Gymnastics Key Stage 1
Stretching, sinking and tucking are all flowing movements that should be performed with good body control. They can be performed as a small sequence together. Gymnastics skills can be performed whilst stretching, sinking and tucking. They can also be used to support changing levels within a gymnastic sequence. To extend the use stretching, sinking and tucking you can: Travel whilst sinking Sink with the inclusion of gymnastic skills Finish with a egg roll or a other gymnastic skill Maintain flowing motion throughout
Learning Objective: To stretch, tuck and sink within gymnastics Spread mats around the room. Children travel in and out of the mats, avoiding contact with other children. Children can use jumps to cross the mats. Each time a child crosses a mat they must change the way they travel. Encourage children to explore different ways to jump across the mat. Example, forwards, backwards and sideways with knees and ankles together or bunny hops. Children can now jump onto a mat slowly sink counting down from 5 1 into a tuck position then perform a curved egg roll off the mat. Encourage children to sink and roll at the same speed without stopping. Ask children to link a sink, curved egg roll and a bunny hop together. Children now jump onto a mat slowly sink into a stretched position and perform a pencil roll off the mat. Encourage children to create different ways to stand up once they have completed their pencil stretched roll.
Learning Objective: To find different ways to travel under, over and through apparatus To travel in different directions when using apparatus Place apparatus and mats out in the room. Encourage children to explore different ways to travel under, over and through whilst only touching the apparatus with one body part. Children may change the body part each time to help create new ideas to pass under, over or through. Challenge children to travel backwards when passing under, over or through. Children may use as many body parts necessary to create new ideas of travelling under, over or through. When apparatus becomes too busy encourage children to exit apparatus and find a new clear space. Children can now travel along the apparatus, Ask children to find places to create a long stretched shape, holding it still for 5 seconds. Encourage children to change the body part that supports their balance each time. Children find a piece of apparatus to perform a stretched shape into a sink and finish with a tuck. Encourage children to perform this small sequence along or under apparatus.
Children need to be aware of all their body parts when performing gymnastic skills. This will contribute to good body control and tension. Children are able to extend their skills by simply changing their body shape or using different body parts to support their chosen gymnastic skill. To extend the use of body parts you can: Extend any supporting body part Extend any unused body part Use less supporting body parts Change the shape of your chosen gymnastic skill
Learning Objective: To use different body parts to balance or travel in different ways To able to stretch unused body parts when creating a balance Discuss with the group which body parts can be used to help you balance or travel in different ways. As a group decide which body parts are big and which are small. The teacher gives out different instructions on which body part the children are to hold a balance, for example, big or small. Children now find a partner and they must select 3 different ways to travel using both small and big body parts. Children follow the leader for 10 steps/slides before changing the leader and travel. Once children have completed all 3 ways of travelling they can begin again. Encourage children to slow down their travel so that their partner can mirror/copy their travel. Children now work with a new partner to create balances with the same small or large body part joined together. They need to hold the balance for 5 seconds and then change the balance to the opposite size body part. Encourage children to stretch unused body parts away from their partner. Encourage children to change the body part that supports their balance.
Place low apparatus and mats around the room. Children work with a new partner taking turns to lead their partner under, over and through different pieces of apparatus. Children must change the leader each time they pass under, over or through. Encourage children to change the way they travel each time they become a leader. With their partners children take turns to create a balance touching the floor and apparatus. Children must mirror/copy their partners balance for 5 seconds before creating a new balance using a different piece of apparatus. Children must change the body part that touches the floor for each balance. Challenge children to work together to create a shape that goes over the apparatus with small or large body parts touching. Children can practise their shape (that goes over the apparatus) in a space before finding a piece of apparatus (example in the picture). Encourage children to stretch any unused body parts away from their partner. Children must change the body part that touches the floor for each balance. Challenge children to create shapes with their body parts touching through or under pieces of apparatus.
A gymnastic sequence is a designed performance to showcase flow, body control with a variety of combined gymnastic skills. Sequences can be performed as a individual or as a group. To extend the use sequences you can: Maintain flowing motion throughout Combine mirroring when completing gymnastic skills Add relevant start and finishing positions
Learning Objective: To create a sequence using different ways to travel To discuss with a partner what they will be doing in their performance Show and discuss the travelling resource cards with the class. Children each select three of the travelling resource cards. Children create a small sequence using the three cards and must change their travel after ten steps/slides. Children must repeat their sequence twice before changing their resource cards. Ask the class to identify different gymnastic skills. Encourage children to explain what they will do with their bodies when they perform these skills. Example, when spinning on their back, legs will be stretched with knees and ankles together. Children must now add a gymnastic skill every time they finish a travel. Children complete their sequence twice before returning their resource cards. Children now work with a partner. One partner collects and creates three different ways of travelling and the other partner creates a gymnastic skill at the end of each travel. Children must perform their travels and skills side by side mirroring/copying. Children swap roles after the sequence is performed twice. Ask children to perform their sequences to the class. Highlight and discuss good creative work. Ask children to describe why they like certain travels or skills. Set out low apparatus and mats. Children work individually to pass under, over or through apparatus whilst only touching the apparatus with their hands. Children can now travel along the apparatus using any body part they choose. Encourage children to change the way they travel each time they enter a piece of apparatus. Children now find a new partner to perform their sequence. Children must create three ways to travel with a gymnastic skill at the end of each travel. Children can perform their sequence along apparatus aswell as passing under, over or through. Challenge children to travel backwards during their sequence.
