Fitness Unit Plan- Grade 7 EPHE

Topic: Finding circuits in available outdoor parks

Equipment: Park equipment

·  Slide

·  Swing

·  Wall

·  Bench

·  Stairs

·  Monkey bars

“Daily participation in different types of physical activity influences our physical literacy and personal health and fitness goals.”

Main curricular competency: “Develop, refine, and apply fundamental movement skills in a variety of physical activities and environments”

Lesson learning outcomes – Students will be able to:

Go through each of the stations with your students prior to circuit start and bring laminated explanation cards to mount to each piece of equipment used. Be explicit about what parts of the body are benefited by this exercise and what possible risks are associated

b. Culminating Activity

Elaborated on in description (right) and index cards (back)

Half the class will perform this circuit while the other half goes for a walk/jog/run (according to preference) around the area. At the halfway point they switch off and the joggers now do the circuit and vice versa. For the circuit, two students will be at each “station” at a time. See index cards for adaptations and safety considerations.

Swing, “Good ol’ classic”- maintains cardio and conditions joints, alternate with leg criss crosses

Slide, “Slide circuit”- rotate between push ups, mountain climbers, tricep dips at your comfort, builds bicep strength

Wall, “Wall sit”- works thighs and endurance, music at this station so it’s less boring

Stairs, “Squat, run, squat”- students alternate between squat jumps up and down the first stair and running the full length of the stairs, improving their quads and cardio

Monkey bars, “Gorilla gym”- students will go along the monkey boards at regular pace, two bars at a time, sideways, pull ups or sit ups according to their comfort level. Works their core and arms

Give verbal cues as stretches happen onto which parts of the body it benefits

Checklist of student outcomes (have list of student names and check for these 3 things):

ü  Engaged in rigorous activity at 2 or more stations

ü  Used proper form to ensure body safety

ü  Stayed on task when running/walking

Body areas: works glutes and core

Instructions: Stand facing a bench and lift one leg up 90 degrees to stand on the bench while bringing the other knee up to join it. Step back down and repeat with the other leg. Repeat these steps 10 times in a row (10 left, 10 right) then break for 20 seconds. Repeat cycle over until next circuit transition.

Adaptations: Increase difficulty by raising non-lifting leg up to waist height.

Decrease knee strain by choosing a curb rather than bench for lesser height.

Body areas: maintains cardio and conditions leg joints

Instructions: Position self on swing and pump legs back and forth to achieve standard swinging motion.

Adaptations: Increase difficulty by leaning backwards at a 45 degree angle and criss crossing your legs over and under each other to work core muscles.

Body areas: builds bicep and tricep strength

Instructions: rotate between doing push-ups, mountain climbers and tricep dips, ideally 10 reps each with 20 second rests in between.

Push ups– place both hands on bottom of slide and plank your body outwards so that your feet are making a 45-degree angle with the slide. Push up with your arms until straight, then slowly bend back down.

Mountain climbers– place both hands on bottom of slide and alternate between bringing your right leg up to your chest then left leg up to your chest in a continuous motion.

Tricep dips– Face away from the slide with your hands rested on the bottom of it and your legs bent slightly forward in front of you. Use your arms to dip your body lower and then raise yourself with your arms again.

Adaptations: This can be hard on your wrists! If you have sensitive wrists be sure to take longer breaks and if needed rest on your elbows instead.

Body areas: works thighs and endurance

Instructions: This one’s hard, not gonna lie! Lean against the wall and then press your back into it, bending your legs at 90 degree angles to simulate sitting in a chair. Hold yourself in this position for as long as you can! If you break, test yourself and try and go longer the next time!

Adaptations: You can do it in reps of 20 seconds if that works better for your body, doing 20 seconds of holding, 10 seconds of rest and repeat.

Body areas: works quads and increases cardio endurance

Instructions: students alternate between doing 20 squat jumps up and down the first stair and running the full length of the stairs, and then back again until the end of the station.

Squat jumps– Squat facing the stars at the base of the staircase with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and then jump up to the first step. Once there, jump back down to the base in the same squatting position. More important to maintain form than speed!

Stair run– Run up and down the length of the staircase before resuming your next set of squat jumps.

Adaptations: Be careful running on the stairs and make sure you don’t overdo your pace! You can make your squats wider than shoulder width to increase difficulty or make your squats thinner, such as waist width, to make the jumps more manageable. If you have knee pain, make sure to walk down the stairs rather than run.

Monkey bars, “Gorilla Gym”

Body areas: works core and arms

Instructions: students will go along the monkey boards at regular pace, two bars at a time, sideways, complete pull ups or sit ups according to their comfort level.

