Movement exploration - Week 1

Stage 1 - Phase one

Equipment

marker cones

bean bag, ball or skittle

soft surface (grass or gym mats)

music or percussion instrument

Download the Week 1 Movement exploration games task 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.

Students display:

Smooth rhythmical movement.
Brief period where both feet are off the ground.
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.

Explicit teaching of the side gallop

About the skill

The side gallop or slide is a unique locomotor movement skill in that the individual is moving sidewards while the body and sometimes eyes are facing forwards. It is a basic locomotor pattern used in many sports and games, such as softball, basketball, touch and racquet sports. It is also used extensively in dance.

View 'The Get Skilled Get Active - Side gallop video' to support the 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

Provide a rhythm using a percussion instrument, music or verbal cue such as “step, together, step, together.”

Ask students to:

begin with short side steps and then increase the length of each side step
work with a partner, hold hands and side gallop.

This should keep students’ hips and body perpendicular to their direction of travel.

Encourage students to explore the side gallop, using different distances between steps, keeping feet low, springing to gain height. Guide students to focus on the correct placement of feet and hips allow students to explore the side gallop with stiff legs.

Ask students: “What could be done to side gallop better? What happens when you cross your feet in the side gallop?”

Skill development games

Choosing teams

In a sport education approach, affiliation is promoted by students being a member of the same team over a period of time. It is intended that students remain in these teams for the duration of each sport program for the skill development and the modified small-sided games, so that they can develop and learn together.

Place students in equal teams, 4 teams is optimal, at the beginning of the skill development session. Strategies for forming groups can be found in the Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning course.
To further promote affiliation students can decide on a team name.

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.

Pick some spots, join the dots - Playing for Life Activity Card

Playing for life - Pirate's gold

FMS consolidation activity - Pirate's gold

FMS: Sprint run

Equipment: An item that can be used as the gold (e.g. a bean bag, ball or skittle)

How to play: The pirate’s crew try to steal the gold from the pirate and make it home without being tagged.

One player, the pirate, stands with their back to the group (the pirate’s crew). The gold is placed on the ground 1 metre behind the pirate.
The pirate’s crew line up across the starting line, 15 metres behind the pirate.
When the pirate’s back is turned, the pirate’s crew approach the gold.
When the pirate turns around, the pirate’s crew must freeze. If the pirate sees any of the crew moving, they call out their names. These crew members return to the starting line, and begin again.
When the pirate turns back around, the game continues.
The first crew member to reach the gold picks it up and tries to run back to the starting line before being tagged by the pirate.
Swap pirates after each game.

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.