Gymnastics Unit Plan

Here are the pieces of content knowledge that I want students in grades 3 through 6 to know.

1. In a tripod stand, how many body parts will be touching the ground?  Answer: 3 (two hands and a head)

2. When practicing a cartwheel or monkey jump, where should you put your hands?  Answer: one in front of the other (one closer to your body and one further away)

3. When practicing a donkey kick or handstand, where should you put your hands?  Answer: one next to the other (same distance away from your body)

4. While partner balancing, you need to:  Answer: move slowly, communicate with your partner, make a plan (all of the above)

5. In PE, when the music stops you need to do what?  Answer: freeze/stop

6. When you are completing a forward or backward roll, where should you keep your chin?  Answer: on your chest

These questions and answers are posted on my board throughout the unit.  We talk about each of these each day during the unit as we practice each skill.  

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Here are the grade level outcomes that I want to see with each grade level:

• K=Not graded/Experience rolls, balances, and body weight on hands

• 1=Not graded/Experience rolls, balances, and body weight on hands

• 2=Balances in an inverted position with stillness and supportive base. Transfers weight from feet to different body parts.

• 3=Balances on different bases of support. Transfers weight from feet to hands for support.

• 4=Transfers weight from feet to hands varying speed and using large extensions (e.g., mule kick, handstand, cartwheel). Balances on different bases of support.

• 5=Combines balance and transferring weight in a gymnastics sequence.

• 6=Combines balance and transferring weight in a gymnastics sequence.

I do my activities with all students K-6.  I find that the earlier that I start with these activities the better off they are.  I stress that they don't have to be great at each skill, but they need to understand how to do them safely and must be working to improve.  

For 2nd and 3rd grade students, I am looking for them to be able to balance their bodies on a mat.  This can be a candle, tripod stand, frog stand, hand stand,  or cartwheel.  

For 3rd and 4th graders, I am looking for students to get their feet up off the ground and their body weight on their hands while attempting monkey jumps and donkey kids.  The goal I set for them is to get the feet above the belly button level.  

For 5th and 6th graders, I am looking for students to be able to complete a roll (forward somersault, backward somersault), a donkey kick, and a monkey jump one after another.  Again, I ask for students to get their feet above their belly button level.  We run a circuit (circle of mats) so that they have multiple chances to practice and show that they can achieve these three items.  

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Individual Balances to Teach

The Candle Stick (K-6)- Easy

I instruct this with the broken candle stick to start things off.  See below for more information. 

The Broken Candle Stick (K-2)- Very Easy

I instruct the candle stick and the broken candle stick at the same time.  Especially with Kindergarten, I ask that students work on one of these two balances to start things off.  They will all find that that they can at least do the broken candlestick and some will figure out how to be successful with the standard candlestick.  

**For both- highlight that the lower back is off of the ground**

The tripod stand (K-6)- 

Hard (but doable for 50% of kindergarten and most students 1st and up with practice)

This is tougher, but achievable if practiced in K-6.  It's all about getting your body parts in correct place to allow you to balance.  I instruct two different ways of getting up into the tripod:

#1.  Talk about tri (which means 3).  Two hands and a head are going to hold you up.  Place hands down shoulder-width apart and place your head down in front of those hands.  Your head and hands should make a triangle if yo drew between those points.  With head and hands down go up on your tippy toes.  Slowly walk in so your feet are getting closer to your hands.  Keep your elbows next to your body (not out wide). When your knees are next to your elbows, place one knee on top of an elbow at a time.  Place the second knee on the second elbow.  Make sure your weight is forward on the head.  Students who struggle usually have their weight behind them.  

#2.  Put yourself in a baseball catchers pose.  Place your elbows into the insides of your knees.  Slowly lean over until your hands go down onto the mat.  Lean a little more forward until the head goes down onto the mat.  

Head Stand from a tripod (K-6)- Very Hard

Move from a tripod stand and lift your knees off of your elbows.  Try to balance with your feet straight about your body.

Frog Stand (K-6)- Hard

After being successful with the tripod and/or headstand, do the same sort of balance without the head on the ground.  Setup is the same as the catchers positioning (explained in the tripod stand).  Trying to balance on just the hands with no head. 

