed underneath the vault for the children to land on.
To begin with, allow the children to walk to the end of the bench. When they reach the vault, climb on and jump off. To begin with, just allow the children to complete a normal pencil jump off.
Progression:
>Flip the bench upside down and have the children balance across the narrow beam before reaching the vaults
>Increase the size of the vaults from small to medium sized.
Creative Application – Creative Jumps & Balance Combinations
We are now going to combine balances and jumps together using the vaults. These progressions can be:
>Completing different types of jumps (star, tuck, backwards, half turn jump). Allow the children to be creative, making sure they land on their feet, and still.
>Completing an arabesque in the middle of the bench, before reaching the vault
>Completing a body part balance on top of the vault
>Completing a body part balance after you land your jump on the mat
>Place the bench on the vault (you can use the clips at the end of the bench and connect them to the legs of the vault to create a ramp). Ask the children to walk along the bench, on top of the vault.
We can also mix and match these jumps and balances to create a small routine using the vaults and benches.
Teaching Points:
- Before jumping, bend the knees and swing the arms. This will create balance and momentum when jumping
- When landing, ensure they land with bent knees. Again, this will increase balance when landing
- When they land, we want to land still and with balance. Can they pose to finish by creating a pencil shape.
Key Questions:
- Can we name a safety rule when using the benches and vaults?
- How can we ensure we land still and with balance?
- Can we name a type of jump we can perform from the vault?
National curriculum links:
- Use jumping in isolation and combination
- Develop control, balance and technique through gymnastics
- Comparing their performance against previous attempts, looking for improvements to their personal best
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing focus and listening by following instructions and safety rules
- Showing bravery if jumping from a higher vault
- Developing confidence to try new jumps
- Showing creativity in the jumps and combinations they can perform
Lesson 3: Rolls Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To be able to perform different types of rolls with control
- To be able to stay safe throughout the session
Success Criteria:
- I can tuck my chin when rolling
- I can roll in a controlled direction
- I can start and finish in a safe position
Key Words:
- Forward roll
- Teddy bear roll
- Control
Equipment:
- Mats
- Cones
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Lily Pad Tag
Place spots all around the area. As many as there are pupils in the class. Pick 3-4 people to be taggers. They cannot stand on a spot (lily pad). Everyone starts off the spots. The game is a simple tag game. Every time someone reaches and stands on a spot for at least 3 seconds, they receive one point. When standing on a spot, you cannot be tagged but to gain another point, you need to move to another spot. When you are running in between spots, you can be tagged. If you are tagged, your score returns to 0.
Progression:
>Add more taggers
>Remove spots to make the game more difficult.
Skill Development
Rolls session
The children must be informed of performing these skills on the mats. Get the children into pairs and allow them to come and collect a mat and take it to their working area. One person should be standing either side of the mat and carry it carefully and safely to their area before sitting to begin the session
Safety rules:
>One person at a time on the mat
>Ensure that we stay on the mat when performing rolls
>Ensure we are following the instructions of each roll to perform them correctly and safely
Forwards roll:
The forward roll technique:
>Stand straight with feet together
>Bend down into a tuck shape with hands placed on the mat in front of you
>Straighten your legs, keeping your hands on the floor
>Tuck your chin into your chest
>Push off using your feet and roll. Only the back of your head should touch the mat as you roll. Not the front and certainly not the top.
Allow the children to practice performing this skill one at a time on the mat.
Progression:
>Can they perform a balance once they have completed the roll. This again can be any balance that they want. Allow them to be create and experimental.
Regression:
If the children are struggling to perform the forward roll, it is typically due to them not being able to push their body weight over. You can, with assistance, get the children to perform the forward roll from a low bench (typical school bench). Get them to kneel on the bench and place hands on the mat in front and perform stages 4 & 5. The elevation should help them push their body weight over to complete the roll
Teddy Bear Roll
The teddy bear roll technique:
>Start in a straddle position, with your hands placed holding the back of the knees.
>You can go either side, whichever is more comfortable. Lean and place your shoulder on the floor. The opposite leg should be in the air.
