Found Fitness: Grade 7 PHE
Download Lesson Plan Here (Contains images and tables properly formatted): EPHE 312 Unit Plan
Rationale/Context:
The goal of our unit plan is to focus on fitness for students within their home and community. We wanted to highlight making regular fitness accessible to everyone, regardless of financial or physical access to fitness studios/ equipment. We plan to introduce and highlight to students the accessibility of exercise within their own homes and communities. A main component of this unit is also to explore what our community has to offer for free and how to maintain fitness on your own.
This unit is designed using the grade 7 EPHE curriculum but could be adapted for lower or higher grades, as it is important for all ages to understand and have autonomy over their fitness. We also wanted to first introduce our students to some fitness ideas, then have them come up with their personal fitness values and goals in order to best help them focus on their own needs throughout the unit. A main goal for ourselves as educators, through this unit, is to help our students understand that fitness and health looks different for everyone. We want to highlight finding joy and personal satisfaction through fitness, without bringing in societal pressures to look or perform a certain way.
Throughout the unit, students will be completing independent and group work to help them best explore accessible fitness. We will be taking our students into different environments (park, gym, “home”) to work on their fitness goals. All of this will lead to a cumulative “Fitness Home Video” created in groups by the students, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their learning in a video they create for their future selves to use when exercising at home or in their community.
Grade Level/Competencies:
Big Ideas:
- Daily participation in different types of physical activity influences our physical literacy and personal health and fitness goals.
- Physical literacy and fitness contribute to our success in and enjoyment of physical activity
Curricular Competencies:
- Develop, refine, and apply fundamental movement skills in a variety of physical activities and environments
- Develop and apply a variety of movement concepts and strategies in different physical activities
- Identify and describe preferred types of physical activity
Content:
- Training principles to enhance personal fitness levels, including the FITT principle
a guideline to help develop and organize personal fitness goals based on:
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- Frequency — how many days per week
- Intensity — how hard one exercises in the activity (e.g., percentage of maximum heart rate)
- Type — the type of activity or exercise, focusing on the fitness goal (e.g., jogging for cardio endurance)
- Time — how long the exercise session lasts
Core Competencies:
- Communication
- Students will be communicating with each other and themselves about their fitness goals and values are
- Collaboration
- Students will be collaborating in groups for the fitness video
- Creative Thinking
- Students will be using their creative thinking to look at their current surroundings and materials to help them best set up their own exercise equipment and “studios”
- Personal and Social
- Students will be exploring their “fitness” identity, what their personal values are and what goals they have around exercising
- Re-examining our perceptions and thoughts around words like “fitness” and “exercise” and giving them our own definitions and meaning, outside of what society has deemed them to be
Unit Outline:
1. Stuck at home workout- using various YouTube clips to follow their style of home work out | 2. Brainstorm goals and values for future fitness- creating a fitness plan that works for own fitness goals | 3. Park circuit | 4. Dance fitness | 5. Using materials from home- bring your most creative one! | 6. Make your own fitness at-home YouTube video (across 2 lessons, using brought materials to simulate home at school) |
- Use the following videos as jumping off points and have students follow some of these routines:
Plus size work out video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGFKiykWCLw
30 minute HIIT work out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYD7f5b_qj4&list=RDQM_fnL5CUH5_I&start_radio=1
Family friendly cardio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5if4cjO5nxo
- After the first lesson gives students’ a sense of what at-home workouts can look like, now it’s time to discuss with your class what their own personal fitness goals are. Steer the conversation towards healthy body image and skill based goals, such as “I would like to jump higher to improve my volley technique” or “I want to strengthen my thighs for skating this winter”. Brainstorm as a class all the different ways someone may stay active when they aren’t at the gym and display that graphic organizer visibly in your classroom. End lesson with a fitness goal sheet that asks:
- What anxieties/hang-ups do you have about the world of fitness?
- What is one fitness area you would like to focus on?
- Why?
- What first step will you take?
- Lessons 3-5 are all elaborated.
- Lessons 3-5 are all elaborated.
- Lessons 3-5 are all elaborated.
- Make your own at-home fitness video time! This is where students’ really take the lead over what type of fitness focus they would like to introduce to their peers. In groups of 2 and up to 4, students will spend two PHE lessons planning and filming their ideal at home workout, aiming for ~5 minutes. The video does not need to be publishing ready, rather simply an instructional tool for others to follow along with and try out that new skill. Then videos will be bundled into the ultimate stuck-at-home-covid-19 fitness pack for their peers to try out! Criteria for videos include:
- Each student demonstrates and/or explains a move
- Video explains a move in its entirety with corresponding visual
- Uses minimal or widely available equipment (eg. chairs)
- Can be performed outside of a gym
Elaborated Lessons:
Park Circuit
Grade: 7 Lesson 3 of 7
Topic: Finding circuits in available outdoor parks
Equipment: Park equipment · Slide · Swing · Wall · Bench · Stairs · Monkey bars |
Main big idea:
“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:
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(1) Introductory activities/warm-up | Organization | Teaching points | |
Unleash your inner kindie! Get on the park equipment and try out all the equipment you probably haven’t touched in a while. What body parts are you using the most? What are you not working as much? Do this for 10 minutes.
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Let kids do free exploration and monitor their activity levels- what words of encouragement and focus points can you suggest going into the next activity? | ||
(3) Fitness Activity/Lesson Focus | |||
a. Skill Practice
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. |
Bench, “Step Ups”- works glutes and core
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 |
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Closure | Layout | Teacher tips | |
“Secret Instructor” stretch. One person closes their eyes and teacher chooses another student to be “it”. Then the unseeing student opens their eyes and stands in the middle, trying to guess which student is leading the stretch as other students follow them. The “it” tries to change the stretches without getting caught by the guesser and the group tries to follow in a way as to not get the “it” caught. Carry this out for 3-5 minutes.
