Lesson Plan: Alternate Environment/Outdoor Education

1. Warm up: Brief stretching activity – reaching to the locations we will be going to

– 10:00 am (5 minute)

2. Instant Activity: CITE POSSIBLE

-10:10 am (5 minutes)

AS A TEAM complete the following in order:

1. Go hug 5 different trees
   2. Collect 6 leaves from the ground
   3. Line-up as a  canoe and “paddle” ten steps in one direction
   4. Create a bird call and call to a bird
   5. High-five 5 strangers
   6. Jump back and forth from grass to pavement 3 times
   7. Go to the flagpole and  yell “O’Canada” as patriotically and as loud as you can
   8. Take 10 deep breaths of fresh clean air
   9. Tell a stranger they are AWESOME and WONDERFUL
   10. Meet back with teachers and stand in a circle to signify you are done!

2. Reading Summary: Facilitated by each of us

-10:20 am(10 minutes)

4. Count off students 1-4 and divide into 4 groups

5. Facilitators will introduce the main activity and take students to designated locations.

6. Main Activity: Outdoor Exploration

Skill theme: Learning about nature while incorporating the outdoors into various educational subjects

Lesson: Outdoor Education

Grade: K-7

Objective: To get students outside, and away from the usual indoor classroom setting.

Class Length: 45-60 minutes plus walking to each station (10-15 minutes per station)

Times: Each station will be approximately 10 minutes long

Equipment needed:

Station 1: Paper

Station 2: (minefield activity) cones x4

Station 3: none (rocks, leaves etc. students gather from the area)

Station 4: Balloons x 2

Evaluation: See attached Participation Rubric

Safety: Stay within the designated boundaries at each station. Station 1: When throwing airplanes make sure to throw away from anyone’s eyes. Station 4: Pass the balloon gently to each other, be careful of not bumping heads.

Transitions: Students will walk in small groups to the next marked station. Once all four stations are complete, small groups & facilitators will walk together towards the grass area outside of Scarfe.

Introduction: Students will take part in a tour around the community which includes engaging in four diverse stations for various grade levels.

Station one (Katy): Air

Lesson one: Air (credited from www.davidsuzuki.org)

Location: Upside down tree (UBC)

Grade: 5

Guiding Question: How is air important to nature?                                                                              Purpose: In this lesson, students explore the properties of air and understand its importance to the survival of all living things. They learn how humans can affect air quality and identify ways they can help protect the air.

Demonstration: Ask if students have made paper airplanes before/Show how to make one version of an airplane.

What you do: Students will create paper airplanes. Once all are ready line up in a line and throw the plane to see how far it can go.

PLO’s Station 1:

A4 Set a personal goal for physical activity

B2 demonstrate proper technique to send an object(kick, strike, throw at varying distances in predictable settings)

C1 Demonstrate safe use of equipment and facilities to avoid putting self and others at risk

C3 Demonstrate fair play in physical activity

Station two (Lexi): Minefield

Lesson two: Teamwork

Location: Rose Garden

Grade: 6

Guiding Question: Why is teamwork important?

Purpose: Students will get the opportunity to experience why and how teamwork is important.

Demonstration: Use students as models to display game

What you do: Students will take part in a minefield game. With that being said, one student will guide a blindfolded student through a pretend minefield without stepping on any mines.

PLO’s Station 2:

A1 Relate to emotional health to regular participation in physical activity (eg, energy, fresh air and sunshine when activities are done outside)

B1 Practice learned non-locomotor and manipulative skills to improve

B2 Demonstrate offensive and defensive strategies

C1 Demonstrate safe procedures for specific physical activities (eg, wearing safe attire for activity) participation in warmup/cooldown

Station three (Jackie): Nature/Art project

Lesson three: Exploring your schoolyard (credited from www.davidsuzuki.org)

Location: Echo circle (UBC)

Grade: 2

Guiding Question: What parts of nature are present in our schoolyard?

Purpose: Students will explore their schoolyard and get to know nature within it. They create an art project based on what they have found and experienced.

What you do: Students will utilize their natural surroundings to create a piece of artwork in pairs.

PLO’s Station 3:

A2 Describe physical responses that take place in body during physical activity (increased heart rate, breathing becomes more rapid, muscles feel more tired)

B1 Move through general space incorporating directional changes

C1-Demonstrate safe behaviors when participating in physical activity (eg, listening to and following directions, staying within activity boundary)

C3- Respect for others during physical activity (eg, respect varying ability levels, take turns, giving encouragement)

Station four (Brianna): Balloon Activity

Lesson four: Teamwork

Location: Flagpole (UBC)

Grade: 3

Guiding Question: Why is teamwork important?

Purpose: Students will get the opportunity to experience why and how teamwork is important.

