Lesson Plan : Challenge Fitness Stations
Teacher Name: | Mrs. Wrather-Clark |
Grade: | Grade 5 |
Subject: | PE and Health |
Topic: | Challenge Fitness Stations |
Content: | The students will work on physical fitness development by moving through fitness challenges, making fitness FUN! |
Goals: | This lesson addresses the following Illinois State Goals: Goal 20: Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of Physical Fitness based upon continual self-assessment. Goal 23: Understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development. |
Objectives: | Complete the President's Fitness Challenge or other fitness instruction so students learn the proper form for stretches and exercises. |
Materials: | stretch bands, scooters, regulation size bowling pins or hand weights, mats, beanbags and buckets, jump ropes, shuttle blocks, step boxes or bleachers, stop watch, movement music, CD player, station signs, and instruction sheets; Signs needed for each station include: MUSCLE-BUILDERS: STRETCH BAND for TRICEPS & BICEPS, BOWLING PIN RUN, CURL-UPS, PUSH-UPS, SCOOTERS and CONES; ENDURANCE and AGILITY BUILDERS: JUMPS, SHUTTLES, JUMP ROPE; STANCES: The following stretches can be listed on one poster since they are performed together in a large group: STRETCHES: SHOULDER ROLLS, NECK STRETCHES, ARM STRETCHES, BACK STRETCHES, and AB STRETCHES. |
Introduction: | The Challenge is divided into 10 stations. The stations give the students opportunities to work on the following fitness components: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. Prepare and post signs at each station, showing students where to start and where to proceed. A copy of instructions at each station will also cue students as to what to do. Students should remain at each station until signaled to rotate to the next station. Movement music played during the activity will cue the students as to when they should move to the next station, and will also provide a cadence for performing the exercises. Rotating at the end of each song gives about 3 minutes at each station, allowing everyone to get through all or most stations before dismissal time. Equipment needed at each station should be readily available. Warm-up: STRETCHES: The class will do the following stretches together in a large group before moving into small groups for the stations. As class time allows, repeat the sequence of stretches several times. 1. SHOULDER ROLLS: Roll shoulders forward 5 times and back 5 times. 2. NECK STRETCHES: Slowly stretch the neck forward, back, right, and left, holding for 5 second each. (Remind students to elongate their neck during this stretch, being careful not to shrug their shoulders, especially when holding the head in the back position. We want to prevent "pinching" the nerves in the neck.) 3. ARM STRETCHES: As if you are swimming, move arms performing the butterfly and backstroke, 5 times each. 4. BACK STRETCHES: Position yourself on all fours, slowly raising and lowering spine. Repeat 5 times. 5. AB STRETCH: Lie on stomach, arms straight out at each side. Lift and hold arms and legs 5 seconds and relax. Following the group stretches, put the student into groups of 2 to 4, depending on the size of the class. A good time-saver is to put the students into groups ahead of time and post the list on the gym wall. This allows the teacher to accommodate students with special needs and facilitates the opportunity for students to get to know others in the class whom with they otherwise would not spend much time. MUSCLE BUILDERS: 1. STRETCHY BAND for TRICEPS AND BEWITCHING BICEPS: (equipment: stretchy bands) Use stretch band to do 10 slow triceps raises and follow with 20 slow biceps builders. Repeat until it is time to rotate to the next station. 2. BOWLING PINS: (equipment: bowling pins or hand weights) Lift bowling pins straight overhead and run all the way around the black perimeter line in the gym keeping arms extended overhead. 3. CURL-UPS: (equipment: mats) Do curl-ups to the cadence of the music until it is time to rotate to the next station. 4. PUSH-UPS: (equipment: beanbags, buckets) Do push-ups (on toes or bent-knee) to take beanbags out of bucket and then put back into bucket alternating right and left hands. 5. SCOOTERS and CONES: (equipment: scooters and 6-8 cones) Lie with stomach on scooter and use only hands to travel around the creepy cone course. ENDURANCE and AGILITY BUILDERS: 6. JUMPS: (equipment: step boxes or available bleachers) Use a two-foot jump and two-foot landing to move on and off the steps rhythmically, to the music cadence. Face forward first, then sideways. 7. SHUTTLES: (equipment: 2 wooden blocks or erasers, stopwatch, Set up a shuttle run course. You need two lines 30' apart with 2 blocks or erasers set on the far line.) On a signal, run to the opposite line, pick up a block, run back to set it on the starting line, go back to get the other block, and run back through the finish line. Have someone time you with the stopwatch. 8. JUMP ROPE: (equipment: jump ropes) Jump continuously forward and back, to the cadence, until it is time to rotate. STANCES: 9. Tree Pose: (equipment: none) Stand with feet together. Shift your weight slightly onto the left foot, keeping the inner foot firm to the floor, and bend your right knee. Reach down with your right hand and clasp your right ankle and draw your right foot up and place the sole against the inner left thigh. If possible, press the right heel into the inner left groin, toes pointing toward the floor. The center of your pelvis should be directly over the left foot. Rest your hands on the top rim of your pelvis, making sure the pelvis is in a neutral position, with the top rim parallel to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Firmly press the right foot sole against the inner thigh and resist with the outer left leg. Press your hands together. Gaze softly at a fixed point in front of you on the floor about 4 or 5 feet away. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Step back to starting position with an exhalation and repeat for the same length of time with the legs reversed. 10. Side plank pose: (equipment: none) From plank pose (push-up position), bring the right palm to center on the floor. Bring the outside of the right foot on the floor in line with the palm. Stack the left foot on top of the right, with the inner edges of the feet in contact. Press the right hand down into the floor and lift the hips making the legs and torso one straight line. When you feel balanced, lift the left hand up towards the ceiling, making the arms one straight line. Press the outer edge of the right foot down, pull up the kneecaps and squeeze the thighs and buttocks. Look straight ahead, with the chin off the chest. Breathe and hold for 2-5 breaths. To release: exhale and bring the left hand down to the floor, bring both toes tucked under on the floor, into plank pose. Repeat on other side. Modifications: Bend one or both knees down to the floor. |
Development: | |
Practice: | |
Accommodations: | Do as many of the stretches as limitations allow; use wrist and leg weights for child who cannot hold weights; have child repeat an activity (s)he can do until heart rate increases; balance body and objects on body as limitations allow. |
Checking For Understanding: | An observation checklist can be used to see if students are performing activities as directed according to the criteria on the President's Challenge Fitness Tests or some other fitness assessment. |
Closure: | Have students cool down and review the correct cues and skills for the President's Fitness Challenge. |
Evaluation: | |
Teacher Reflections: |
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