Lesson 1: Travel Locomotions/stiffness

Game Aim – Run (in various directions) and Jump and Land in Different points of balance

Rules:

Run and stop when instructed to do so. Shoes and socks must be removed.

Tactical Problem

Space: Be aware of the location of your Classmates, and your own body within space

Time: stop movement of body quickly upon landing.

Force: both when jumping and when landing

Lesson focus— balance and safe landing techniques. Body awareness. Wide base more stable. Close to the ground more stable. Even distribution of parts more stable. Land toes and bend knees to absorb landing forces.

Introductory task/game:

Pair up, one footed barefoot balancing, eyes open versus eyes closed, 1 minute attempts with eyes closed for both partners

Skill/Concept development tasks/games:

Start with fast walking and jumping and landing before moving on to running.

Culminating Game Activity: 

Transitioning to running and then introduce both balances and slides.

Lesson 2: Travel/stiffness/Locomotions/Slides

Game Aim – to create a choreographed routine of runs, jumps, balances and slides with a partner.

Rules

No shoes or socks. Must utilize at least two balances and two slides in the routines.

Tactical Problem

Space: Be aware of the location of your Classmates, and your own body within space

Time: use the allotted time to refined balancing and sliding skills within the routine.

Lesson focus: Enhance body awareness, integrate slides with the jumping and balancing from the last lesson. Use force from gravity to get momentum. Even distribution of parts more stable.

Introductory task/game:

Free running to music with either a slide or jump and balance at the stopping of the music.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games:

Safety, change of direction, balance on different body parts, decrease contact with the floor during slides.

Culminating Game Activity: 

Group presentations of their routines (most groups going at once so the students do not feel self conscious)

Lesson 3: Weight bearing/Rolls 

Game Aim—Introduce safe rolling techniques

Rules:

No shoes or sock. Roll techniques practiced only on the mats

Tactical Problem

1.Space: be aware of all four sides of your mat while attempting rolls

2.Time: n/a

3.Force: Only what is needed to perform the roll. Awareness of how hard they fall on any surface of the body while initiating the roll.

Lesson focus:

Create a new routine with a new partner (social development) that utilizes at least two different rolls and slide with as little running as possible. Create curved surface are for rolling. Weight transfer. Tightly distribute mass to increase rotation (within the rolls).

Introductory task/game:

Jump and land into a back safety roll.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games

Forward roll into back safety roll. Transition from ‘backwards slide’ to modified backwards safety roll.

Game and culminating activity: 

Group presentations of their routines (most groups going at once so the students do not feel self conscious)

Lesson 5: Travel Locomotions/Stiffness 

Game Aim – Run (in various directions) and Jump with Turn (1/4, ½, ¾). Learn how the extension or shortening of limbs can affect spin rate.

Rules:

Shoes and socks must be removed. Jump and turn when the music stops

Tactical Problem

Space: Be aware of the location of your Classmates, and your own body within space

Time: stop movement of body quickly upon landing.

Force: both when jumping and when landing

Lesson focus—

Balance and safe landing techniques. Body awareness. To spin arms lead action, Pull parts in to spin quicker. Minimize contact.

Introductory task/game:

From a stationary position jump and attempt ¼, ½, and ¾ turns with arms close to the torso, and extended outward. Attempt Breakdancing moves either a ‘back spin’ or a ‘butt spin’ with varying degrees of limb extension.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games:

Start with fast walking and jumping and landing before moving on to running. Attempts made at spinning in both directions.

Culminating Game Activity: 

Create individual routines combining two or more jump and turns with a ground spin.

Lesson 4: Mid-way Crescendo 

Game Aim – Integrate running, jumping, landing balancing, rolling, and sliding in a routine by a group of 3-4 students.

Rules:

No socks or shoes. Cooperation and democratic process while developing the routine.

Tactical Problem

Time: maximum length of routines is 5 minutes.

Space: Awareness of the location of all of the members of your group.

Force: adequate to perform each of the skills required by their routines.