Demonstration: Use students as models to display game

What you do: Students will break off into two teams and participant in a relay type game. Each team will be given a balloon. The goal is to transfer the balloon to the end line without using any hands. The balloon will also have to go through every player before the end line. If the balloon pops or drops, players must restart.

PLO’s Station 4:

C1 demonstrate safe behaviours while participating in a variety of physical activities

C2 demonstrate respect and encouragement for others during a variety of types of physical activity

C3 demonstrate leadership in physical activity (e.g., lead small groups, provide assistance with equipment set-up)

7. Closure-Cool down: Everyone comes together as a group in front of Scarfe on grass.  

   Students will participate in various yoga exercises, and reflect upon their experience.

8. Modifications to meet needs of learners: We have provided various activities that  

   can appeal to a variety of skill learners.

Meeting physical, cognitive and affective objectives:

Station 1: Physical controlling the production of own paper airplanes and altering the design to improve the distance the plane flies. Imitating the design shown by the teacher/creatively folding own styles. Cognitive: understanding the characteristics of air, predicting and judging which design could be better to use. Affective objectives: Following directions, and demonstrating appreciation for nature and formulate ideas around protecting the environment (air).

Station 2: Physical: Discovering the strategies to guide a person blindfolded across mines. Controlling the verbalization of directions (ie, one person tells the directions, so that not all are yelling at others. Cognitive: Organizing who will do the talking to the person walking around the mines. Analyzing the best route for the person blindfolded to make it to their destination. Affective Objectives: Taking turns directing a person to reach the destination, giving an opinion on strategies used, listening to instructions from your teammates.

Station 3:  Physical: Identifying resources for the art project, performing collection smoothly, creating an idea for the art project. Cognitive: Telling in own words the description of what the project is about, producing an art masterpiece. Affective objectives: Noticing which resources are best suited, complying with others opinions about what the project should look like or manner to be put together.

Station 4: Physical: Imitating each other’s movements to ensure enough coordination occurs so that the balloon can be passed between peers. Altering body position to accommodate changes as the balloon slides down peoples bodies/clothes. Discovering new ways and speed of passing the balloon. Cognitive: Inventing new ways of moving the balloon between people, Applying any new strategies to passing the balloon for the next round of the game. Comparing previous technique (if a particular move failed) to future ideas of movement (apply). Affective objectives: involving others by not skipping anybody when bassing the object, give opinions to the person next to you as to how they should receive the balloon, appreciate the team’s work in getting the balloon across gently without popping it.

9. Sources:

Lessons Adapted from:

www.davidsuzuki.org

Evaluation rubric attached from: http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/curriculum/guides/physed/intermediate/appendix_c-samples_of_assessment_tools.pdf

Plos taken from: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/course.php?lang=en&subject=Physical_Education&course=Physical_Education_K_to_7&year=2006

Air characteristcs:

http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/cmacintosh/science.cfm?subpage=170323

Collaborated Summary of Chapters 4 & 5 

Planning for Instruction

Curriculum documents gives general statements of student outcomes at each grade level

Educators must tell students: intended learning outcomes, assessment plans & how they relate directly to the learning outcomes, how the outcomes will be reached so that students will be prepared for the assessment, and how the needs of individual students will be met

Educators must ask students: What do I want students to know/be able to do/value?  How will I know? What will I do or how will I get there?

Planning Considerations: official documents, be aware of the school culture and surrounding community, student considerations, physical educator considerations, and other considerations

Examining Curricular Documents: Planning process begins with the end to meet exit outcomes

Yearly plan options (3):

     1) Solid block: where you give a few lessons of one skill

     2) Modified solid block: have special days e.g. “Dance Friday”

     3) Multiple block: teach two or more units at the same time

Objectives(3): Motor (“doing”), cognitive (getting knowledge), affective (attitudes towards fitness)

The methods + strategies used to maximize learning opportunities for students (6 phases)

1.) Introduction: appropriate warm-up + overview of the learning goals of the lesson

2.) New skills: teacher explanation and demonstration of new skills and concepts

3.) Consolidation: students practice new material in guided/ controlled settings e.g. drills

4.) Application: newly practiced movements/skills are done in a more formal setting e.g. games

5.) Closure: students gathered for overall feedback regarding performance + info for upcoming lessons equipment put away and cool-down activity

6.) Clarity: Use analogies to instruct—example: “extend your arms out like an eagle’s wings” vs. “extend your arms out to the side”.· Use demonstrations and visual aids.

Tips for creating a lesson plan

Gradual release of responsibility is key; this can articulate their learning.

The learning Environment: Students are all at different levels; skills and abilities. Use a variety of activities. Practice is key to master a skill – can’t be too easy/done wrong, or no skills will be learned. Promote equitable and fair participation and sportsmanship.

Rules and Routines: need strategies/guidelines unrelated to curriculum to ensure safety e.g. getting changed, setting up equipment, attendance. Have a plan in place for violators of rules.

