Target Tossing

We continue to "tick tock" our arm this week and step with our opposite foot as we toss.  Targets are placed at various distances and levels.  We discuss the importance of pointing our tossing arm at our target when we release the object in our hand.  A new word we are discussing is accuracy and what it means to be an accurate tosser. 

Target Toss for Distance

Students have four hula hoops in front of them.  The goal is to toss a bean bag into each hula hoop starting with the closest one.  2nd grade students had a fun contest at the end of class to see which team could toss for the most points.  Hula hoops were worth 4, 3, 2, or 1 point. 

Kindergarten Tossers

First Grade Tossers

First Grade Tossers

First Grade Tossers

Target Toss for Height

Students practiced tossing at various heights.  Teams worked together to change the height of a hula hoop target so their partner could practice tossing high, medium, and low.  As students experienced success, they were encouraged to take steps backward to increase the distance.

First Grade Tosser "Great step with Opposition!"

1st Grade Tosser "Good follow through to Target!"

First Grade Tosser

First Grade Tosser

"Tick Tock Goes the Clock"

This week in Physical Education we started our first ball manipulation unit, rolling.  Students are learning how to "tick tock" their arm, get low by bending their knees, step with their opposite foot, and release the object with their arm looking at the target. Here are some of the fun activities we did to practice this skill!

Rolling with a Partner

Students stand across from a partner.  Partner stands with legs together like a  giant bowling pin.  The partner with the ball will roll and try to get the ball to hit their partner's toes.  Every time they hit the pin, their team gets a point.  A variation of this game is having their partner stand and make a tunnel with their legs.  Students count how many times they can roll the ball through their partner's legs.  Teams have fun adding up their points!

Bowl-O-Rama

Students are split into two teams and stand on their own half of the gym.  Each side has 8 pins on the end line.  The goal is to be the first team to roll and knock down the other team's pins.  Students had a lot of fun with this game learning about offensive and defensive strategies.


 Clean Up Your Backyard
  
 Students are split into two teams and stand on their own half of the gym.  When the music starts students roll any balls in their "backyard" to the other side of the gym.  When the music stops, we count to see how many balls are in each backyard and decide who has the cleanest.  

Turkey Trot Results

After a close race from Belle Plaine to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and even New York City, the results are in.  Traveling over 1,500 miles, the Kindergarteners win the Turkey Trot!  Congratulations on winning a Physical Education Party!  Thank you to all of the families and students that participated.  Remember to get 60 minutes of physical activity everyday!

Turkey Rescue

During the week of Thanksgiving, students played a fun game called Turkey Rescue.  The goal is for students to move with a turkey across the forest without getting hit by a hunter.  If they made it safely across, they put the turkey (bean bag) in their teams basket and went back a second time.  If the turkey got hit by a hunter, the student put the turkey on the hunter's plate for dinner (a hula hoop).  Students had fun being hunters by riding on scooters and throwing soft yarn balls at their friends.  This activity also gave us a chance to discuss what foods are our favorite during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

After discussing all the food we are going to eat, I reminded students that this is their last weekend to do the Turkey Trot.  Students are encouraged to work off the extra energy they will be eating and get outside or play with family and friends.  Here are the results after week #3:

Kindergarten: 1, 036 miles

1st Grade: 717 miles

2nd Grade: 825 miles

Turkey Trot

At the beginning of November, students started the Turkey Trot in Physical Education. The Turkey Trot motivates students to be active on the weekends and strive for 60 minutes of physical activity everyday! 

Each student in the school documents the number of hours of physical activity they do over the weekend.  On Monday, the hours are totaled for each grade level.  For every hour, the grade's turkey moves a mile on our turkey highway.  Students can get bonus hours for each family member that participates with them.  At the end of November, the grade's turkey that trots the furthest will receive a P.E. Party! 



Results

after two weeks:

K:      538 Miles

1st:    528 Miles

2nd:   396 Miles 

Halloween Stations

One of my favorite things to do as a teacher is decorate my gym for the holidays!  It is so fun seeing students walk by and get excited for P.E.  Holiday stations are a great way to review and introduce different skills from different units.  Of course I also play some holiday music to help set the mood :-)

Station #1:  The Witches Brew

• Students tried to help create a potion by overhand throwing ingredients into the witch's cauldron. 

 Station #2: Pumpkin Bowl

• Students attempted to roll and knock over 3 ghost pins with a pumpkin using a "tick tock" motion with their arm.

 

Station #3: The Haunted House

• Students glided on their tummy while on a scooter through my haunted house.  We were surprised to find spiders at the end!

Station #4:  Spider Bump

• Each student had a balloon or shared with a partner and tried to keep their "spider" in the air as long as they could.  Students could use their head, elbow, nose, knee, or foot to keep the spider from touching the ground.

 

Growing Gates

 



This activity is a great way to test a student's ability to jump for height.  Each student is with a partner and has a foam noodle.  One partner holds the noodle loosely on the ground to start.  The jumper stands next to the noodle and then lock, loads, and explodes as high as they can      over the noodle landing safely on the other side.