>Roll across your back until you have swapped shoulders touching the floor. At the same time, you should swing your legs across so you again end up with the opposite leg in the air
>Sit up, pushing from your shoulder and elbow touching the floor. You should now be sat up facing in the opposite direction to which you started
Again, allow the children to practice this roll. Some may find the teddy bear roll easier to complete than the forward roll as it does not require you to push your body weight over your head, which some are a little fearful of.
Progression:
>In their pairs, children are sat back to back from each other. They should be able to perform the teddy bear roll at the same time and end on opposite sides of the mat, where their partner started, back to back with their partner again
Creative Application – Roll Combinations
We can now look to create a small routine using the rolls we have been practicing in the lesson, as well as those from Year 1-2 sessions (rock and roll and log rolls). Can the children create a small routine using those rolls.
Progression:
>Can they now add a body part balance to their routine
>Can they add multiple body part balances, using different numbers of body parts per balance e.g. 1 body part then a 2 body part balance and create a routine combining the rolls and balances.
Teaching Points:
- Ensure the children follow all instructions for each of the rolls. They should be taking their time with each of the rolls and ensuring they are completing them with control and safety
- Ensuring that only one child at a time is completing each of the skills on the mats for safety
- When combining different rolls into a sequence, the children should be flowing from one roll to another.
Key Questions:
- How can we stay safe when completing each of our rolls?
- How can we have control when performing our rolls?
National curriculum links:
- Use running in isolation and combination
- Develop control, balance and technique through gymnastics
Social/environmental skills:
- Understanding how to follow instructions – Safety rules
- Developing team work and collaboration skills through working with a partner
- Developing creativity skills when combining different rolls
Lesson 4: Travelling & Movement Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to travel across different types of apparatus using different body parts and movements
Success Criteria:
- I can travel with control and good posture
- I can perform bunny hops with two feet together, across a bench
Key Words:
- Bunny hop
- Control
Equipment:
- Mats
- Benches
- Cones
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Chaos Tag
Everyone is on in this game. When you are tagged, you leave the game and sit on a bench. To return to the game, you must wait until the person who tagged you is removed from the game so that you can return. If you tag at the same time, you do rock paper scissors to find a winner (winner stays in, loser leaves). You cannot be tagged whilst doing rock paper scissors.
Skill Development
Creative movements
We want the children to explore a range of different movements in this warm up. The children may come up with examples such as running, walking, jumping, skipping, hopping etc. These are all good ideas and we should encourage the children to be as creative as they want when completing this.
The only rule is – every movement needs to be completed with control. Allow time for the children to move in any way they see fit and praise those who can come up with new and creative ways of moving and encourage others to copy that movement.
Progression:
>Low leg lunges – Feet start together with arms out for balance. Take a large step forward, bending the front knee. The back knee should also bend to create 90-degree angles. Keep swapping legs continuously maintaining balance
>Combining different movements together to create a mini routine e.g. run then hop, hop then skip, jump then lunges etc
Bunny hops along the bench
The children should know how to perform a bunny hop (see year 1-2 if unsure). This time the children are going to perform the bunny hop along the bench. Grip the bench with a hand either side and move across the bench performing the bunny hop.
As we are using the bench, we are going to need to show good control in order to reach the other side without losing balance and falling off the bench. Allow the children time to practice.
Creative Application – Travelling & Apparatus Combinations
Keep the groups the same. This is a progression of the last activity. Children to again grip the bench with a hand either side. This time however they will begin on one side of the bench. They will perform a two footed jump to jump onto the bench and another one to jump to the opposite side of the bench. They will continue to do this as the move down the bench.
Progression:
>Can they add in a balance, jump or roll (or a combination) as they perform this movement.
>Can they jump from one side to the other without needing to jump on the bench. This will require them to produce more power when jumping. How can we produce more power in our jumps?