Lesson focus: 

Is on integrating the skills developed so far, with attention given to sequencing and the abilities of each member of the group. All of the previously mentioned mechanics of movement concepts.

Introductory task/game

Partner developments of a short routine with at least one balance, roll, slide, and jump.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games

Enhanced sequencing and ‘flow’ 

Game and culminating activity: 

Presentation by each group of 3-4 with peer assessment by one other group (Hints and Cheers).

Lesson 6: Travel/Turns/Slides 

Game Aim – to create a choreographed routine of jumps, turns (and ground spins) and slides with a partner.

Rules

No shoes or socks. Must utilize at least two jumping turns, two slides, and one of the two breakdancing spins in the routines. Equipment can be used, but it is not required.

Tactical Problem

Space: Be aware of the location of your Classmates, and your own body within space. Decrease body contact during slides and ground spins.

Time: Utilize limb extension to extend/shorten spinning time for ground spins (possible cross curricular connection with physics portion of science class). Pull parts in to move quicker. Arms lead turns. Minimize contact when sliding.

Force: required to initiate spins from slides or jump turns.

Lesson focus: Rotation rates and limb extensions.

Introductory task/game:

Free running to music with a slide to ground spin attempt when the music is stopped.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games:

Locomotion/stillness as a result of limb location into/out of contact with body.

Culminating Game Activity: 

To create a choreographed routine of jumps, turns (and ground spins) and slides with a partner. Then share with one other pair and share ‘praise’, and ‘hints’.

Lesson 8: Putting It All Together/Potential Extensions

 

Game Aim – Integrate running, jumping, landing balancing, rolling, weight on hands and sliding in a routine by a group of 3-4 students. Utilize as many variations of Relationship sequence as possible.

Rules:

No socks or shoes. Cooperation and democratic process while developing the routine.

Tactical Problems

Time: maximum length of routines is 5 minutes.

Space: Awareness of the location of all of the members of your group. Utilize as much space within the given area without going beyond the spatial boundaries.

Force: adequate to perform each of the skills required by their routines. Be aware of the skills and limitations of your group members.

Lesson focus: 

Is on integrating the skills developed so far, with attention given to sequencing and the abilities of each member of the group. All Mechanics of Movement concepts.

Introductory task/game

Partner development of a short routine with at least one balance, roll, slide, jump, taking weight on hands, ground spin, and partner balance.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games

Relationship Sequences, cumulative practice 

Game and culminating activity: 

Presentation by each group of 3-4 with peer assessment by one other group (Hints and Cheers). Possible field trip to either a gymnastics or breakdancing studio depending on student interest and funding.

Lesson 7: Body shape/Weight Transferance/Weight Bearing/Breakdancing Connections 

Game Aim—Introduce taking weight on hands, partner balances (counter-tension, platform, counter-balance and connections to breakdancing ‘freezes’/ or Yoga ‘Cow’ pose.

Rules:

No shoes or socks. Weight on hand techniques and practiced only on the mats. Can only attempt breakdancing' freezes' once the teacher has reviewed their weight on hand gymnastic techniques. Rolls out of hand balancing attempts

Tactical Problem

Space: The distance between partners on the partner balancing activities. Distance from wall/others during hand balancing techniques.

Time: how long to balance during hand balancing and ‘freezes’

Force: tension, counter balance, weight on hands.

Lesson focus:

Progress within individual limits in terms of hand balancing; attempt at least one from each of the three partner balancing categories. Wide base more stable. Closer to the ground more stable. Weight transfer with rocking to the edge of stability. Rock to find center of gravity point. Use force form gravity to get momentum. Raise hips when upside-down to lift body weight.

Introductory task/game: ‘Teddy-bear’ stand/ hand stands kick up attempts with partner and wall.

Skill/Concept development tasks/games Varying degrees of weight on hands have students think about why some forms of partner balancing are more or less difficult.

Game and culminating activity: In pairs or small groups, attempt yoga hand balancing or the Breakdancing moves: Baby Freeze, Airbaby, or Turtle Freeze variations. (This lesson would likely extend over the course of several lessons depending of the interest of the class).