Each time the student makes it over safely, the holder will raise the noodle slightly off the grounds.  When the jumper touches the noodle, the partners switch spots.  Safety is very important during this activity.  Students are told to hold the noodle loosely so that if bumped, it will fall to the ground instead of tripping their partner.  I love this game because it challenges each student at their own level.

My Activity Gym

 This is a post of some of the things that you would see in my gym that I use almost everyday in Physical Education.

The first is my 5 Star Listener Poster.  This is a helpful reminder to all students of what their body should look and sound like when they are listening to the teacher or others speak. When I grade on listening, these are the expectations that I follow for all students.

 These are the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Standards.  The standards are used to develop physically educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.

Everyday students sit in front of the whiteboard after warm ups and we read our learning target for the day.  It is important that students understand what I want them to be able to do or know by the end of class. Our message is also great for expanding each student's movement vocabulary.

Jumping and Leaping through the Forest

1st Grade Student Jumping over a Snake

The last couple of days we have been working on meeting out learning targets of...

1. Jumping and landing with our feet together
2. Leaping by pushing off our toe and stretching our legs in the air

Our goal is for students to be proficient jumpers and leapers by the time they leave 2nd grade.

1st Grade Student  Jumping over Hills

For jumping, it is important that students start with their feet together and land with their feet together.  We say "Lock, Load, and Explode!" to help students remember to bend their knees and swing their arms to jump higher and further.

When leaping, it is important that students understand that they will take off on one foot and land on the other foot.  Students should push off their toe during take off and stretch their legs as they glide through the air.

K Student Jumping over Mountain

This week we have been jumping through the forest: 

      Jumping and leaping FAR over snakes

      Jumping and leaping HIGH over hills and mountains

      Hopping, jumping, and leaping FAR over rivers 

  


We have had a lot of fun moving through the air in different ways. During all activities we focus on trying our best, challenging ourselves, and keeping our teammates safe. 

K Student Leaping over Mountain

<-------K Leaping Over Mountains!

  

Hoop Jumping

Tuesday we started our Jumping, Hopping, and Leaping Unit.  Students learn how to "lock, load, and explode" their body so they can move high and far through the air. I use this cue to help students remember to swing their arms forward and bend their knees.  Today students created jumping and hopping pathways with hula hoops.  Each team had 6 hoops to use and a cone to mark the start. Then students jumped from one hoop to the next.  Students had the option of moving the hoops further apart for a challenge. Near the end of class, students were able to rotate to other group's pathways and try them out. 

"The Painter and the Elves" by Helen Landalf

Elves Hiding

Beautiful Colors!

Dipping Hands

Today we performed the movement story "The Painter and the Elves."  One night when a painter goes to sleep, she forgets to put the lids on her 

Dipping Elbows

Dipping Bottom

Jog Curved Pathways

Jump Zigzags like Lightning

Polka Dots with Elbows and Knees

paint cans.  Little did she know, some elves would sneak into her room that very night.  This is when the story came to life. The elves dipped their hands in the paint cans and when they pulled them out they were amazed at the beautiful colors.  





After their hands, the elves dipped the rest of their body parts including head, elbows, bottom, and eventually their whole body.  "Let's paint the room and surprise the painter when she wakes up!" one elf exclaimed. 





The elves then painted straight lines, jogged curved lines, and jumped creating zigzag lines like lightning.  Then they moved at a low level, painting the floor with their bellies, backs, sides, and bottom.  They even made polka dots with their elbows and knees.  "Don't forget the ceiling!" one elf shouted as they leaped high into the air flicking paint off of their fingertips. As the sun rose, the elves went back to their hiding places. 








The next morning, the painter couldn't believe her eyes!  Her room was covered in pathways all the colors of the rainbow. "Those naughty elves, I am going to teach them a lesson!"  The painter removed the paint and filled the cans the next night with sticky glue.  When the painter went to bed, the elves quickly stuck their hands in the paint cans but realized they were stuck!  









The painter could see the elves were sorry, so she helped them out and they promised to ask permission before using her paint again.  The End :-)

1st Graders

 At the end of the lesson I asked the students: What do you think the gym would look like if little elves painted pathways during the night?  Students enjoyed using their imaginations to create art.

1st Graders

Shapes and Pathways



2nd Graders Making a 6

 This week, all Physical Education lessons focussed on moving in different ways while in personal and general space.  Our learning goal was for students to demonstrate locomotor movements while using a variety of levels, speeds, and directions. Students also worked alone, with a partner, and in groups to create shapes with their body.  It was fun to see every student use his or her imagination and creativity.

Kindergartners Making a Tree

Students also walked their feet in a variety of pathways including straight, curvy, and zigzag.  Pathway maps were used to guide students from one part of the gym to the other. 


2nd Graders Using Pathway Maps



Space Awareness



2nd Grade students playing Fill the Space


Space Awareness is important because it teaches students how to move in a variety of environments and spaces.  We focus on general space, personal space, and moving at different levels, speeds, pathways, and directions.  This week we played a game called Fill the Space where students found the open personal space around their friends and made a giant statue.  Students love this activity because they get to use their imaginations and be creative with their body.