Week of 12/14

Y5-2:  Students will work on the overhand throw!  We work on four steps for throwing:

• T:  point to target, body shaped like a T, opposite hand pointing at target
• Muscle:  Bend arm with ball/beanbag up, showing your muscle
• Step:  Step with opposite foot, transferring weight from back to front
• Throw:  Let the ball/beanbag go, end pointing toward target

During our first class of the week, students are assessed before instruction on the overhand throw.  Then, we do instruction on the keywords -- with teacher demonstration, student practice without a beanbag, and then practice at individual mid-level targets with a beanbag.  I circulate during this practice time and give students feedback on their form.  I have them say the keywords while they're moving their bodies for each step of throwing.  This is to help them remember each step.  

Students then practice with a low target (a foam cylinder shaped pin).  Then we move to partners (throwing at two pins, trying to knock both down at once), and then larger groups as time permits.  

3rd-4th, and Carnegie (5th):  These classes experienced basketball dribbling last week, so they are moving on to do basic jump rope activities.  These activities are adapted from Landy and Landy, Ready to Use PE Activities for Grades 3-4.  Activities include: 

• Rope patterns: stretch rope along the floor for these activities  (speed jump rope)
• jump zig zag from one end to the other end, facing forward, sideways
• hop back and forth across your rope, move from end to end
• straddle your rope, and jump this way (one foot each side of the rope)
• jump straddle-cross, so your rope is between your feet each jump.  
• keep hands on the floor while you jump your feet back and forth, while you move along the rope.  
• what are other ways you can move on or over your rope?  

• Circle patterns:  (speed jump rope)
• make your rope into a circle
• make a tall statue inside your circle
• make yourself as small as you can, as big as you can
• make a bridge with X parts inside the circle, X parts outside the circle (tried several of these!)
• put your hand in the center of the circle, legs straight out.  Walk legs around your hand like a grinder (coffee grinder),  switching hands and directions after two times around. 
• leave your circle and do different locomotor patterns to the music.  When the music stops, find an open circle and listen for directions (make a statue, bridge, balance, do an exercise, etc.).  
• Shapes:  For these next activities, students switched to a beaded jump rope.  
• make a shape with your rope -- any shape - circle, triangle, rectangle, hexagon, pentagon, parallelogram, etc.  
• make letters and or numbers with your rope
• with a partner (or small group), make some new shapes.  you now have twice the rope to work with!  
• For our second lesson of the week, grades 3 and 4 start out with a brainstorm of shapes they could make with jump ropes.  Some ideas include:  a house, igloo, sailboat, sunshine, clouds, flower, name(s) in cursive, letters, numbers, words, Nike logo, Under Armor logo, mitten, New Hampshire (!!  a second grade student did this last week, unprompted!), any state....and more. :)  

5th graders enjoying our jump rope lesson

5th grade rope shapes

Michigan!   

5th graders:  GO BLUE!   

Fourth graders at work

4th graders transfer the Scream painting (below) to our gym floor

Fourth graders:  ice cream cone!

3rd and 4th graders make cupcakes!

3rd and 4th graders make cupcakes!

Weindorf/Schafer:  Basketball dribbling activities, or fitness testing as needed!  See previous posts for upper elementary basketball/fitness testing activities. 

First grade health:  This week, we learned how and why to call 911.  Then, we started a craftivity (craft + activity!) to review fire safety.  This craftivity will take several weeks to complete, and we'll send home the final products in January.   

SXI:  The SXI class continues to work on t-ball, bowling, and moving, moving, moving during our PE time.  We adapt tasks as needed to allow for maximum participation and success.  For example, we have a ramp to use for bowling.  Each student has different needs and abilities, and we aim to have all students having fun, moving, and learning!  

ASD:  Both ASD classes have similar PE routines.  Students walk around cones in the gym, and then participate in a locomotor skill warm-up (gallop, skip, sideways slide-step, and run).  During some classes, we practice throwing/kicking/catching.  Next, we play kickball or t-ball, followed by choice time.  We have a large therapy ball they enjoy, scooters, hula hoops, playground balls are some options during choice time.  In January, students will add some stretching activities following our locomotor skill warm-up.  These activities work on following directions, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, listening skills, taking turns, and basic locomotor/manipulative skills.  Basic locomotor and manipulative skills serve as the basis for all sports and activities.  