Climbing is essential to gymnastics as it can make children focus more on their surroundings and balance. Using low apparatus can challenge children when exiting and dismounting different pieces of apparatus. Using long low apparatus encourages children to experiment with their chosen travels. To extend the use of climbing you can: Travel whilst sinking on apparatus Identify safe places to perform different gymnastic skills. Create different travels along apparatus Create different ways to travel under, over and through apparatus Identify safe places to entre and exit apparatus
Learning Objective: To create different ways to travel using the floor and apparatus Discuss lots of ways to travel with the group. Children must now travel around the room avoiding contact with other children. On the teacher s signal children change the way they are travelling. Challenge children to travel around the room with quiet soft impact on the floor. Highlight new ideas so other children can give them a try. Challenge children to create different ways to travel using just hands and feet to touch the floor. Set out apparatus and mats. Children explore the apparatus without touching them. Encourage children to go under, over, through and around the apparatus. Ask children to create different ways to travel along the apparatus whilst still keeping in contact with the floor. Encourage children to change the body part that touches the floor each time they travel along the floor. Split the group into two groups (boys & girls). Boys must try and create different balances in different places without using their hands to support their balance. Girls must create as many balances as possible using just their hands and feet to support their balance. Show some of the balances to the class then swap the roles of the boys and girls. Boys must now create different balances using three body parts. Encourage them to explore under and through apparatus to find and create opportunities to hang. Girls must find places and opportunities to create a balance using only two body parts. Select a few children to show some of their creations before swapping boys and girls roles. Children must find a piece of apparatus to perform a balance using only one body part. Encourage children to keep their balance still for five seconds.
Passing under and over a partner presents different challenges. Children must stay focussed on their partner whilst maintaining control of their own body parts. Children must recognise what is safe and when not to pass under or over. Using apparatus is essential to gymnastics as it can make children focus more on their surroundings. Using low apparatus can present different challenges when children pass under or over. To extend the use under and over you can: Identify safe places to enter and exit apparatus Use different body parts to pass under or over Pass under or over without touching the apparatus or a partner Travel backwards when travelling under or over
Learning Objective To work collaboratively when travelling over and under apparatus Explain to the group that they will be travelling over and under each other working with a partner. Ask children to explain what they will do to ensure their partners stay safe. Examples, create big holes and bridges for their partners, travel under slowly and carefully without touching their partner. In a space children work with their partner to create different shapes to go over and under/through. After allowing time for practise share some of the ideas with the class. Children can now recreate some of the ideas shown from other groups. Ask children to stretch and elevate any unused body parts. Children take turns to be the leader. Children must travel for ten steps then create a shape for their partner to travel under or over. Once the child has passed under or over they become the new leader and must travel ten steps and create a shape. Ask children to change their shape and travel each time they become the leader. Set out low pieces of apparatus and mats. Children travel around the room exploring different ways to travel under and over without touching. Children can select one body part to touch the apparatus if it helps them to create a new way to travel under or over. Ask children travel under and over with knees and ankles together. Ask children to create side shapes when travelling under and over. Children now find a new partner. Children create shapes for their partner to travel under and over with the use of apparatus. Children making the shape must use apparatus whilst still having contact with the floor. Challenge children to think of different ways to travel under and over.
Low and high gives children the opportunity to experiment with their shapes and travels. Transforming from low to high challenges children to maintain control and flow to their movements. To extend the use low and high you can: Travel whilst sinking Sink with the inclusion of gymnastic skills. Explode into jumps and springs Use a variety of body parts to elevate a balance
Learning Objective To create high and low balances To travel mirroring a partner Children stand in a space facing the teacher. When the teacher shouts a body part children must create a balance with that body part at the highest point. Encourage children to stretch and elevate any unused body parts. Discuss how you could make your balances wider and taller. Explain the importance of pointing toes/feet to give a more stretched look to their balance. Allow enough time inbetween balances so children can stable and stretch their balance. The teacher now shakes a tambourine. If the tambourine is shook soft and slow then children should travel low. If the tambourine is shook fast then children create tall ways to travel. Select some of the children to shake the tambourine. Encourage children to select a different body part to touch the floor each time they change their travel. Still working to the beat of the tambourine children now work in pairs and mirror the travelling of their partner. One child creates tall ways to travel with the other child creating low ways to travel. Swap the roles so they both have the chance to create and show high and low ways to travel. Encourage children to travel slow so both children can travel side by side at the same time. Encourage children to include jumps and leaps with their high travelling. Challenge children to sink slowly and neatly into their low way of travelling. Challenge children to spring/jump into their high way of travelling.
Set out benches randomly around the room. Ask children to explore different ways to travel under, over and through the benches. Children now travel around the room looking for an empty space on a bench. Children must use ideas from the beginning of the lesson to create a balance using a bench. Children must change their highest body part each time. Encourage children to use the floor aswell as using the bench to support their balance. Ask children to keep their balance still for five seconds. Children now work with a new partner. Children must take turns to take their partner to a bench to create a balance. Children try to copy/mirror their partners balance before creating the next balance. Remind children to change the highest body part each time.
Assessment and expectations Gymnastics Perform basic travelling rolling and jumping actions. Link basic skills together to create a small sequence. Show good awareness of space. Hold a variety of balances still and stretched. Show good balance and coordination on low apparatus. Meets these expectations
Expected Emerging Exceeding Assessment and expectations