Table (K-6) Easy

I ask students to make their bodies as flat as possible.  I challenge students to complete tables with a 3-legged table or even a 2-legged table.  This way they are using their strength as well as challenging themselves with their balance.  Students want to get in the same formation as the crab walk (hands placed below the shoulders instead of above them).     

**I teach this pose at the same time as I teach the bridge pose.  That way students are always able to find something they are successful with**

Bridge (K-6) Hard

The Bridge pose takes more strength then the table.  Most kids are able to figure out how to do this at an early age.  I have found that as the kids get bigger and heavier that they have a tougher time with this pose.  For the bridge:  have the kids lay on their back and put their feet solidly on the ground.  Students will then place their hands above their shoulders and work to push themselves up off the mat.

**A spider walk is a challenge that you can extend to the kids who are able to accomplish the bridge pose**

Spider Walk (3-6) Hard

Spider walks are a great challenge for anyone that is getting up into a bridge form.  

Donkey Kicks to Handstands

I ask students to take turns when they are working on donkey kicks, handstands, monkey jump, or cartwheels.  We start with donkey kicks.  Essentially the kids are placing their hands down a shoulder-width apart and kicking the feet in the air.  No heads on the ground.  Keep the hands in one place.  I ask students to make small jumps while landing on their feet.  As they land successfully then they can make their jumps bigger.  I don't allow students to crash down to their knees.

Monkey Jumps to Cartwheels

We start with monkey jumps which are good for the younger grades but also allow everyone to be successful in the older grades as well.  Students place hands one in front of the other.  This makes their body turn sideways as they move across the mat.  Their goal is to essentially kick their feet from once side of the mat to the other.  Again, I ask for students to do small jumps and land on their feet.  As they are successful, they can make bigger jumps.  The higher they get their feet the closer they get to a cartwheel.  

**One key is to have the same side foot as the hand that is planted closest to the student be the first step forward. Otherwise, the students body will get turned around and they will be moving backwards across the mat**

Rolls:  

Forward Roll, Log Roll, James Bond Roll, Egg Roll, Circle Roll, Backward Roll

Egg Roll, Circle Roll, James Bond Roll are new to me.  This video does a great job of explaining how to teach it.  Circle and James Bond are probably best with the intermediate groups.  Log Roll, Egg Roll, Forward Roll, and for some the backward roll can be done with everyone.  I highly recommend using a cheese wedge mat to teach the rolls.  

Forward Roll:  

This is something that I teach with all of my students.  Have students place their chin on their chest and stand on the top of the incline mat.  Students keep their legs fairly straight (don't let them crouch down) and put their hands a shoulder width apart.  I ask my students to look through their legs at the wall behind them.  Then they want to lean forward and push with their feet so they get momentum heading down the incline.  Students must keep themselves in a ball form with their chin on the chest for safety.  Students that don't push or open up their body will end up doing a roll over their shoulder and will turn sideways.  

**For an extra challenge I let students start a forward roll from the ground.  This is done the same way but takes extra push with the feet to get over the head.  I also ask them to use their hands to hold their body off the mat until they can go right down to their shoulders (no pressure on the head or neck)**

Backward Roll

This is usually an option for the second day of using the incline mat.  I teach them to sit on the top of the mat with their hands above their shoulders.  I tell them that their hands are there to help them get over their speed bump (which is their head).  Students need to kick up their feet very quickly to help get momentum and then use their hands to help push the body weight over their heads.  

**Getting good momentum is key.  If they don't kick their feet hard enough them they will not get over their head and will roll sideways.  **

Springboard Straddle Vault (2-6) Hard

Vaults are new for me.  I'm still developing what I want the kids to be doing.  You could:

• Have kids vault up to a high stacked set of mats

• Have kids vault over a high stack of mats

• Have kids jump over obstacles (cones) stacked up high

• Have kids place hands down and use the vault to provide momentum to get feet in the air for a handstand

Gymnastics Circuit Map

Partner Balancing

For the full 7-page pdf file of our partner balancing challenges to print, click here:  Partner Balancing Challenges

Timeline of my Two-Week Unit

I like to do most of my units in four 30-minute classes.  Here is a quick timeline of what I do with each of my grade levels.  