Week of 12/7: Jump Ropes, Fitness Testing/Pins and Baskets, and 3Ds of Telling

This week, here's what we've been up to in Haisley PE and Health:

Young Fives - 2nd grade:  Jump Rope Introduction.  Lessons are adapted from Ready to Use PE Activities for grades K-2 by Landy and Landy.  When we do these types of lessons, I am continuously impressed with student creativity during these challenges and tasks.  I encourage students, if they're thinking "This is so EASY", to try to make it challenging for themselves.  Some tasks can be more challenging if done on one foot, or with eyes closed, for example.  For these first jump rope lessons of the year, we use the ropes entirely on the floor.  Students stretch their jump rope (a speed rope, not a beaded rope) onto the floor.  Tasks include:

Intro Ropes:  

• Jump over your rope back and forth (side to side).  Front to back.  
• Now jump zig zag side to side from one handle of your rope to the other.  Repeat zig zag front to back.  
• Hop side to side over your rope, front to back.  Now zig zag from one handle to the other hop zig zagging. 
• Pretend your rope is a tightrope.  Walk forward on your rope, backward, sideways, criss-cross walk, backward criss-cross.  
• Make a bridge over your rope.  Move your bridge from one handle of your rope to the other.  Make a new bridge, and move that bridge from one side of the rope to the other.  
• Keep your hands on the floor and jump your feet over the rope and back.  

Young Fives jumping over their ropes

Circle Ropes:  

• Make your rope into a circle.  When the music starts, move all around the playing area following the movement directions (skip, gallop, sideways slide step, walk, leap!, etc.), staying out of the rope circles.  When the music stops, find a circle and listen for directions.  Directions included: 
• make your body as small as you can
• make your body as big as you can
• make a one foot balance in side the circle, tall balance, low balance
• make a happy statue (or other feelings/emotions:  scary, sad, silly, etc.)
• build a bridge across your circle
• Put half of your body inside the circle and half outside
• Put one hand inside the circle and your legs outside.  Move your legs all the way around the circle, like a clock or coffee grinder.  Switch hands, switch directions. 
• Balance with different numbers of body parts inside/outside the circle.  Example:  balance with four parts touching outside the circle and two parts inside the circle.  Students might, for this one, choose to place knees and toes outside the circle, and hands touching the floor inside the circle.  Any combination where the appropriate number of body parts are touching inside/outside the circle is acceptable.  Creativity is encouraged and applauded with these challenges!  
• Start in the center of your circle.  How can you move in and out of your rope?  Think about directions:  forward, backward, sideways.  Two feet together (jumping), one foot (hopping), one foot to the other foot (leaping).  

Second graders leaping over circle ropes

Second graders leaping over circle ropes

3rd - 5th:  Continue wrapping up fitness testing.  When classes are finished, we have a Pins and Baskets game day, and then do basketball dribbling skills.  Basketball dribbling activities included introductory activities and dribbling-specific exercises.  Before starting, we discussed the main elements of dribbling:  soft hands, fingertips gently pushing ball toward floor, keep the ball close to you, eyes up.

Introduction:

• Pass the ball between your hands, making a figure 8 in front and to the side of your body, ball contacting your whole hand (including your palm)
• Fingertip:  now hold the ball in front and pass it only using your fingertips.  Try this at a high, medium, and low level -- to the side, other side.  
• Butterfly Drill:  stand with feet wide.  Hold the ball between your legs with one hand in front, other hand behind.  Change hands and catch the ball again before it drops to the floor.  Try to do this without losing control of the ball - see how many times you can do it! 
• Roll the ball in a figure 8 pattern on the floor around your feet.  Next, pick it up and use your hands to move the ball in a figure 8 pattern around your legs.  
• Roller ball:  Hold the ball at the back of your head.  Let it roll down your back, catching it behind you, then bounce the ball through your legs and catch it in the front.  How many times can you do this without losing control of the ball? 

Dribbling: 

• Dribble in one hand, other hand.  
• Put one hand on your knee, dribble the ball low and fast.  Switch hands. 
• Dribble the ball low under your legs.  Dribble around your legs. 
• Dribble the ball around your body without moving your feet. 
• Dribble the ball on your squad seat, and you move around the ball.  Switch directions. 
• Dribble the ball with one hand, and touch the floor with the other.  Switch hands. 
• Dribble the ball with one hand while bouncing yourself up and down on both feet (jumping).  Change hands and try again.  Dribble the ball from one hand to the other while jumping.  
• Hold one ankle - dribble the ball with your other hand.  Switch hands.  Try walking. 
• Stand while dribbling with one hand.  Keep dribbling while you go down to one knee, other knee, then sit down criss cross applesauce.  Switch the ball to the other hand and go back to knees and then to standing.  
• Hello, class!  Dribble the ball with your left hand, walking around the playing area.  Shake hands with as many players as you can.  Greet players by name, and keep control of the ball.  Switch hands.  

Fourth graders jumping while dribbling

Hello, class!  4th graders shaking hands while dribbling.

4th graders holding their ankles while walking and dribbling.

4th graders shaking hands and dribbling.

4th graders:  working hard at dribbling!

