KHS 139

1. KHS 139

2. Agenda • Recap of Lab #1 • Up Coming Dates: Lab #2 – Wed Midterm – Thur. • Movement Concepts and Skill Themes in Gymnastics • Gym Safety • Lab 3 – Gymnastics Routine

3. Key Concepts for Educational Gymnastics • 1- Educational gymnastics focuses on children challenging themselves to maneuver their bodies effectively against the force of gravity, with challenges appropriate for each child and their skill level. • 2 – The content of educational gymnastics derives from the skill themes of balance, transferring weight, and rolling in combination with jumping/landing, travelling, and movement concepts.

4. 3 – Educational gymnastics include floor experience as well as apparatus. • 4- Children should never be forced into attempting a gymnastics skill or activity. Developmentally appropriate activities are critical for a positive learning experience.

5. Benefits of Gymnastics • Gymnastics develop body management skills without the need for equipment and apparatus. • Outcomes enhanced through participation in gymnastics include: flexibility agility balance strength body control

6. Partner and group activities offer opportunity for social interaction and cooperation. • Developing a positive attitude and overcoming personal limitations are more important than performing with perfect technique. • When a challenging stunt is mastered, satisfaction and pride contribute to improved self esteem.

7. Purpose of Educational Gymnastics • Provide experiences for students to maneuver bodies against the force of gravity. • Provide balance and transferring weight challenges on both the floor and apparatus. • Assist all children regardless of ability to improve their gymnastics skills. • Allow children to control their bodies in a variety of planned and unplanned encounters they will have with the force of gravity.

8. Skills for Olympic gymnastics are reserved for club gymnastics with trained specialists. - Teaching Olympic gymnastics in school can educate a few students but most will be left behind, and the risk of injury for students will also increase.

9. The Nature of Gymnastics • The self-testing nature of gymnastics is challenging to children and meet the criteria for effective teaching and learning in several ways: 1) Children receive immediate feedback regarding the skill. 2) Feedback is personal and not dependant on others. 3) Self challenging tasks of gymnastics are in the child’s natural world. 4) Permits children to develop and participate in a personal challenge without the necessity of team play or cooperative work with others.

10. Performance Outcomes for Educational Gymnastics • Outcomes for gymnastics in elementary education include: 1) Discover how to balance on different body parts, at different levels, and making symmetrical and non-symmetrical shapes. 2) Balances with control on a variety of apparatus. 3) Develop and refine gymnastics sequences demonstrating smooth transitions. 4) Develop and perform gymnastics sequences.

11. Inappropriate Practices for Gymnastics • Teachers requiring all students to perform the same pre-determined stunts and routines while the class sits and watches. • Predetermined stunts require extensive teacher direction and spotting because they are too difficult for many of the children. • Don`t force students to do something they are not ready or comfortable with.

12. Learning Progressions for Teaching Gymnastics

13. Progression for Teaching Gymnastics • Children first need to understand the concept of balance and that it requires aligning body parts and tightening muscles. 2) Review lessons on transferring weight, rolling, jumping, landing, and travelling. • Introductory and review lessons focusing on these fundamental skills will enhance the learning experience and lead to a safe environment.

14. 3) Educational gymnastics is divided into floor experience and apparatus experience. -Floor experience – movements executed on mats, grass, or carpet and doesn’t require equipment to enhance the challenge. - Pre control – explore balancing and learn to transfer weight safely on and off equipment or apparatus. - Control – include rolling from different positions, inverted balances are introduced. - Can begin to challenge students with combinations or sequencing of movements.

15. Utilization level – More advanced and increasingly complex sequences of movements. Proficiency Level – Appropriate skills involve maintaining weight on hands, exploring the state of being “almost off” balance, and taking all or part of a partners weight.

16. Apparatus experiences – - Once children demonstrate control of their bodies in the floor experience, have an understanding of safety, and understand the concept of sequence they can be introduced to apparatus. 1) At intro. Allow students to explore then focus on different ways to move in relation to the apparatus. 2) Different ways of getting on and off equipment. 3) Progress from exploration and safety to control of body and mastery of skills

17. Pre-control level – explore the equipment and discover safe ways to get on and off. Control Level – Explore different ways to move in relation to the equipment. (different ways to move along a beam. - Can include simple sequence work.

18. Utilization level – try different ways to get onto equipment, vaulting over equipment, and forming shapes in flight. - Also try supporting weight on different body parts while on the apparatus. Proficiency level – Focus on more demanding balances, shapes, ways of travelling, and ways of supporting body weight. - Can implement sequences to demonstrate mastery of complex skills.

19. Process of Teaching Educational Gymnastics Challenge is to match interesting and challenging tasks to the children’s ability levels. The Learning Environment - Emphasizes safety. Encourage children to responsible for their own safety. - Not a place for off task behavior.

20. 2) Stations – initially we would focus on large group instruction. After children demonstrate their ability to work safely they can progress to working at stations. - Allows for use of various pieces of equipment and eliminates long lines. - Tasks for the stations can be written on posters. - Number and complexity are guided by: 1) Available space. 2) Mats to place under and around equipment. 3) Adequate space between stations. 4) Set-up provide the teacher supervision.

21. 3) Varying the Task - Offer children some choice about performing a task. - Instead of telling the whole class to do a handstand, tell them to find some way to place all or some of their weight on their hands. 4) Demonstrating - if you as a teacher do not feel comfortable demonstrating the tasks you can invite some of the more proficient students to demo for the rest of the class.

22. Fundamental Gymnastics Skills

23. Fundamental Gymnastics Skills • Jumping and Landing Jumping – 5 basic variations 1) Two foot takeoff to one foot landing 2) Two foot take off to two foot landing 3) One foot hop-take off and land on same foot. 4) Leap – take off and land on opposite feet. 5) One foot takeoff to two foot landing. ** Can add in jumping over, on too, or off of apparatus or objects. ** Stress soft landings by bending knees and absorbing weight.

24. Gymnastics Movements continued • Balancing and Supports – hold for 3 seconds - 2 types – 1) Static – maintaining a desired shape in a stationary position. 2) Dynamic – involves maintaining an on balance position while moving, starting or stopping. Examples – Balancing in different body shapes - Travelling on low gymnastics equipment - Balancing on different bases of support - Balancing symmetrically and asymetrically - Inverted balances - Kickups - Stationary balance on equipment - Balancing while supporting weight of partner

25. Gymnastics Movements Continued • Supports – Use different body parts as base of support. (foot, knee, hands, combinations) - Combine body parts to support weight. - Momentarily supporting weight on hands alone. - Balance while supporting weight of partner. - Cues – tight muscles, extension, heads up, eyes forward, stillness

26. Gymnastics Movements Continued • Transferring weight – Cartwheel Cues: soft landings, stretch, head up • Pathways – Various pathways include straight, angular, and curved • Rolling – can be performed on various axis - Cues: tuck shoulders, round body, control Examples – Log roll - Shoulder roll - Forward/Backward roll - Rolls at various speeds, from different directions, combining rolls, and from various heights.

27. Gymnastics Movements Continued • Transitions – Move slowly for smooth transitions between travel and balance as well as balance and balance. - Move with control.

28. Gymnastics Safety

29. Safety Check Teach children to do a safety check before they begin work at a station. Are mats correctly placed under equipment and is there adequate space surrounding the equipment. When first learning, frequently stop the class and ask the children to do a safety check.

30. Safety Rules Rules for working safely on mats and apparatus should be explained, demonstrated, and enforced very carefully. Post the rules where the children can see them as they work.

31. Spotting The practice of physically assisting students as they perform a movement isn’t commonly used in educational gymnastics. Children who depend on such help are less likely to participate if the teacher is not nearby. Can also encourage students to attempt moves that they may not be ready for. We still strongly believe in safety for all children in the gymnastics setting.

32. Gymnastics Safety Guidelines • Children do not interfere with others attempting gymnastics work. • Encourage children to be responsible for their own safety. If they can’t do something they should not attempt it or ask for help. • Not the place for off task behavior. • Offer children choices about how to perform a task.

33. Safety Continued 5) Wise to include mats for stunts. 6) If in partners, they should be the same size. 7) Relate new activities to those previously learned. 8) Practice proper landings and ways to fall safely. 9) Placement of mats around apparatus for shock absorption.

34. Exercising Children Safely • Moderation - Fatigue causes healthy children to stop exercising long before and danger to health occurs. Exercising in Heat - Certain measures must be taken to avoid heat related illnesses. - Physiological differences for children put them at greater risk than adults. - Children do not instinctively drink enough liquids to replenish lost fluids. - Certain conditions put other children at an ever greater risk.

35. Gymnastic Sequence Presentation • Lab #2 Handout