Organizing students: Have a mixture of structured and unstructured supervised play e.g. squads

Choosing partners/volunteer vs ”voluntoldism”: Try not to embarrass and avoid exclusion

Transitions: warm-up, new skill learning, individual practice, application, closure

Student engagement: Use extrinsic rewards e.g. phrase. Motivation will come from enjoyment/interest level in the lesson. Make learning relevant to students prior experiences

Going outdoors: For safety concerns organize lessons/groups inside before going outdoors. Equipment should be controlled, since it is a larger environment. BONUS: there is more room

The case seems to be that teacher education revisions the experiences I had as a student. Friday’s activity ‘tail chase’ was no exception it showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that. Physical education can be fun.

It was also very informative to see the manner by which each successive version of the game added to the previous. At first the game was played one on one. One person tucked the tail into the side of their belts while the other person tried to take it away. In this version, the tail was really easy to defend and thus the activity was probably a bit frustrating for the person trying to take the tail. Still, the defender got to learn tactics on how to place ones own body and how to use the other people in the class to defend the tail.

The next activity required four students to work as a team, holding hands to form a row, one side defended the tail while the other tried to take the tail from another team. The follow up activity was similar, though this time the row was formed one behind the other.

This succession slowly introduces the features of territory games. Through it, the activities moved from the act of taking possession of the tail, resembling the need to take possession of the ball – in, for instance, soccer or basketball – to assigning different tasks between the front person and the last person – resembling the nature of the playing field. Through participation, the students gain an implicit understanding of these games.

I agree with Elisabeth Greenwood in her assessment of the strategies proposed by Daniel B. Robinson and Lynn Randall in Chapter six. The entry and exit slips are a simple but effective way to get to know the students and therefore be able to better cater the lessons to their needs. I am also interested in the use of stations as they transform the gymnasium into an amusement park type environment, allowing students to experience the sport in short term, skill focused activities.

Formative assessment is of top important as it involves the student in the learning experience both in considering their own development and in coming to understand the teachers task of assessing them. Students should be encouraged to engage in peer and self assessment as this helps increase the teachers knowledge about these students. Summative assessment tools should not be dispensed with as it provides its own unique information about the students. However, it should be used in conjunction with other assessment tools as its dependence on testing might produce limited results.

Observation needs to be an ongoing strategy as it alerts the teacher to all kinds of information regarding the students’ attitudes towards the activities. Students’ strengths and weakness can easily be identified as well as their level if engagement.

 

Friday’s PE class was so much fun! I really enjoyed the ‘Teaching games for understanding’ model that both Steve and the group presenting demonstrated.

I think this approach to a new game can be extremely beneficial. It allows children to build upon their skills while keeping in mind the main point of the game. Teaching our students in this way forces kids to appreciate the game and can help them understand on a deeper level what the game is about. Kids may start to be able to see how to break down components of the game and recognize that each step, no matter how small, is important and has its own challenges. For example, I can imagine a child who has some experience with an invasion game not understanding the amount of teamwork involved. Breaking down the game using the TGFU model and playing a game, like the one used by the group on Friday, could be the eye opening moment that child needs. It quickly becomes clear in games like that, that everyones role is important and one student can not succeed on their own.

Games like this are also good for discussing carry over skills. The space invasion game used or the chicken game can be a great place for us as teachers to have students thinking critically about the skills involved and what sports or activities in their lives such skills would be useful for.

On Friday, Zoe, Jenny and I taught Invasion games to our CITE class. Although I was nervous at first, the group teach went smoothly and I think it was because we were prepared. Something important that I learned from this group teach is to always be very prepared for any class so that I can be flexible and change parts of the lesson if there are emergency situations.

I started off with a dance warm-up. I had a lot of fun and it was great seeing the other classmates smiling and having fun as they danced. Zoe did a great job teaching Pass the Ball and I think it was good that we modelled the game so that our classmates understood clearly what they were supposed to do.

Leading the group discussion was a good experience because I had the opportunity to teach about the different PE curriculum models and I was reminded to use professional language. For example, trying to stay away from “you guys”. The group discussion was also fun and informative because I learned about the different models that classmates experienced when they were in elementary school and high school. Also, it really allowed them to think seriously about which model(s) they would like to implement when they teach P.E in their practicums.

Jenny got her group to model the Space Invaders game. I thought it was a good idea to model because sometimes it’s hard for students to listen to a long list of instructions and remember everything.

I think in general things went smoothly. Things we could improve on are learning different ways to control the volume in the gym. In the beginning we would be talking but not everyone could hear because some classmates were talking at the same time. Another thing we could improve on is clarity and repetition. For Pass the Ball, the classmates started the game when we blew the whistle. I totally understand that it was confusing. Next time in PE, we should go over the meanings of the whistle twice or even three times (for younger children) so that they understand what to do.