Submitted by:
Sonia Sheehan, HPEC Vice President Communications and K-4 Elementary Physical Education Specialist
The 2020-2021
school year has provided many opportunities for teachers to be adaptable. Looking for creative solutions to keep
students engaged as classes have transitioned into brief or extended periods of
online learning has been a necessary task as we deal with teaching during a
pandemic. As a Physical Education
Specialist at a K-4 school in Calgary, I have experienced this shift from in
person learning to online learning throughout this school year. I utilized the 4 day online learning google
meet plan below during the January 2021 dedicated elementary online learning week. During this time I taught 30 minute physical education classes to class sizes of 20-25 students throughout the day. These activities helped me engage my students
in an online learning environment and provided them with an opportunity to move
and connect with myself and the students in their class. While another province wide shift to online
learning has happened in Alberta, these learning activities may be helpful to
teachers looking for ways to keep their elementary students active.
Elementary Google
Meet Physical Education: Day 1
- Students join Physical Education Google Classroom meet at
their regular PE time on the timetable via the meet link on the PE Google
Classroom
- Welcome students to online learning and ask all students
to mute their microphone, enable cameras, refrain from using the chat
function and make sure they have safe space around them to be active
- Ask the question: How are you active at home? – call on
students and have each student unmute their mic and can say how they were
active at home – be prepared when it is your turn – this activity allows
students to share in the online learning space
- Teacher lead game of: Last Student Standing – equipment:
4 pieces of paper with the words: sit, stand, kneel, lay down, perform a
designated fitness activity until you hear “freeze” (jumping jacks,
running on the spot, side sliding, air punches, squats, high kicks,
shoulder press, trunk twists, raise the roof, favourite dance move), after
“freeze” give students 5 seconds to make a choice (stand, sit, kneel,
laying down) – teacher pulls one piece of paper randomly from the 4 pieces
– if a student matches what they are doing to the paper, they earn a point
and do a celebration dance move – if they did not match their action to
the paper, they complete 5 jumping jacks – how many points can you earn?
- Extra activity: Deck of Fitness (equipment: deck of
cards) – pick 4 fitness activities: jumping jacks (hearts), squats
(diamonds), air punches (spades), plank (clubs) – pull a card from the
deck – match the suit for the fitness activity and perform the number on
the card of the activity – after a set number of rounds ask the students
for fitness activities and change which each card suit represents
- Extra activity Balancing Body Shapes: balance on one foot and extend the other foot off the ground and draw the following shapes with the foot in the air (circle, square, triangle, zig zag line), switch feet and try with the other foot, go into a squat position and using both hands together draw the same shapes while holding the squat – add mindful breathing (breathing in through nose and out through mouth)
Elementary Google Meet Physical Education: Day
2
- Students join Physical Education Google Classroom meet at
their regular PE time on the timetable via the meet link on the PE Google
Classroom
- Welcome students back to online learning and ask all
students to mute their microphone, enable cameras, refrain from using the
chat function and make sure they have safe space around them to be active
- Classy Moves (game adapted from 50 Covid Friendly Games):
(optional equipment: music) Ask the question: What is your favourite dance
move, fitness move or sport move?
Practice it right now in front of your camera. Be safe. This is our
Classy Moves game – each student will get a chance to share their Classy
Move and we will all follow their move – if you are having trouble
thinking of your own move, you can use one of my moves “jumping jacks or
marching on the spot” – give 1 minute to practice move and be prepared -
Call on students and each student can show off their Classy Move and we
will all follow the move – remember to keep the moves safe - remind
students to pick only one activity – it is okay if their activity is the
same as others – be prepared when it is your turn
- Heads or Tails (equipment: coin) – students will pick
either heads or tails each round – if picking heads = place hands on head,
if picking tails = place hands on back – teacher flips the coin and
reveals if it is heads or tails – if you guessed correctly = 1 point and
celebration dance move (can be your classy move from the start of class),
if you guessed incorrectly 5 elbows to knees – How many points can you
earn?
