4.

Physical Education
Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts in the subject matter of health
education to create opportunities for student development and practice of skills that contribute to
good health.
For the last eight years I have had the great fortune to work for the Aleutian Region

School District in Adak, Alaska. I am the Elementary Teacher, responsible for grades K-5 at

Adak School. The population of Adak has fluctuated somewhat in the time I’ve been here and

has resulted in my class size changing considerably from year to year. I have had as many as 15

students and as few as 7. Teaching in a multi-grade classroom has given me a very unique

perspective on development and the role teachers have in providing the best learning

opportunities for students at different stages. In an effort to always have our best numbers for a

student population and the fact we do not have a preschool program in Adak, most students

begin school at 4 or 5 years old. This means in one classroom for at least four hours a day, I

have students that could be as young as 4 years old and as old as eleven. Any classroom in

America could make a case for being a multi-grade classroom, as students naturally vary in

ability in all subjects. A fourth grade teacher could convincingly assert that in her reading

instruction she must engage a student that reads at the equivalent of a second grader and their

peer that reads at the level of a sixth grader. I do not think modifying assignments or

differentiating my instruction is what makes my situation distinctive. Teaching in a multi-grade

classroom presents so many unique obstacles, but none more so, in my opinion, than PE. “A

typical classroom is filled with many different learning styles, ability levels, interest levels, and

aspirations; you must take all those differences into account when you prepare your lessons.”

(Kafele, 2016)
 PE lessons in a multi-grade classroom tend to be primarily as individualized as their math

curriculum, but over the years I’ve found that cooperative learning based lesson plans can be

very effective in giving my students a typical PE experience. Cooperative learning is teaching

students how to cooperate with others by working together to solve a common problem or reach

a common goal. (Johnson, Johnson, Scott, & Ramolae, 2009) The lesson plan I created for my

students involved a parachute which meant immediate interest to participate, but all students had

to follow directions and work together to reach the overall goal. The goal in this lesson was that

students participate in motor and movement skills needed to use the parachute. This required

following one-step directions and older students modeling appropriate motor skills. The

parachute lesson has proven over the last eight years to put students of varying developmental

skill sets on a relatively equal footing and created a team environment that had them banding

together to meet the goal. It has also proven to be effective with students with physical or mental

challenges. In a small school with a multi-grade classroom inclusion isn’t an option, it’s simply

the reality. Cooperative learning has been shown to promote positive interaction between

students with learning disabilities and their general classroom peers. (Gillies & Ashman, 2000)

It has been my overall experience that introducing cooperative learning lesson plans for

PE has leveled the playing field for my students of varying motor skill levels and provided them

with opportunities to work as a team to achieve a common goal.

References
Gillies, R., & Ashman, A. (2000). The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Students with
Learning Difficulties in the Lower Elementary School. Journal of Special Education, 19-
27.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., Scott, L., & Ramolae, B. (2009). An Educational Psychology
Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational
Researcher, 365-379.
Kafele, B. K. (2016). The Teacher 50: Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence.
Alexandria: ASCD.
Lourenco, O. (2016). Developmental stages, Piagetian stages in particular: A critical review.
New Ideas in Psychology, 123-137.

Lesson Plan Template: MAT/Certification Elementary

Candidate Molly Lashier Host Teacher Julie Plummer

Name: Name:
School: Adak School Grade K-4 # of 12
Level: Students:
Date & Time of 10/7/13 Length of 30 minutes
Lesson: 11:30am Lesson:
Topic of Lesson: Cooperative Content Area: PE
Learning
Materials: Parachute, beach ball

Standard: Standard A
Demonstrate competency in motor and movement skills needed to perform
a variety of physical activities.
Standard C
Participate regularly in physical activity.
Methodology: Direct Instruction and Social Instruction
Learning Constructivist
Theory

STAGE ONE STAGE TWO:

Objective(s): Student Assessment:
Student participates in motor and Observation of student participation.
movement skills needed to use
parachute.
 Student regularly participates in physical
activity.
STAGE THREE: Learning Plan
Activities: What will the teacher and children do to address the objectives?
Introduction
Parachute shown to students. (This is a powerful hook!)
Learning Activities
Warm-up stretches as a group.
Line up and walk to the gym.
Two warm up laps around the gym.
Students are lined up and then asked to walk
over and stand in front of a specific color of
the parachute. Without picking up the
parachute, we discuss proper technique and
expectations when holding the parachute
handle.
Begin by picking up the parachute and with
one hand marching clock-wise, switching
hands and marching counter clock-wise.
Students then receive instruction on how to
raise it over their head and allow for the
greatest amount of time of the parachute
being in the air.
Students then take turns switching places
with a peer under the parachute as the class
raises it above their heads.
A beach ball is place at the center of the
parachute and students must work together to
get it to land in front of a named peer.
Differentiation
Many stretches are determined by several
students IEP PT goals.
Strategic placement of students in line to
provide structure and positive role modeling
for younger students.
Students are again placed next to positive role
models and adults. The placement is based on
age and developmental level.
Instructions are given verbally and
demonstrations are made to ensure student
understanding.
Demonstrations, clear instruction, and verbal
cues are provided to help ensure student
understanding.
The students chosen to partner up are again
strategic and based on pairing a younger
student with an older, positive role model.
Verbal cues and assistance provided to
students who may need hand-over-hand
instruction.
 Cool down is one lap around the gym in the
opposite direction of the warm-up laps and
lining up to head back to the classroom.

Closure
Once back in the classroom students are asked to comment on their favorite parts of the
PE lesson, and if they were in charge what activity would they like to try with the parachute.
How is this lesson sensitive to cultural and language issues?
Many cultures learn by modeling and this lesson provides instruction in this way.
Directions are given both verbally and modeled for students to engage them in the lesson and
allow them maximum opportunity to understand what is expected.
Attachments: 3 artifacts of student work

Warm-up students stretching

Visual chart of stretches

Students properly holding the parachute