>We can add a vault to the end of the benches so that the children can climb up and perform a jump at the end of their travel. Allow them to be creative with their jumps, ensuring they are landing still, on their feet, with bent knees
Teaching Points:
- Ensure that there is only one child on the bench at one time
- When they are performing bunny hops, their feet should land on the bench. If they are using their knees, they either need to generate more power by bending their knees more before jumping or they need to regress to the previous move and perfect that before attempting again.
- When jumping and landing, land with bent knees and still to ensure we keep control.
Key Questions:
- When performing a bunny hop, how can we generate more power in our legs?
- When performing a bunny hop or lunge, how can we remain balanced?
- When landing a jump, how can we stay in control?
National curriculum links:
- Use running & jumping in isolation and combination
- Develop control, balance and technique through gymnastics
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing resilience in their work
- Understanding fairness and being truthful when playing the preparation game
- Developing confidence in wanting to try and test new skills
- Displaying creativity when performing jumps and balances
Lesson 5: Routine Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To link gymnastics skills together into a short sequence
- To perform a routine with control
Success Criteria:
- I can link skills together
- I can perform my sequence without stopping
- I can start and finish with a clear shape
Key Words:
- Sequence
- Routine
- Flow
Equipment:
- Mats
- Benches
- Cones
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Andy’s Coming
Moving around the area in different ways and speeds (running, walking, skipping etc…). When Andy comes into the room (just announce this) the children must lie on the floor like toys while “Andy” patrols the room looking for moving toys. If you move, you do 5 star jumps increasing each time you are seen to be moving.
Skill Development
The children are going to be working in groups of 2-3 per group for this activity. Each group is set the task of coming up with a routine that consists of 8+ gymnastics moves that include at least one travel, jump, balance and roll
It is important that the children understand that the routine must be able to flow from one move to the next without them having to change their direction or body shape e.g. if you are facing backwards and need to be facing forwards for your next move, can you add in a shoulder roll or a half turn jump in order for you to be facing forwards, rather than just turning around
Before we begin, get the children together and as a class, using a large whiteboard, come up with different moves from each of the four segments. Example written below
| Travels Hop, skip, run, gymnasts walk, cartwheel | Balances Arabesque, 1 point balance, 2 point balance, 3 point balance, front/back support, dish arch |
| Rolls Forward, backwards, log, teddy bear, shoulder | Jumps Tuck, star, half turn, full turn, straddle |
Keep those moves on the whiteboard and ask the children to go away in their group, with a whiteboard and pen each and write down a routine they would like to complete. Remember that they must make sure that their routine flows from one move to the next without breaking their stride or body shape.
Get the children to practice this in their areas that they are sharing with their partner. To begin with, they may need to structure the routine where they complete 3-4 skills, then look back at their whiteboard to continue with their routine. They will need to memorise the routine as they are practicing and hopefully get to a point in the session, where they don’t need their whiteboard to remember their routine
Progression:
>Allow them to be creative with their routine and add in more moves, only if they can perform them and execute them correctly with control.
>Allow them to add in pieces of equipment e.g. hula hoops, balls and cones to make their routine more difficult
If you have access to ICT e.g. Ipads etc, get the children to video each other’s routines and look back on their routine. Can we make any improvements to our routine e.g. changing certain moves, making sure that the routine flows etc.
Creative Application – Routine Show
Can we now get some of the children to demonstrate and perform their routines to the rest of the class
We want the rest of the class to critique the routine by giving 1 positive and 1 area to improve for the performed routines.
Teaching Points:
- The routine must flow from one move to the next. Make sure that if the children need to change body shape or position, that they complete a gymnastic move to do so
- The children should display control throughout their routine. Ensure that they are taking their time with each move, performing each move correctly with good technique and are not rushing through their routine
- When performing a static balance, the children need to hold the balance for at least 3 seconds.
- When landing a jump, they need to land with bent knees and still before performing their next move
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term improve?
- What do we mean by the term flow when performing a routine?
- How can we ensure we have control throughout our routine?