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Try and get at least 3 different students to be the “it” to allow for more variation
Give verbal cues as stretches happen onto which parts of the body it benefits |
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Assessment (What I am looking for to judge achievement of learning outcomes)
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
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Bench, “Step Ups”
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. |
Swing, “Good ol’ classic”
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.
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Slide, “Slide Circuit”
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.
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Park wall, “Wall Sit”
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. |
Stairs, “Squat, run, squat”
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.
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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.
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*We intended to take pictures of movements at a park, however parks are closed which limited our ability to complete the images for the task cards*
Dance Fitness
Grade: 7 Lesson 4 of 6
Topic: Dance Fitness
Equipment: Stereo/speaker, fitness movement cards, peer evaluation papers, pencils/pens, equipment for circuit
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Lesson learning outcomes – Students will be able to:
· 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
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(1) Introductory activities/warm-up | Organization | Teaching points |
Warm up to 2 songs:
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”,
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-choose movements already covered in class to avoid confusion
-pause music when calling out new movement -choose movements all students can do or offer different levels of movement for all student success |
(2) Fitness Activity | ||
Dance fitness stations
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)
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-have clear visuals and written words to describe the actions being practiced
-make visuals available to students so they may use them at home -provide a range of difficulty at stations to ensure overall student success |
(3) Lesson Focus | ||
Culminating Activity
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.
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-allow students to choose groups to ensure confidence in who is evaluating them
-give students a checklist to work off, make assessment achievable by all |
Closure | ||
Discussion of peers’ fitness routines, somethings that students saw their peers do that they would like to add to their own or try at home
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!
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-focus on positive comments
-provide students with the criteria for write-up (see lesson plan 5)
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Assessment (What I am looking for to judge achievement of learning outcomes)
-participation in warm-up and throughout circuit -completed checklist with fitness moves and peer assessment (2 stars and a wish)
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Peer Evaluation of Fitness Dance
Names of Dancers:
Names of Evaluators:
Type of Movement | Movements Chosen |
Cardiovascular
Choose 2 movements in your routine that increases heartrate |
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Flexibility
Choose 3 movements that demonstrate the use of flexible muscles |
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Muscular endurance
Choose 2 movements that demonstrate the use of force with your body |
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Keeping the beat
Choose 2 movements that require your body to move to the beat of the music |
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Your choice!
Include 2 aspects that are not required in your fitness routine (previous covered content, something from extra-curriculars) |
Inspired and adapted from Health Related Components of Fitness
(Inspired by 2 Stars and a Wish)
Resources:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Fitness-Circuit-Task-Cards-7-Free-Cards-1513792
Make Your Own Fitness Equipment
Grade: 8 Lesson 5 of 6
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. |
Lesson learning outcomes – Students will be able to:
Big Idea:
Curricular Competency:
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(1) Introductory activities/warm-up/Fitness Activity | Organization | Teaching points | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fitness playing card activity. Print out the attached PDFs, in appendix and lay in the middle of gym/greenspace. Students will get into partners and grab downward facing playing cards, following the instructions for their given suit and number. |
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-offer students modifications to ensure working at best level for selves (push-ups on knees, walking/jogging/running, step out jacks/jumping jacks) | ||||||||||||||||||||
(2) Lesson Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||
a. Skill Practice
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. |
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-if students prefer, allow them to pair and share before talking in front of entire class
-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 |
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Closure | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Finish with a cool down stretch as your class discusses what they like about what their peers did and what they are inspired to incorporate into their own fitness routine. |
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-focus on positive comments only
-encourage specificity over platitudes |
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Assessment (What I am looking for to judge achievement of learning outcomes)
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 |
Resources:
See attached folder for dance fitness task cards and card game outline
Assessment:
For a summative assessment we plan to assess the fitness video created by the students. By having them create a short dance fitness routine mid unit (without grading), we hope that they would now be confident and have a good grasp on how to successfully create this video. This would be assessed by a single point rubric seen below. Ideally this rubric would have been co-created with the class so that all students understood the requirements.
Concerns | Criteria | Extending |
Collaboration
Students worked with a partner to successfully complete a cohesive fitness video. |
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Professionalism
Students video is professional and done to their best working ability. Language and behavior in the video is appropriate for our classroom expectations |
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Prior Knowledge and New Skills
Students incorporated the skills they learned throughout the unit and/or demonstrated skills they already had related to health and fitness |
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Creativity
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 |
Along with continuous assessment from individual lessons, and the rubric above we also wanted our students to do a self-reflection on their fitness goals with the use of the Core Competencies. Both the personal fitness goals and Core Competencies are something that can only be reflected on by the students, therefore this would be a self-assessment and not included in the “grading” portion of the unit.
References:
Core Competencies Self Assessment Kelsey Keller. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://instructionalservices.sd35.bc.ca/curriculum/core-competencies/core-competency-resources/core-competencies-self-assessment-kelsey-keller/
Fitness Circuit Task Cards- 7 Free Cards. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fitness-Circuit-Task-Cards-7-Free-Cards-1513792
Gruno, Jennifer. January 13, 2020. 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐹𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑚–𝑈𝑝. Write up, coursespaces resource. https://coursespaces.uvic.ca/pluginfile.php/1954990/mod_resource/content/0/Fitness%20Playing%20Cards%202018.pdf
How to Draw a Playground for Kids ❤️ Playground Drawing: Playground …: Kids playground, Playground, Drawings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/429319776973180497/
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELjeEpqooDQ