Gymnastics
Gymnastics unit activity cards
Download the Gymnastics unit activity cards to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Playing for life - Gymnastics companion book
The Gymnastics unit has been adapted from the Playing for life - Gymnastics companion book. The companion book provides teachers with a foundational understanding of the sport of Gymnastics as a component of a school sport program.
Read pages 9 - 27 of this document before commencing the 5-week Gymnastics unit.
The document covers information on:
An introduction to the sport of Gymnastics
Teaching tips
Golden rules of safety
Age appropriate Gymnastics rules and guidelines
Basic skills
Key sport session concepts
Sport safety guidelines - Gymnastics
Teachers must also read and adhere to the Sport safety guidelines for Gymnastics prior to and when implementing Gymnastics.
Key terms
Dominant Movement Pattern (DMP) The Dominant Movement Pattern (DMP) is a framework for classifying the range of gymnastics activities into a small number of reoccurring movement patterns that helps to simplify the teaching of gymnastics. Five key movement areas underpin all gymnastics activities and skills:
Statics - Statics is a term used to describe any activity that uses a still or stationary body position. These still positions should be mastered at floor level.
Locomotion - Locomotion describes an action that is repeated over and over while travelling (that is, moving the body’s centre of gravity from one point to another forwards, backwards or sideways). For example, skipping forward is an action most teachers and coaches are familiar with that is a locomotion skill.
Spring and landing - Spring and landing describes activities where the movement involves springing from one position and landing in the other. For example, participants move from feet to feet, hands to feet or hands to hands.
Swing - Swing DMP is not used in this program.
Motor bike landing - The motor bike landing (image below) should be used to encourage safe landing practices when jumping and landing on feet.
Prone safety landing - Pone safety landing (image below) is the action of falling in a forward safety landing position. The arms brace the fall in a controlled way. The head turns to the side in a timely manner.
Motor bike landing
Prone safety landing
Access further support
Game-based learning in sport and physical activity
Enrol in the School Sport - Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning to develop further knowledge and skills in implementing a game-based approach in school sport.
