Welcome to the P.E. Updates Page! Throughout the course of the school year, I will be updating this page with information about what units and themes we are working on in our classes.
P.E. Update – April
Cooperative Challenge and Fitness Concepts
All grades had an opportunity to participate in a cooperative challenge called “Cross the River”. This is a great activity that helps students work on their communication skills, challenging them to work in small groups, to accomplish a common goal. I also love this activity because it can be used with any grade level. Simple modifications are made to equipment and the way that I conduct the class will vary based on the grade.
Students are presented with a scenario:
There is a forest fire fast approaching, and we must cross the ocean to make it to safety. Unfortunately, there was an oil spill in the ocean, so if we touch the water, we get sick. Each team is provided with a certain number of rocks (spot circles) that they can use to place down and pick up to help them across. The rocks are heavy though, so they can’t slide or be thrown.
This was a really nice way to get students strategizing and sharing ideas. Students that are more outspoken were encouraged to make everyone feel included, and we welcomed all ideas. All classes really enjoyed this challenge, and we had a lot of positive moments. At the end of the challenge, we met and shared our thoughts about the experience. It was a great chance to discuss the importance of communication, and respecting each other’s differences.
We just completed a fitness unit, which was different based on K-2 and 3-5 classes. For the older grades, we talked about the four components of physical fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility). We related these concepts to everyday life, and talked about that kinds of exercises are related to these concepts. We then completed fitness stations where they were challenged with an exercise, and the fitness concept was highlighted on the fitness task sheet. After we completed our stations, we met to discuss the fact that all of the exercises that we had didn’t require any equipment, so they could be accomplished at home! We encourage students to try some of them at home, and to recruit family members to join them. We also talk about the importance of lifelong health and fitness, and that it’s something that we think about as we get older.
Cooperative Challenge and Fitness Concepts
All grades had an opportunity to participate in a cooperative challenge called “Cross the River”. This is a great activity that helps students work on their communication skills, challenging them to work in small groups, to accomplish a common goal. I also love this activity because it can be used with any grade level. Simple modifications are made to equipment and the way that I conduct the class will vary based on the grade.
Students are presented with a scenario:
There is a forest fire fast approaching, and we must cross the ocean to make it to safety. Unfortunately, there was an oil spill in the ocean, so if we touch the water, we get sick. Each team is provided with a certain number of rocks (spot circles) that they can use to place down and pick up to help them across. The rocks are heavy though, so they can’t slide or be thrown.
This was a really nice way to get students strategizing and sharing ideas. Students that are more outspoken were encouraged to make everyone feel included, and we welcomed all ideas. All classes really enjoyed this challenge, and we had a lot of positive moments. At the end of the challenge, we met and shared our thoughts about the experience. It was a great chance to discuss the importance of communication, and respecting each other’s differences.
We just completed a fitness unit, which was different based on K-2 and 3-5 classes. For the older grades, we talked about the four components of physical fitness (muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility). We related these concepts to everyday life, and talked about that kinds of exercises are related to these concepts. We then completed fitness stations where they were challenged with an exercise, and the fitness concept was highlighted on the fitness task sheet. After we completed our stations, we met to discuss the fact that all of the exercises that we had didn’t require any equipment, so they could be accomplished at home! We encourage students to try some of them at home, and to recruit family members to join them. We also talk about the importance of lifelong health and fitness, and that it’s something that we think about as we get older.