Sample Lesson Plans: Educational Gymnastics

Educational Gymnastics

This activity area makes up 15% (15 hours) of class time. Educational gymnastics strives to create a physically and emotionally safe learning environment for all students by allowing them to respond to challenges in a non-threatening way. Educational gymnastics lends itself to the following movement patterns: springs, landings, rotations, swings and locomotions. It promotes development in body awareness, space awareness, force, and relationships with people and equipment.

In the past, gymnastics has been viewed with a certain amount of trepidation by teachers and students who have had little or no background in this area. Educational gymnastics, unlike Olympic gymnastics, focusses on creative body management rather than the performance of high level competitive skills. If educational gymnastics is planned and taught in a reflective and progressive manner, students will learn body management skills in a safe environment.

This series of five lessons assumes little or no exposure to educational gymnastics prior to grade 6; however, when the Physical Education 1-5 curriculum has been implemented, students should arrive in grade 6 with a strong background in movement education. At that time, the educational gymnastics program in grades 6-9 should be at a more sophisticated level and the use of a wide variety of apparatus and advanced techniques will be possible.

During the lessons, students will develop body and personal space awareness by exploring supports, balances and hangs in statics. They will also develop general space awareness using locomotions, springs, landings and rotations. Because these lessons are of an introductory nature, swings have been excluded. They will be included when students become more skilled.

Lesson Plan 1

Date: Activity Area: Activity: Locomotions and Statics

Educational Gymnastics

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills in order to be comfortable in an educational gymnastics environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of locomotions, statics, and the performance cues related to stable and unstable body positions.

Assessment: See pages 59 and 61.

Self-assessment.

Teacher assessment.

Evaluation: Ongoing, using checklists and anecdotal records.

Teacher Notes:

This lesson assumes little or no previous experience in gymnastics.

The section on performance cues can assist discussion on stability (Motor Skill Development section).

Indirect teaching will allow for exploration and creativity. Direct teaching can introduce students to some of the formal gymnastics activities.

Personal Reflections:

Lesson Plan 2

Date: Activity Area: Activity: Springs and Landings

Educational Gymnastics

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills in order to be comfortable in an educational gymnastics environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of movement patterns and performance cues as they relate to locomotions, statics, springs and landings.

Assessment: See pages 59, 60, 61 and 64.

Self-assessment.

Teacher assessment.

Evaluation: Ongoing, using checklists and anecdotal records.

Teacher Notes:

In order to lead discussion on springs and landings teachers should be familiar with the performance cues to these basic movement patterns. These are in the Curriculum Guide on page 71.

Personal Reflections:

Lesson Plan 3

Date: Activity Area: Activity: Landings and Rotations

Educational Gymnastics

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills in order to be comfortable in an educational gymnastics environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of movement patterns and performance cues as they relate to landings and rotations.

Assessment: See pages 60 and 63.

Self-assessment.

Peer assessment.

Teacher assessment.

Evaluation: Ongoing, using checklists and anecdotal records. Include self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher assessment in the process.

Teacher Notes:

The use of both direct and indirect teaching will create a learning environment in which students have the opportunity to explore and create but also learn more formal gymnastics skills and safety techniques.

Make sure that students who feel uncomfortable doing certain skills are given alternatives so they do not feel pressured into risky situations.

Personal Reflections:

Lesson Plan 4

Date: Activity Area: Activity: Rotations and Statics

Educational Gymnastics

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills in order to be comfortable in an educational gymnastics environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of rotations, statics and sequence work.

Assessment: See pages 61 and 63.

Self-assessment.

Peer assessment.

Teacher assessment.

Evaluation: Ongoing, using checklists and anecdotal records.

Teacher Notes:

Especially during the direct teaching of skills, make sure that the students feel safe and only try skills they are ready for. Sometimes working on a softer surface like a crash-mat can build confidence. Teachers should understand the mechanics of rolling for safety.

Personal Reflections:

Lesson Plan 5

Date: Activity Area: Activity: Combination of Themes

Educational Gymnastics

Foundational Objective: Students will develop skills in order to be comfortable in an educational gymnastics environment.

Learning Objective:

Students will display an understanding of movement patterns and performance cues as they relate to locomotions, springs, landings, statics and rotations.

Assessment: See pages 59, 60, 61, 63 and 64.

Self-assessment.

Teacher assessment.

Evaluation: Checklists and anecdotal records used during the unit can help teachers arrive at a mark for this series of lessons.

Teacher Notes:

This lesson may take longer than one period. If the lesson is likely to take longer, make sure you have recorded the names of the students in each group and the station they finished at so they know where to go and what to do the next time.

Personal Reflections: