EDCP 320 Presenter: Jyn-Tsyn Low Cross Curricular Lesson Plan (Introductory Tai Chi & the Science of Kinetic & Potential Energy) Objectives: - Ball-bouncing & One Tai Chi warm-up exercises: - To warm-up the students, and establish the concept of how energy flows naturally from Kinetic to Potential Energy in a bouncing object. - Also, demonstrate a simple Tai Chi warm-up exercise (The Posture of Up & Down) to synchronize movement with their breathing. - Ultimately, to teach the 24 froms of Tai Chi to the students. Motor: 1 Tai Chi Single Movement (Waving Hands Like Clouds): Students will work individually on the form to develop the correct flow, movement, and breathing techniques. Cognitive (Fundamentals +Assessment): Students will be able to describe or demonstrate the correct forms while being cognizant of the changes between Kinetic and Potential energy expressed in the movements. Affective: Students will gain an appreciation of the health benefits in doing Tai Chi, and will participate in all class activities (Taken from Robinson & Randall, Teaching Physical Education Today Canadian Perspectives, p. 70.) Target Group: Elementary - Intermediate (Grades 5) Beginner Tai Chi practitioners
PLOs: From: Grade 5 Science I.R.P. - Mechanical Motion, 2005 (continue on next pg.) (pg. 2) From: Grade 5 P.E. I.R.P. - Movement Skills 2007
Procedure: 10 minutes. Get a volleyball from the storage room. Line-up the class along one side of the gym, lengthwise. Dribble the ball from one end of the gym to the other. They must walk and dribble the ball as slowly as possible. Dribble back to the original line. Keep bouncing the ball on one spot as slowly as possible. Ask Repeat Divide Ask Ask Ask Toss Remind Request the students, what was the easiest way to dribble the ball without running? How high did you have to dribble it? How did you slow your dribble down? the drill but request they slow their breathing down. When the ball bounces back up, they breath in, when the ball falls down, they breath out. the class into groups of two. one partner to put away his/her ball (push it off to the side) one partner to stand about 10-15 feet away from his/her partner. the students to breath in together first. the ball into the air under-handed to the other person, breathing out together. The partner catches it. (Only breath in whenever either partner reclaims the ball in their hands.) the students of the shape of the trajectory of the balls path, determines when to breath in, and when to breath out. the students to put away the balls, and have them form a semi-circle around me.
Ask the students to stand legs apart; arms are relaxed. Breath out, and relax your ankles. Relax your jaw. No grinding or clenching. Ask Tell the students to imagine they are like the volleyball. the students to slowly inhale, and like the ball, the arms rise upwards. Describe the body is reaching its potential energy. Tell Ask the students they now are at max. potential energy. the students to slowly continue to breath in. Tell Tell Fall the students to release their breath. The ball is coming down now. the students to bend their legs and relax their elbows. gently to the ground. Let gravity pull you down like the volleyball. Resist the pull of gravity gently Change your potential energy to kinetic energy * *PE <-> KE is used as an analogy to create a cross-curricular connection with their science class.
Remind Catch the students that when they don't have any air left in their lungs, they can start to breath in. your weight with your legs as you are falling to the ground. Sit We've down; back straight; legs are engaged. Slow in. Breathing is still going in. reached our max. potential energy again. Prepare to release our breath to change back to kinetic energy. Exhale Push Resist gently. Don't force it out. the weight of the body away from the ground. the force of gravity gently.
Remind the students to not force the air out of their lungs. Inhale when they feel comfortable doing so. Straighten your legs. You still inhale gently. We're reaching our potential energy again. Stand with back straight. Straighten you elbows Continue to inhale slowly Remind the students they are max. potential energy, and they can repeat the movement again. 10 minutes. 1 Tai Chi Single Movement: Tell Begin the students they will do a more complex one to continue practicing their breathing. demonstration of Waving Hands Like Clouds on the same spot.
Stand shoulder width, fall to the ground, catch your weight, and stand straight. Keep ankles natural. Don't fight the ground! Balance your energy with gravity Raise Breath arms slowly in slowly Straighten elbows. Exhale Bend Let Resist your knees. gravity pull you down. the pull gently
Imagine Drop you're still falling. right arm lower than the right arm. Look to your right. Start Keep to inhale gently. both hands along the mid-line of your body. Relax and exhale as you turn to your left.
Look Turn to your left. your left hand upwards. Switch Breath the height between your left and right hands. in. Relax Keep & exhale & turn to your right. arms at the midline.
Turn gently to your right arms at the mid-line. Begin Keep Switch to breath in if there's no more air in your lungs. it natural! the height of the hands. Ensure hands are facing each other as they pass by one another. Exhale and return body to center-line.
Bring the right arm to shoulder height. Raise Inhale both arms. Elbows straight. comfortably. Straighten legs. Begin to drop arms. Relax breath and... Exhale freely. Breathe normally.
Time/ Duration 35 40 Minutes Materials/Supplies A ball, comfortable clothing and shoes Video - Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi: The 24 Forms, East Acton Videos, 1993 Safety Issues The focus in Tai Chi is to perform the movements without straining, with the mind calm and connected to the natural flow of one's breathing and posture. If a student is straining throughout any of the exercises, or is using heavy, unnatural breathing, I will request him/her to stop the movement entirely to remind him/her of this main idea; and demonstate to him/her the movements again. Closure I will be introducing a portion of the 24 forms of Tai Chi in the classroom (this lesson here is only a breathing exercise, and a mini-version of the 24 forms). I will ask a volunteer to demonstrate for me a movement from the 24 forms, ensuring that they are keeping in mind the principles we have learned here. Extensions The ultimate goal is to teach the 24 forms in it's entirety using Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi: 24 Forms video. I will introduce a part of the 24 forms each day, and connect them in P.E. class in other lessons; or, simple do them inside our classroom before another subject. Adaptations/ Modifications The co-ordination between breathing and movements can be the most difficult part of Tai Chi because it requires being aware of an activity that we generally take for granted. If the student misunderstands this simple concept, I will simply request they do a breathing exercise for me, sometime before recess, PA announcements, or just before they leave for home. (Assessment Rubric on next page.)
Assessment Rubric Learning Outcomes Needs Improvement Satisfactory Exceeding Expectations Student is able to synchonize breathing with the Tai Chi movements. Student is able to move gently and purposefully without straining. Student is able to use proper footwork Appears to breath at any rate. Body is straining and unrelaxed. Stance is shaky and unconnected to floor. Can coordinate breathing, but needs to regain flow. Steady and relaxed, sometimes loses balance. Uses the proper footwork most of the time Good co-ordination throughout the movements. Relaxed and in control. Demostrates full awareness of self and position. Displays a solid foundation; feet always supports the movements. References: Dr. Lam, P. Tai Chi: The 24 Forms, East Acton Videos, 1993 Kinetic & Potential Energy of Pendulum image from: