Presentation for Washington County Schools K-8

BJ Santos, Murray High School, Albemarle County Schools

Off to a good start…

Instructional set – students can mentally prepare for expectations of class

Power walk warm up - a music driven set of warm up activities. Students enter the gym with a power walk; proceed to shuttles, push ups, hover, and sit and reach. This warm up addresses the health related fitness components tested with fitnessgram. Once the students know the procedure, the teacher can take role, speak with the classroom teacher or individual students, and give instructions for the next activity during the sit and reach.

Instant activities engage the students in physical education as soon as they enter the gym. Post the activity and ask the students to read the board as they come in and start the task. The teacher has the flexibility to take role or handle individual student issues. The instant activity could be a skill learned in the previous lesson, a skill that the students are proficient in and enjoy, or a fitness activity. The instant activity can be a physiological warm up for the day’s activity or the warm up can follow. Some ideas for instant activities:

Juggling – reinforces eye hand coordination and crosses the midline

Skills progression for juggling

Painting side

Toss and grab side

Painting diagonal

Toss and grab diagonal

Toss toss catch catch diagonal

Add third scarf to pinkie finger

Jump rope – reinforces skilled movement, aerobic fitness, and, used with skip counting, math skills.

Mid-line balls – reinforces skilled movement, eye hand coordination, and crosses the midline.

Make an imaginary triangle between feet and target spot.

Bounce and catch with two hands

Bounce from one hand to catch with the other

Hula Hoops - a core warm up, reinforces skilled movement.

Team building activities – these are a great way to start the year or use as instant activities during the year. The descriptions below can be used as task cards for older students. The discussion questions are important to the activity when used for team building.

Pipeline

Task objective: to move the golf ball from point A to point B using only the provided pipe pieces. Each member of the team gets one piece of pipe. If the ball drops, start over at point A. No fingers on the ball.

Group juggle

Task objective: to juggle as many items as a group. Start with one object to establish a pattern and then add objects.

Turnover

Objective: to flip the tarp without using hands or any member stepping off.

Line up

Objective: to line up in numerical order as quickly as possibly, without talking. Choose a card from a face down pile and on signal, line up. Use stopwatch to time each trial

Radioactive waste transfer

Objective: to transfer the ball (radioactive waste) from one cone to another using only the deck ring with strings. If the “waste” drops off the ring, return to start.

Questions for discussion:

How did the group share ideas?

How did the group use the different strengths of the members?

How did you manage failure? When rules were broken?

Are you content with your success as a group?

Fitness activities and assessment…

Aerobic capacity, as measured by maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), is the “ability to perform large muscle, dynamic, moderate-to-high intensity exercise for a prolonged period.” (ACSM, 2006) By improving aerobic capacity, one can reduce risk for heart disease, metabolic disease, obesity, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, and other health problems.

The Fitnessgram field tests for aerobic capacity include the pacer, one mile run, and the walk test. Each appropriate for different ages and populations.

Pacer – recommended for grades K-3

Test objective: to run for as long as possible across a 20 meter space at increasingly faster speed.

The student continues in the test until the 2nd time he/she fails to reach the line by the time the beep sounds. The test is scored in laps.

One-mile run – recommended for students who enjoy running. Not scored for K-3

Test objective: to run (walk) a mile as fast as possible.

The test is scored in minutes and seconds.

Walk test – validity set for secondary students only; can be used to self-assess therefore a lifetime skill.

Test objective: to walk a measured mile as quickly as possible and determine heart rate at completion.

The test is scored as VO2 max, after calculating in time, heart rate, and body weight.

http://www.exrx.net/ ; http://www.exrx.net/Testing.html is a resource to quickly calculate VO2 max.

Activities to improve aerobic capacity:

Show Me the Money

Students receive a “dollar” each time they complete a lap. They can then “buy” time with favorite equipment. When they want to play with something else, they need to “earn” the money by running additional laps.

Rob the Nest

Each pair of students has a hula hoop nest. The object is to get three eggs in the nest and squawk. They may steal eggs from any hoop except their neighbors. They alternate the position of coach and runner. No guarding or blocking the nest.

Low organization cardio games

These games have low skill requirement and few rules. This maximizes the number of students who can play and the amount of play time. Using heart rate monitors and pedometers allows students to self-monitor their effort as well as providing the teacher with an objective assessment of participation. Students can call out heart rates after each goal, or other natural break in play. Keeping a running log of steps, distance, calories, and exercise time becomes a motivation tool for most students. Start with only the rules needed to play and teach strategy and fouls as the students play. Tell students in advance that the game will be stopped for instruction of new rules. This is especially important with hoop ball and tchoukball, which don’t follow the normal format for invasion games.

Warm up

Warm up is important to prepare the body for activity by increasing core temperature and heart rate and respiration. The primary locomotor skill for any of these games is running so a logical warm up might be a walk. It could be a practice for the walk test, using a shorter distance. Although the skills required for each game are simple, basic throw and catch, a short skill practice could be a warm up, providing there is adequate equipment.

Ultimate Frisbee

Played on a rectangular field.

Point is scored when the Frisbee is caught over the end line.

Teams change goal line after each score.

Player must pass Frisbee within 5 seconds.

Player may take two steps after catching the Frisbee.

No contact allowed. All players must remain an arm with Frisbee length away.

An incomplete pass turns over to the other team.

Game is started by a throw across the field.

Foosketball

Basketball played with a football.

Point is scored when a football passes through the basketball goal.

Can be played with multiple teams.

Ball must be passed within 5 seconds.

Player may take two steps after catching the ball.

No contact allowed.

Game is started and restarted with a jump ball.

Tchoukball (modified rules)

Point is scored when a ball, rebounding off the goal (tramp) is not caught by opposing team.

No contact allowed.

No defensive action allowed (interference, interception)

Team must attempt score after 3 passes. (Use 5 with larger field)

Ball must be passed within 5 seconds.

Game is started with a pass from the end line.

In lieu of a rebounding goal, a table on its side or basketball backboard may be used.

Hoop Ball

Played on gym floor or rectangular space with end and sidelines. Hula hoops are placed in the four corners or tape the floor designating goals.

Point is scored when team member catches ball while standing in the hula-hoop. (Murray modification: when a goal is scored, the opposing team performs a designated exercise; i.e. blue hoop= 15 curl ups.)

Teams change goal line after each score.

No contact allowed.

Ball must be passed within 5 seconds.

No score from an out-of-bounds throw in.

Game is started or restarted after a goal by an underhand toss that must have a 10 ft. arc.

After throw off or throw in, ball must pass the midline before scoring in the back goals.

Striker

Played on gym floor or other rectangular space with designated end lines.

Point is scored every time the ball crosses the end line.

Ball is moved with an open handed hit only.

No contact is allowed.

One team starts play by striking the ball toward the other team.

Cool down and closure

A cool down period is important to allow the body to return to a pre-exercise state. Giving students an opportunity to walk or practice throw catch skills will allow them to naturally move enough to comfortably allow their heart rates to slow down.

The primary muscles used are the lower body muscles: glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It is important to stretch these muscles and that is a good time to review the lesson and give information about the next class.

Flexibility is the “ability to move a joint through its complete range of motion.” (ACSM, 2006) Flexibility facilitates athletic movement and activities of daily living.

· Stretching can decrease pain and soreness after exercise.

· Range of motion of a joint is increased by a daily 15-30 second stretch of involved muscles

· Stretching is relaxing

· Stretching maintains a balance in body mechanics

The Fitnessgram field tests for flexibility include the backsaver sit and reach and the shoulder stretch.

Back-saver sit and reach

Test objective: to be able to reach the specified distance on the right and left sides of the body.

The test is scored to the nearest ½ inch. Both sides must meet the “healthy fitness” standard.

Shoulder stretch

Test objective: to be able to touch the fingertips together behind the back by reaching over the shoulder and under the elbow.

The test is scored Y or N; the student must be able to touch on both sides to achieve “healthy fitness zone”

Types of stretching

Static stretching – a slow sustained stretch for 10-30 seconds

Active stretch – self stretch

Passive stretch – partner assisted

Proprioceptor neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) – overcoming the stretch reflex by contracting the muscle before stretching. Not appropriate for elementary aged children.

Ballistic or dynamic stretching – using quick or bouncing movement to generate momentum. Appropriate for conditioning for sport specific movement for competition but not for general stretching in physical education class.

Guidelines for stretching

· Warm up (raise the core body temperature) before stretching

· Stretch until there is slight pull, but no pain – hold until the muscle relaxes

· Proprioceptor Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching has the greatest increases in range of motion

· Static, or held stretches increase range of motion

· Ballistic (bouncing) stretches increase risk of injury because the muscle may contract reflexively if restretched quickly following a short relaxation period

Activities to improve performance

Standing Series

A great stretch to do while winding down class. Complete the sequence on one side, repeat on the other.

Calf/shoulder-lunge, straight knee, heel down; arm pressed across chest

Achilles/tricep-close lunge, bend knee, heel down; tricep press over head

Hip flexor/Bicep-raise heel, hip forward; extend arm to side, thumb to rear

Thigh/chest- bend knee and lower; hands to small of back, elbows back

Hamstring/spine-sit back, bend knee, flex foot; round back, arch back, release foot to floor

IT band – cross one foot behind other, reach sideways toward back foot, hand to inside knee

Proprioceptor Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

Self hamstring stretch – On back, with one leg extended, the other knee bent with foot on the floor. Hold leg above knee (around thigh) and press heel toward floor (contract hamstrings). Hold 15-30 seconds and relax and stretch.

With a partner, contract the muscle for 15-30 seconds (to overcome the stretch reflex), relax and allow partner to push the stretch.

Hamstring – Standing, partner hold leg at point of stretch, press against partner, contracting hamstrings. Hold 15-30 seconds. In/exhale, relax hamstrings and partner raises leg up. Repeat from new position.

Hamstring/low back - From a sit-reach position, press back against partner 15-30 seconds, In/exhale and lean forward while partner pushes on low back.

On the Floor for More

Lying down Crossover

Quads

Hamstrings

Glutes

Sitting Hamstring hurdle – 3 positions

Straddle – forward lean, sideward lean

Inner thigh

Deep hip

Obliques

Lateral spine

Sit/reach

Calves

Shins

Upper back/triceps/biceps/chest

Prone Abdominals/Upper back

Hip

Cat/cow

Child’s pose

Corpse