Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Participate actively and safely in warm-up and cool-down activities.
• Demonstrate basic locomotor movements, including running, hopping, and skipping, with increased control.
• Perform simple balancing activities, both while standing still (static) and while moving (dynamic).
• Follow the rules and instructions for simple group games and activities.
• Explain in their own words why it is important to warm up before and cool down after exercise.

Lesson summary

Overview This week, we begin our journey into the exciting world of Physical Education! We will focus on fundamental fitness activities and skills that help our bodies grow strong and healthy. In South Africa, we love to play games like sokker in the park, netball at school, and traditional games like kgati with our friends. To be good at these games and to have enough energy for learning and playing all day, we need to be fit. This lesson will teach us how to prepare our bodies for exercise (warm-ups), perform fun movements that improve our fitness, and cool our bodies down safely afterwards.

Lesson notes

a) The Three Parts of an Exercise Session Every time we do physical education, our session will have three important parts to keep us safe and make the exercise effective.

Warm-up: What is it? A warm-up is a set of gentle exercises we do at the beginning of a lesson to get our bodies ready for more active movement. Why do we do it? Think of your body like a car on a cold morning. You need to let the engine warm up before you can drive fast. A warm-up sends more blood to our muscles, making them warmer and more flexible, which helps prevent injuries like muscle pulls. It also slowly increases our heart rate, preparing our heart for the work it's about to do.

Examples: Gentle jogging on the spot, arm circles (forwards and backwards), leg swings, and high knees.

Main Activity: What is it? This is the main part of the lesson where we learn and practice different skills and activities that make us fitter, stronger, and more coordinated.

This week's focus: We will focus on locomotor skills and balance.

Cool-down: What is it? A cool-down is a set of slow, gentle exercises and stretches we do at the end of the lesson. Why do we do it? After running and playing, our heart is beating fast. A cool-down helps our heart rate and breathing return to normal slowly. The stretching helps our muscles relax and can stop them from feeling stiff or sore the next day.

Examples: Slow walking, deep breathing, and gentle stretches like touching your toes or stretching your arms across your chest. b) Key Fitness Skills for Week 1 Locomotor Skills: What are they? These are the movements that get you from one place to another. They are the building blocks for most games and sports.

Examples and How to Do Them: Running: Move forward faster than walking, with both feet leaving the ground for a moment in each step. Bend your arms at your elbows and swing them to help you move.

Hopping: A springy action where you take off from one foot and land on the same foot. Try hopping like a flamingo!

Skipping: This is a combination of a step and a hop. You step forward on one foot, then do a little hop on that same foot before stepping forward with the other foot. It has a 'step-hop, step-hop' rhythm.

Balance: What is it? Balance is the ability to control your body's position and not fall over, whether you are standing still or moving. Why is it important? Good balance is needed for almost everything! From walking on an uneven pavement to playing soccer or dancing. It helps us move with control and confidence.

Types of Balance: Static Balance: Balancing while you are not moving. For example, standing on one leg like a tree.

Dynamic Balance: Balancing while you are moving. For example, walking along a line on the ground without stepping off. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: Traffic Light Warm-up Question/Task: The teacher will call out colours of a traffic light. Learners must respond with the correct movement. Red = Stop and freeze. Yellow = Walk slowly on the spot. Green = Jog gently on the spot. The teacher will add in arm circles and leg swings during the 'Yellow' phase.

Solution/Method: The teacher leads the activity for 2-3 minutes, changing the colours every 10-15 seconds.

Commentary:* This is a fun and engaging way to warm up. It gets the heart rate up gradually (Green light), allows for dynamic stretching (Yellow light with arm circles), and tests listening skills (Red light). The teacher should observe if learners are participating safely and if their bodies are starting to warm up.

Activity 2: Animal Walks Obstacle Course Question/Task: Learners must travel from a starting cone to a finishing cone (about 10 metres away) by imitating an animal walk called out by the teacher.

Examples: "Travel to the cone like a bear (walking on hands and feet)". "Now come back like a flamingo (hopping on one leg)".

Solution/Method: The teacher demonstrates each animal walk clearly first.

Bear Walk: Bend over and walk on both hands and feet.

Flamingo Hop: Stand on one leg, bend the other, and hop forward.

Crab Walk: Sit down, place hands behind you and feet in front, lift your bottom off the floor, and walk backwards or sideways.

Commentary:* This activity directly practises locomotor skills and dynamic balance in a playful way. The teacher should check for correct form and encourage learners to try their best, even if they wobble.

Activity 3: One-Leg Balance Challenge Question/Task: Ask learners to stand on their right leg. Can they hold their balance for a count of 10? Now, can they try it on their left leg? For an extra challenge, can they try to draw a circle in the air with their raised foot?

Solution/Method: The teacher counts out loud slowly from 1 to

1

0. The teacher should remind learners to focus on a spot in front of them that isn't moving to help them balance. They can also hold their arms out to the side like airplane wings.

Commentary:* This directly teaches static balance.