Parachute!!!!

5th graders beginning the parachute lesson

This week, Y5-5th graders will be enjoying parachute during PE classes!!  Parachute brings back many fond memories of my own elementary PE classes.

Along with being a PE favorite, parachute also provides many opportunities to reinforce and continue working on motor skills and movement patterns.  The concepts listed below are from the AAPS PE Curriculum (Motor Skills and Movement Patterns strand, Movement Concepts domain), which is aligned with the Michigan GLCEs for PE.  Also included are specific examples of ways parachute can help with these concepts.

• Space awareness:  Directions (up/down, forward/backward, right/left, clockwise/counterclockwise).  For example, we walk clockwise/counterclockwise while holding the parachute.  Students move the parachute up/down.  Students are asked to step forward/backward.  
• Space awareness:  Levels (low, medium, high).  Example:  Students hold the parachute at a low level (at feet), medium level (waist), high level (above head).  
• Effort:  Time (fast/slow, sudden/sustained).  Example:  Students shake the parachute fast or slow.  Students move the parachute suddenly or hold it in a sustained manner.  
• Effort:  Force (strong/light).  Example:  Students move the parachute with different amounts of force during our activities.  
• Relationships:  Relationship movement concepts of objects and/or people (over/under, on/off, in front/behind).  Example:  Students put their knees on top of the parachute to create a mushroom balloon with the parachute.  Students also put the parachute behind them to create an igloo.