Curriculum Articulation 2018-2019

Michelle Raven
Curriculum Summary for PE
Gr. K-8

Primary:
Physical education in primary grades focused largely on gross motor skills,
spatial awareness, body awareness and social interaction. Our class time
began with a group check in, warm-up and a short run. Next, an activity is
introduced. These activities focus mostly on gross motor skills. These skills
include: running, jumping, fleeing, bouncing balls, balancing and spatial
awareness. Activities range from large group games to individual movement
activities. Students learned how to handle their bodies in large group games
and how to control themselves when presented with new challenges.
Students were reminded how to interact with one another in a sport setting.
We discussed sportsmanship, respect, and always including growth
mindset language. Periodically, we had socratic-style discussions as a class
about healthy foods and eating habits.

Intermediate:
This year in the intermediate grades we focused on introducing the basics
of a variety of sports and new activities. We also worked as a class to learn
how to work together while learning new concepts. Our class time begins
with a group check in, warm up and a short run. Next we often practiced
specific skill that would be used in our larger group game in order to work
on the transfer of that skill to the sport/activity that we were focusing on at
that time. Finally a game was introduced to the class. These activities were
usually large group games or class challenges. During these games, I tried
to teach them to assume responsibility for their own actions in a group
setting. We worked on communication and respect. Healthy habits and
nutrition were also discussed in multiple class periods.

Middle School:
Middle school students know what I expect of them at the start of every
class. In these three grades, students were asked to enter the gym, set their
belongings aside, and sit on the center circle silently to wait for our check in
and further instruction. During trimester 1, we would warm up with 4 laps
around the gym and then assume our spots along three lines, facing the
stage. We would then move through functional exercises in a bootcamp
fitness style class for 30 minutes, taking one break for water. Once we
finished our bootcamp (planks, squats, jumping jacks, lunges, other body
weight exercises), they were given a 3-5 minute break to get water, go to the
bathroom, or rest. For the remaining 10 minutes or so, they were allowed
free choice time. This meant that they must remain active and moving and
also had to be in a group. Often, this time was spent playing wall ball,
basketball, volleyball, or jogging while talking with friends. We also
completed Project 1. For 7th and 8th graders, this was a variation of a food
journal and reflection. For 6th grade, this was a reflection on what habits
they have that promote good health. During trimester 2, our focus was on
aerobic fitness. We worked towards building aerobic capacity by learning
choreography to popular line dances and doing various track and field
drills. We also incorporated more games that required running, leaping and
fleeing in order to find fun and engaging ways to build our respiratory
fitness. All students completed a mile run at the end of this term after all of
our aerobic conditioning. We worked towards project #2, as well, which, for
8th graders meant teaming up and creating our own fitness routines that
increased aerobic fitness and instructing the rest of the class how to
complete the routines. This project was fun and well-received. For 6th and
7th graders, this project focused primarily on environmental health and the
impact that the food we eat has on our bodies and our environment.
Through this assignments, students gathered evidence of wrappers and
reflected about the nutrition gained from these foods as well as where the
wrappers go when we throw them away. I brought in a speaker from Choice
Lunch to reinforce these concepts. Finally, as we ended the year in
trimester 3, we focused on developing coordination through various games,
discussed mindfulness and health-related diseases, and completed our
third and final project for the year. 6th graders created a filled in charts
outlining their favorite foods, healthier alternatives to those foods and their
reasoning. 7th graders completed a group research paper on various
lifestyle diseases and presented their findings to the class. 8th graders all
contributed a healthy recipe, the nutrition facts as well as a reflection to a
class cookbook that each student will receive a copy of before graduation.