Manageable– Go along the monkey bars facing forward, hanging from your arms, one bar at a time, swinging one arm towards the next one and grabbing it before releasing with the other arm to grab the following bar.

A lil harder– Same procedure but reach two bars ahead at a time rather than one.

A bit tricky– Face to the side of the monkey bars and hang by two different bars so that you face sideways rather than forward. Move to each next bar from this sideways position until you reach the other side.

Pretty hard– Hang off one bar and lift your entire body up to raise your chin above the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat as many times as you can.

Holy crow– hang upside down from your bottom legs off one of the bars. Then use your core to lift your torso towards your knees while remaining upside down, performing a reverse sit-up.

Adaptations: Make sure you move incrementally through the stages to ensure you can manage the next stage. Have your station partner spot you during the holy crow sit up stage to avoid falling on your neck. They should spot you with bent arms and knees.

Topic: Dance Fitness

Equipment:

Stereo/speaker, fitness movement cards, peer evaluation papers, pencils/pens, equipment for circuit

·  Put together a short dance fitness routine

·  Perform and provide feedback on fitness routines with a peer

Big Idea:

o   Physical literacy and fitness contribute to our success in and enjoyment of physical activity

Curricular Competency:

o   Develop and apply a variety of movement concepts and strategies in different physical activities

1.C2C- Happy

2.Another current song that is school appropriate/students enjoy

Teacher will call out different body movement for students to do while moving around the entire gym.

Movements such as grapevine, high knees, butt kicks, “speed skating”,

-pause music when calling out new movement

-choose movements all students can do or offer different levels of movement for all student success

Students will circulate around the gym to various stations in pairs, where they will practice different fitness movements to music

(See appendix for 7 sample task cards, more can be purchased on Teacherspayteachers.com)

-make visuals available to students so they may use them at home

-provide a range of difficulty at stations to ensure overall student success

Students create a quick fitness routine using the new fitness movements completed during the circuit and any additional movements they already knew.

Students may work in groups of 2-3

After creating routine, will be evaluated by another peer group.

-give students a checklist to work off, make assessment achievable by all

Cool-down stretch before finishing class

Reminder for students to bring their own fitness equipment for next class with a small write-up on how to use their pieces!

-provide students with the criteria for write-up (see lesson plan 5)

-participation in warm-up and throughout circuit

-completed checklist with fitness moves and peer assessment (2 stars and a wish)

Choose 2 movements in your routine that increases heartrate

Choose 3 movements that demonstrate the use of flexible muscles

Choose 2 movements that demonstrate the use of force with your body

Choose 2 movements that require your body to move to the beat of the music

Include 2 aspects that are not required in your fitness routine (previous covered content, something from extra-curriculars)

Topic: Students will bring materials from home to create their own fitness equipment

Equipment: Whatever your students bring in as their provided equipment! As teacher you should bring in a few items yourself- milk jugs full of water, head bands and backpacks/duffle bags full of books are great starts. 

• Learn how to safely use household items to achieve fitness outcomes
• Demonstrate proper form while performing various body movements
• Accurately assess what body areas they are working

Big Idea:

• Daily participation in different types of physical activity influences our physical literacy and personal health and fitness goals.

Curricular Competency: 

• identify and describe preferred types of physical activity

Each student introduces the item they brought and how they intend their classmates to use it. Encourage students beforehand to think of alternative uses for those with knee/back injuries, less cardio etc.! This is best implemented if students bring a brief written description of their station.

b. Culminating Activity

After the introductions, the items are set around the room/greenspace in a circuit. Each student goes to an item that is not their own and the class begins 1-2-minute rotations of each “at-home” item activity. Try and rotate through all items if possible!

At their last station, students will be asked to add a skill or extension to the circuit item they ended up at.

-allow students to work in partners if they prefer and bring in 2 fitness pieces per group

-leave student write-ups and diagrams with pieces of equipment set up around gym/greenspace

-play music to make it fun and get the students excited!

-remind students to think of how they would adapt or extend each piece of equipment to best suit their personal fitness goals

-encourage specificity over platitudes

Creation of an at home piece of fitness equipment

adaptation of the last piece of equipment used by student

Rubric for written explanation of item:

Compiled from rubistar.org

Students worked with a partner to successfully complete a cohesive fitness video.

Students video is professional and done to their best working ability. Language and behavior in the video is appropriate for our classroom expectations

Students incorporated the skills they learned throughout the unit and/or demonstrated skills they already had related to health and fitness

Students showed innovative ways to achieve their personal fitness goals in the video, demonstrated how their goals can be achieved at home, in the park, or elsewhere in the community