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Gymnastics
Learning Objectives
- Link skills to make actions and sequences of movement.
- Explore, improvise and combine movement ideas fluently and effectively.
Curriculum information
Literacy Keywords
- Pathway
- Formation
- Teamwork
- Chasse
- Tension
- Symmetry
Citizenship
- Decision making
- Team/partner communication
Equipment
- Gymnastic mats
Risk Assessment
- Suitable clothing and footwear worn by participants.
- Equipment suitable for participants, safe and checked.
- Area safe and checked - any hazards removed.
- Safety information highlighted to participants.
- Staff aware of all emergency procedures, including designated 1st aider.
Knowledge Checks
Throughout this plan you will see ‘Knowledge Checks’ to help you ensure the pupils are acquiring the intended knowledge as the lesson progresses. The two types of knowledge to focus on in PE are:
- Declarative Knowledge: Factual knowledge concerning movement, rules, tactics, strategies, health and participation (best practiced through spoken or written observations of a practical demonstration).
- Procedural Knowledge: Knowing how to apply declarative facts (best practiced through demonstration or participation).
Teacher Notes
- Travelling is moving from one point to another and is an important element in gymnastics. It can be used on its own as a performance technique or a method to link different actions together.
- A Leap is a way of travelling, moving from one foot to the other.
- This lesson will recap leaping from previous units. It will allow children to develop leaping, as well as performing leaps in groups.
- Leaps should be performed with control and with good body tension.
- To create interesting actions when leaping and travelling, we should consider…
- Speed – the use of speed.
- Level – using different heights (high, middle, low).
- Pathways – using different pathways (e.g. L, U, zigzag).
- Direction – using different directions of travel (forwards, backwards, sideways).
- The children will also develop group formations when travelling…
- Formation – travelling with purpose on a pathway, in a direction that creates symmetry in a group.
- Remind pupils about performing with quality. Gymnastics is about performing, all actions and movements should therefore be performed with a sense of presentation (good posture and body control).
- Encourage the children to use existing ideas and to create new and original ideas.
Activities & Games
Cowboy and Horses
5 mins- Children move around the area in different ways. Begin with steady movements and gradually increase the speed.
- On the command, children perform tasks in pairs…
– Cowboys: One partner jumps onto the other partners back (piggy back). If ability/size is not appropriate pupils may place their hands on their partners shoulders.
– Bridges: One partner crawls through their partner’s legs.
– Horses: One partner on hands and knees, the other must get off the ground.
– Giddy Up: Pairs move around side by side at a faster pace.
– Side Saddle: Jump into partners arms.
Teaching Points
- Follow instructions.
- Be aware of others.
- Keep heads up and eyes open.
- Communicate with others.
Leaping in Groups
15 mins- Revisit these leaps from Year 2 Unit 1…
– Cat Leap – From one foot to the other, bring each knee up into a tuck shape before landing one foot after the other. This can be performed forwards, backwards and sideways.
– Split Leap – Same as the cat leap, but kick forward, keeping the legs straight. This can be performed forwards, backwards and sideways.
– Stag Leap – Step into the leap. Take off on one foot and swing the opposite leg forward bending the knee. With the take off leg behind, straighten it, landing on the front foot, bent leg, and bringing the back leg through to land.
- Progression: Challenge children to perform the leaps in groups of 4:
– Create a starting position.
– Travel in different directions, creating a group formation.
– Link 2 leaps together.
– Finish in a different position.
Teaching Points
- Ensure toes are pointed, fingers are straight, back is straight and head is up.
- Show good body tension and full control throughout.
- Move into a good space with head up.
- Allow children time to practice each leap once reintroduced.
- Allow more practice time individually instead of progressing to group work if needed
- If necessary, display the Leaps Guide Cards as visual reminders.
- Encourage children to be creative about their formation – think about direction of travel, speed, cross over, perform in canon, etc.
- Progression: Challenge children to perform the leaps in groups of 4:
– Create a starting position.
– Travel in different directions, creating a group formation.
– Link 2 leaps together.
– Finish in a different position.
To make activity harder:
- Link 3 leaps together directly (without stepping in between each leap).
To make activity easier:
- When progressing to linking leaps, allow pupils to step between each leap. Display the Leaps Guide Cards as visual prompts.
Knowledge Check
- PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
- DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Group Chasse
10 mins- Revisit Chasse travelling from Year 3, Unit 1, Lesson 1…
– With a straight leg, step froward, onto the lead foot, bending at the knee on landing.
– Bring the trail leg to the lead leg, landing on the trail leg.
– Step froward onto lead leg and repeat.
– Encourage the children to perform a hop, ensuring pointed toes, when stepping with lead foot.
Teaching Points
- If necessary, display the Chasse Guide Cards as visual reminders.
- Remind children to move with a sense of performance and fluency.
- Arms should be placed out to the side, slightly diagonal if performers wish, ensuring fingers are together, thumbs tucked in, and fingers pointed.
- Head up and back straight.
- Look for children performing the steps correctly and ask these pupils to demonstrate.
- Ensure children understand the movement and allow children time to practise before moving on to the group work.
- Progression: Children work in the same groups of 4 from the previous activity.
- Challenge groups to travel using the chasse movement in different ways…
- In a line side by side, moving forwards together.
- Two pupils standing opposite the other 2 pupils, mirroring movements, performing in different direction.
- Performing the chasse movement diagonally in unison.
- Creating their own formation, travelling in canon.
- Allow groups time to practise each formation before moving onto the next one.
To make activity harder:
- Children work in a larger space, linking more chasse steps.
To make activity easier:
- Introduce the steps individually. For the first step give the children a marker spot for them to step onto, focussing on the correct technique.
Knowledge Check
- PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
- DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Sticky Balance
10 mins- Children work in groups of 4 and create a square starting formation, with a mat in
- the middle of the square.
- Children in each group number themselves 1 to 4.
- Player 1 travels to their mat and performs a balance or a shape.
- Player 2 travels out and attaches themselves to Player 1.
- This continues until Players 3 and 4 are connected to at least one other member of their team, creating a group balance.
- Repeat, with children travelling out in a different order.
Teaching Points
- Encourage children to be creative when building their balance.
- Remind children to execute their travelling and shapes with good quality, and reward children you see performing skills well.
- Encourage children to travel towards the balance using leaping or chasse.
To make activity harder:
- Challenge pupils to link leaps directly whilst travelling. Make the square bigger to allow more travelling links.
To make activity easier:
- Make the square smaller to shorten the travel.
Knowledge Check
- PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE: Ask some children to demonstrate the activity/skill.
- DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Ask other children to describe what is required to perform the task with success.
Memory Gymnastics
10 mins- Ask the children to walk around the space.
- When the teacher calls out “gymnastics” pupils must find a partner and think of a gymnastics element (such as a shape, balance or jump) and perform it together, before carrying on to moving again.
- The next time the teacher calls out “gymnastics” pupils must find a new partner and try to think of a new element.
- If they struggle to remember, they can watch other children or ask for a demonstration from the teacher.
Teaching Points
- Initially, do not to give demonstrations and allow the children time to remember elements they have learnt in previous gymnastics units.
- Remind them of performing gymnastics with good quality and control.
- Progression: Pupils must think of an element each and perform both elements one after the other before carrying on to moving again.
Knowledge Check
What does Formation mean in Gymnastics?
- Travelling with purpose, with others in a way that is aesthetically pleasing (looks good), into or out of a shape or pattern. It can often by moving at the same time, in symmetry, moving towards, or away from each other.
What are some examples of travelling in Formation?
- Travelling in a line, crossing over, forming a triangle shape, moving into a cross form.