5th graders jumping and dribbling the ball

1st Grade Health:  The 3 Ds of Telling.
In kindergarten health classes, students were introduced to the 2 Ds of telling:  Dangerous and Destructive.  They learned, last year, that if something is dangerous (someone could be hurt or killed) or destructive (someone's possessions could be damaged, ruined, or stolen), they should tell an adult right away.  In first grade, the Michigan Model for Health curriculum adds a third D for telling:  Disturbing.  Disturbing, we learned, means that something just doesn't feel right, and might make us feel scared or worried.  It might give us an "uh-oh" feeling in our body.  It might be something that is unsafe or breaks rules or laws, or something that makes us feel scared or very worried.  We read situations as a class and discussed which D the situations were and what the person should do.  We learned that many situations aren't just dangerous, destructive, or disturbing -- they're a combination of more than one of those elements.

We also discussed the important differences between tattling and reporting.  Tattling is done to get someone in trouble.  Reporting is done to help in a situation that is Dangerous, Destructive, and/or Disturbing -- more serious than little things we could ignore or maybe solve on our own.  We talked about how if they're not sure, they should tell an adult.  It's better to tell when maybe it's not needed than to NOT tell when something is serious.

Next week, our health lesson will include getting help in an emergency, including how and why to call 911.

Week of 11/30: Fitness Testing, Playground Balls, and Fire Safety

This week, most upper elementary classes are finishing the fall/winter fitness testing (pre-test).  Each class needs something different, or may already be finished, with all of our fitness testing items.   Click the FitnessGram graphic below or this link to access more information about our fitness testing.  Why is the schedule so different for each class?  If there are days off from school, or if I'm away from the building, testing has to wait.  Especially with Thanksgiving, testing was a little delayed for some classes.  When testing is finished for most of the class, we celebrate with a Pins and Baskets game day.

Lower elementary classes explored with playground balls!  These lessons improve manipulative skills, ball control, and visual tracking.  Crossing the midline is also encouraged during these activities, which helps the left and right brain hemispheres communicate better with each other.  Lessons are adapted from Ready to Use PE Activities for Grades K-2 by Landy and Landy.  Tasks included:

Intro:  

• Hold your ball high with both hands, low, far away from you, near to you, behind you, in front of you, to the side, to the other side.  Watch the ball while you do this! 
• Keep your hands near each other, pass the ball from one hand to the other hand.  Pass the ball with hands high, medium level, low.  
• Put your ball on the floor and make a bridge over the ball.  Be careful not to smush the ball with your body - the ball isn't a pillow or bed to lay on -- this can ruin our equipment! 
• Pick up your ball and hold it in both hands.  Sit criss-cross-applesauce.  Stand up without using your hands to help you, keeping hold of the ball.  Sit back down criss-cross-applesauce still holding the ball in both hands.  
• Find a partner.  Explore different ways to hold the ball between the two of you without using hands or arms.  Can you move while holding the ball like this?  

Rolling:  

• Sit criss cross applesauce.  Roll the ball around your body.  Switch directions.  
• Stand up, roll the ball around your feet.  Switch directions.  
• Stand with feed wide, roll the ball around your feet, switch directions. 
• Roll the ball in a figure 8 around your feet.  
• Sit with legs in front of you, knees slightly bent.  Roll the ball behind your body, then lift your legs (like a drawbridge) as you roll the ball underneath your legs.  Don't forget to switch directions! 
• Go to your letter, take three steps from the wall, and roll the ball to the wall.  Use two hands, one hand, the other hand to roll the ball.  No bounces makes a perfect roll!  
• In partners, students rolled the ball back and forth with a partner -- sitting, standing, even backwards.  
• Keep it Rolling:  Everyone in the class has a ball.  The challenge is to keep your ball rolling the entire time -- no stopping!  Watching personal space and safety first, bending your knees, keep the ball rolling the entire time.  
• Guard the pin:  Students in a circle around one pin in the center.  One player guards the pin.  One ball per circle.  Edge players roll the ball into the center, trying to knock over the pin.  If an edge player knocks over the pin, they switch places with the pin guard.  

Second graders partner rolling

Second graders hold the ball between partners

First graders: Guard the Pin

First graders: Guard the Pin

In first grade health classes, we learned more about fire safety.  Some highlights of what we discussed include:

• In a fire emergency:  Get out!  Get help!  Get out FIRST, and then get help. 
• Stay calm. 
• Stay low and crawl if in a smoky area.  
• DO NOT HIDE.  
• If clothes are on fire, STOP, DROP, and ROLL.  

Coming up next week in health, we'll talk about the 3 Ds of telling:  Dangerous, Destructive, or Disturbing.  If a situation is any of these three Ds, we need to tell an adult right away.