Equipment
marker cones
bean bag, ball or skittle
soft surface (grass or gym mats)
music or percussion instrument
Download the Week 3 movement exploration games - Side gallop activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
FMS focus: Side gallop
Learning intention
Students are developing proficiency in the side gallop.
Success criteria
Student:
Weight on the balls of the feet.
Hips and shoulders point to the front.
Head stable, eyes focused forward or in the direction of travel.
When proficient in the above, student:
Smooth rhythmical movement.
Brief period where both feet are off the ground.
Explicit teaching of the side gallop
Model the skill
Model the side gallop to students while explaining the movements needed to effectively side gallop.
Say to the students:
Use light springing steps.
Take off and land on the front of your foot.
Make your body face to the front.
Keep eyes straight ahead (or look over your shoulder.)
Step, close, step, close.......or step, together, step, together.
Guided practice with immediate teacher feedback - Follow the line
A designated player tries to tag players who are side galloping around a court area following the lines. Once tagged, players form ‘force fields’ for the remaining players.
Designate one player as the tagger. All other players are scattered around the court on a line.
On your signal, players begin to move around the court, following the lines.
The tagger tries to tag players by following the lines.
Once a player is tagged, they must sit down in the spot they were tagged and become a ‘force field’. This means they stop any players from getting past, except for the tagger.
‘Force fields’ cannot move.
The game continues until all players have been tagged.
Skill development games
FMS focus activity - Pick some spots, join the dots
Equipment: 4 marker cones, music (optional).
How to play: Players identify a set number of spots (spatial placements) around the room, then link or sequence the various spots using the side gallop.
Players walk around the room and identify and name 4 spots (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4).
Teacher calls out a sequence (e.g. 1, 2, 4, 3).
Players then link the spots called using a side gallop.
Vary the leg students lead.
FMS consolidation activity - How high?
FMS: Catch
Equipment: 1 bean bag per pair
How to play: Players work in pairs, one player is the ‘clown’ and the other is the lion tamer, positioned at the starting line. Clowns throw their juggling object and try to run to the line behind them before the lion tamer catches it.
Arrange the players into 2 even lines approximately 2 metres apart, facing each other, making sure each player is facing their partner.
One player in the pair is the clown and the other is the lion tamer. The clown holds the juggling implement.
On the call ‘THROW’, the clown throws the juggling object as high as possible and sprints to the line behind them. The lion tamer tries to catch the juggling object before the clown reaches the line.
After 3-5 attempts, partners switch roles.
Modified small-sided games
It's game time!
Teams play each other in the game outlined below.
Tunnel crawl
Skill focus: Statics and teamwork
Equipment: Any suitable flat surface, including mats, a floor or a soft grassed area
How to play: Similar to tunnel ball but players crawl through their tunnel then side gallop to a marker and back, all team members crawl through tunnel and side gallop to marker and back.
Players are positioned side-by-side, performing a front support hold.
Player at the end of the line, crawls through 'tunnel'.
Once in front, the team member side gallops to a marker cone 10 metres away and side gallops back to the line. On return to the front of the line the player says ’GO! Team member at the back of the line crawls through and does side gallop. This repeats for all members of the team.
A team has finished when all players have crawled through the tunnel and side galloped. Team signals they are finished by all members standing with their legs apart, arms extended and hands placed on the shoulders of the team member in front.
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.