Week One

K-2:

Teach Candlestick, Broken Candlestick, Tripod, Bridge, Table, Donkey Kick/Handstand, Monkey Jump/Cartwheel

15 minutes to start the 1st two class periods.  Spend about 2 minutes working on each action.  (Just enough time to go around and check everyone out)

Teach what Partner Balancing is all about:  Balancing your body weight with and against someone else's body weight.  I like to choose a student who is a lot smaller than me and show that we can be successful even with different body sizes.  I highlight that we need to adjust how much we lean to make it successful.  We talk about safety and communication with our partners.  I make sure that they understand that I will not tolerate any rough housing.  For these grade levels, I will highlight one balance at a time.  We will show the class what the balance looks like and then give them a minute or two to practice it on their own before they come back and watch the next balance.

I do the same balances on day 2.  I start the partner balancing wherever we left off.  I try to hit two or three partner balances during each class period.  

3-6:

Teach Candlestick, Broken Candlestick, Tripod, Donkey Kick/Handstand, Monkey Jump/Cartwheel

15 minutes to start the 1st two class periods.  Spend about 2 minutes working on each action.  (Just enough time to go around and check everyone out)

Teach partner balancing and how to be safe and successful.  For the 3rd through 6th graders I will print out all 7 pages of the pdf file found above.  This is one of the few activities where I let my students choose a person or group that they are comfortable working with.  Partners are asked to practice each of the 9 balances that are shown on the first page and hold the balance for 5 MISSISSIPPI's.  Once they have practiced all 9 and feel comfortable with them, they raise their hands and I will ask them to prove a certain balance to me.  If they are successful then they can move on to the next sheet.  If not, they need to go back and practice again before raising their hands to be observed again.  A few groups will go super quick through the pages and sometimes I will ask them to show my 2 balances to move on.  A group should be able to get through a page or maybe 2 in each class period.  

Week 2:

I do the same activities during week 2. These are:

Have students practice each of the individual balances (candlestick, tripod, bridge, and tables.)  Spend about a minute on each one.  It's real quick.  During this week I instruction the forward and backward roll down the incline mat.  What I like to do is create a large circle of mats around the outside edge of the gym.  I setup the incline mat on one end, place some balance beams and springboard on other mats.  After instructing the roll, I have the kids move around the circle to practice all of their skills.  Rolls (forward or backward) down the incline mat, straddle jumps off of the spring board, balance on the balance beams (forward, backward, sideways, crab walk, bear walk), and I usually have at least 4 mats for handstands/donkey kicks and cartwheels/monkey jumps.  

This is also where my assessment takes places.  For the 3rd and 4th graders, they are told that their grade level outcome is to put their body weight on their hands.  I ask them to do monkey jumps or donkey kicks with the feet getting above their belly button level to be at grade level.  Sometimes I place down extra folded up mats for the kids to place their hands on.  For the 5th and 6th graders, their grade level outcome is a gymnastics sequence.  I ask them to show me multiple gymnastics skills on the circuit that we move through.  They should be able to show you a roll, a donkey kick, and a monkey jump one after another.  I know that this isn't the same as the students creating their own sequence, but this is an easy and quick way to practice and assess everyone.  I usually still have the final 10 to 15 minutes to continue working through partner balancing.  

If students get done with partner balancing, I let groups begin to develop their own challenges.  

This setup for our gymnastics unit has worked real well getting the kids the basic skills that allow most to be successful.  I have definitely noticed that the more often I run this unit (every year) that they get stronger and more confident with their skills.  The first couple of years were  rough, but now the kids look forward to this unit.  

Timeline for Hoover's Three-Week Unit

Day 1- Safety rules, introduce dynamic skills: JUMPS—straddle, pike, tuck & 360; ROLLS: Log roll, safety roll, forward/backward roll

Day2-Review safety rules, intro static skills: Upright balances (think yoga poses) and inverted balances (think hand stands, tripods, cartwheels etc.)

Day 3- Students choose favorite skills from each category and create a routine (see attached).  K-2 have very simple ones, 3-6 more advanced.  I also include other gymnastics equipment (balance beam, balance masters, spring board) in stations

Day 4- Practice routines & stations

Day 5- Practice routines—great time to use an Ipad to film students if they’d like feedback on their routines, practice peer assessment opportunity

Day 6- Assessment day (based on a rubric)

Student Routine 4-6 Download Copy

Student Routine 2-3 Download Copy

Animal Movements

Rolls Video