National curriculum links:
- Use running and jumping in isolation and combination
- Develop control, balance and technique through gymnastics
- Performing a routine using a range of movement
- Comparing their performance and showing improvements throughout the session
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing resilience through trying to improve and perfect their routine
- Displaying creativity through coming up with their own routines
- Being compassionate and considerate as others are performing and improving their routine
- Showing encouragement and being kind to others
Lesson 6: Stations & Making Improvements
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To practice and improve previously learnt skills
- To identify strengths and areas to improve
Success Criteria:
- I can improve a skill through practice
- I can say what I did well
- I can attempt a more challenging version of a skill
Key Words:
- Improve
- Practice
- Technique
Equipment:
- Mats
- Benches
- Vaults
- Cones
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs & Medicine
Choose 3 taggers, they are the germs. Choose 3 releasers, they are the medicine. The germs move around the area trying to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand still with your hand in the air. The 3 medicines need to release anyone who has been tagged by the germs by giving a hi5.
Handing out equipment
Get the children in their groups to help set out some of the equipment for today’s session. This will include putting mats out, benches and vaults and making sure they are placing them safely and securely in the areas set out. You may need to ensure each is in the correct place before starting the main activity
Skill Development
Station work
Children will be split into even groups. Try to have children of similar ability levels together when working at the stations. Split the time evenly between the number of stations set up. We are looking for the children to continuously improve during the session at all stations.
Station 1 – Rolls station
Set up a few mats (one for each member of the group) and allow them to practice different types of rolls on the mats. They can also look to combine different types of rolls in a small routine, the same as the end of the rolls session previously
Station 2 – Vault and jumps station
Set up a station with a variety of different vaults and benches. Set up a:
>Bench flipped upside down with a small vault. Get the children to balance across the bench and perform a jump at the end. For lower ability groups put the bench normally and ask them to balance a piece of equipment on themselves
>Bench attached to a medium sized vault. Ask the children to balance up the slope and onto the vault, where they perform a balance on top and then jump off
Progress this station the way we did in the jump and vault session previously. Allow the children to be creative with their jumps. You may want to add a third vault that is higher again for high ability groups and add in a crash mat to land on.
Station 3 – Balance station
Set up 2-3 benches that are flipped upside down for the children to walk across. Also set up an area for the children to practice their arabesque. Add in progressions for each skill the same as in the balance session previously. Children working in pairs to balance equipment on each other whilst performing the arabesque and dips and the arabesque to be performed on the flipped benches.
Station 4 – Routine station
Set up a large area of mats for the children of this group to work in. They must come up with and improve on a routine consisting on 8-10 moves which include travels, rolls, jumps and balances and make sure that each move flows from one move to the next. Allow the children to be creative in what moves they choose and as in the routine session, make sure that the routine has a rhythm and flow to it.
ADDITIONAL Station 5 – Gymnastics climbing frame
This will depend on whether your school has access to a wall climbing frame. If you do, place mats underneath the climbing frame so that all areas around are covered. Allow the children to climb and explore on the wall frame, making sure they are staying safe throughout. You can, if you want to, set a limit on how high they can climb in the session. I would also ensure that the children do not climb over the top of one another when using this piece of apparatus, but allow them to explore climbing up and through.
Progression:
>Can they move from one side of the frame to the other without touching the floor or bottom of the apparatus.
>Can they balance from different parts of the apparatus and perform different types of balances using the apparatus
Teaching Points:
- The children should be displaying control through every station they perform on. They should be taking their time and ensuring they are using good technique
- When balancing, keeping their arms out for balance and ensuring they are stepping with one foot in front of the other
- When jumping, ensuring they bend their knees, swing their arms, land with bent knees and still
- When performing on a climbing frame, ensure there are mats spread out below and that the children are not performing above/below another person.
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term control?
- How can we show control at each station?
- What do we mean by improving?
- How can we show improvements throughout the session?
- Can you name me a safety rule at each station?
National curriculum links:
- Using running and jumping in combinations
- Developing control, balance and strength throughout the session
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing problem solving skills through trying to improve their work
- Showing and developing resilience in their work
- Listening to instructions and following them – safety rules
- Showing encouragement and compassion to others in their group
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