- Extra activity: 5 Finger Fling – teach clapping pattern –
2 legs, 2 hands, 2 legs, jump half turn, 2 legs, 2 hands, 2 legs and jump
half turn with a fling – on “fling” raise one hand in the air and choose
to raise 0 fingers, 1 finger, 2 fingers, 3 fingers, 4 fingers or 5 fingers
– if you match the teacher = 1 point and celebration dance (can use your
classy move from the start of class), if you are lower than the number = 5
air punches, if you are higher than the number = 5 high kicks – option to
pick one of the students to be the leader for a portion of the game
- Extra activity Balancing Body Shapes: balance on one foot and extend the other foot off the ground and draw the following shapes with the foot in the air (circle, square, triangle, zig zag line), switch feet and try with the other foot, go into a squat position and using both hands together draw the same shapes while holding the squat – add mindful breathing (breathing in through nose and out through mouth)
Elementary Google
Meet Physical Education: Day 3
- Students join Physical Education Google Classroom meet at
their regular PE time on the timetable via the meet link on the PE Google
Classroom
- Welcome students back to online learning and ask all
students to mute their microphone, enable cameras, refrain from using the
chat function and make sure they have safe space around them to be active
- Deal or No Deal (equipment: envelopes with a number and
activity on the front and a different number inside the envelop) – each
student will get a chance to decide “deal or no deal” – call on a student
to unmute their mic and show the class the outside of the envelope – the
student must pick “deal” or “no deal” – if they pick “deal” the whole
class will complete the exercise on the envelope the number of times on
the outside of the envelope – if they pick “no deal” open up the envelope
and the whole class will complete the exercise the number of times inside
the envelope
- Opposite Game: perform the opposite move to what the
teacher says:
- Slow (fast)
- Fast (slow)
- Be small (be large)
- Be large (be small)
- Smiling face (sad face)
- Angry face (happy face)
- Stand facing backwards (stand facing forwards)
- Balance at a low level (balance at high level)
- Stand very still (move around a lot)
- Balance in a wide shape (balance in a long and narrow
shape)
- Do sit ups (do push ups)
- Lay down (stand up)
- Show thumbs down (show thumbs up)
- Wiggle your knees (wiggle your elbows)
- Runtastic: on the word “run” continue to run on the spot
(modify with marching, skipping on the spot, side sliding from side to
side, fast feet running on the spot) when you hear the word “plank” drop
down to the floor and hold a plank position (from feet or knees or from
forearms or hands) – when you hear “run” (or whatever the movement choice
is) continue to run on the spot – change the movement choice and change
plank to other options during the game (squat hold, one foot balance)
- Extra activity: RPS Teacher vs Student full body: go over
rock (crouched down), paper (standing with arms and legs wide), scissor
(standing with arms and legs crossed) – if you beat the teacher you do
celebration dance and earn a point and the teacher does 10 jumping jacks –
if the teacher beats you, the teacher does the celebration dance and gets
a point and students do 10 jumping jacks
- Extra activity Balancing Body Shapes: balance on one foot and extend the other foot off the ground and draw the following shapes with the foot in the air (circle, square, triangle, zig zag line), switch feet and try with the other foot, go into a squat position and using both hands together draw the same shapes while holding the squat – add mindful breathing (breathing in through nose and out through mouth)
Elementary Google
Meet Physical Education: Day 4
- Students join Physical Education Google Classroom meet at
their regular PE time on the timetable via the meet link on the PE Google
Classroom
- Welcome students back to online learning and ask all
students to mute their microphone, enable cameras, refrain from using the
chat function and make sure they have safe space around them to be active
– you need a piece of recycling paper (something you can scrunch up in a
ball form)
- Warm up Game: Would you rather? Students pick which item or activity
they prefer and then perform the corresponding activity – put hands on
head if they prefer the first activity and hands on knees if prefer the
second activity (this will help the teacher see what choice they made and
then can perform the corresponding activity)
- Read a book (10 jumping jacks) or play a game (10
squats)
- Watch a movie (10 air punches) or act in a movie (10
high kicks)
- Play on the playground (5 jump squats) or play in the
snow (5 chicken jacks)
- Dance (10 raise the roof) or play hockey (10 shots on
net)
- Swimming (10 arm curls) or soccer (10 shoulder press)
- Build a snowman (airplane balance) or build a snow fort
(10 jumping jacks)
- Eat a Banana (do the twist) or eat an apple (5 star
jumps)
- Ride a bike (5 spins) or go for a walk (10 marching
steps)
- Snowboard (squat and hold) or ski (squat and jump)
- Play an instrument (5 toe touches) or sing a song (5
truck twists)
- Paper Ball activities: (demonstrate how to make a paper
ball with your piece of paper by scrunching up the paper in a round shape)
- Practice throwing and catching with the paper ball: low
height, medium height, high height, low/medium/high repeating pattern,
while marching, while running on the spot, one hand to the other hand,
under the leg, toss/clap/catch
- Cues:
- Are you in athletic position ready to catch?
- Are your eyes watching the ball?
- Are your hands ready to squeeze the ball (gently) when catching?
- Try to create a throw and catch trick
- Student practice time
- Call on students to demonstrate their throw/catch trick
and the class can try it out
- Trick shot: can you get your paper ball to land right in
front of your screen? – start close to your screen and slowly move back
each time you can land the ball by your screen – how far can you move away
from your screen and still be successful?
- Extra activity: RPS Teacher vs Student full body: go over
rock (crouched down), paper (standing with arms and legs wide), scissor
(standing with arms and legs crossed) – if you beat the teacher you do
celebration dance and earn a point and the teacher does 10 jumping jacks –
if the teacher beats you, the teacher does the celebration dance and gets
a point and students do 10 jumping jacks
- Extra activity Balancing Body Shapes: balance on one foot and extend the other foot off the ground and draw the following shapes with the foot in the air (circle, square, triangle, zig zag line), switch feet and try with the other foot, go into a squat position and using both hands together draw the same shapes while holding the squat – add mindful breathing (breathing in through nose and out through mouth)
Additional Activities for Online Physical Education Google Meets:
·
Active Math: perform the answer to the addition or
subtraction questions based on the grade level – example: grade 1: 2 +3 = 5 –
complete 5 jumping jacks – create 10 – 15 grade level appropriate equations for
each grade
·
Active Scavenger Hunt: each student must move in
their house to find an item that matches the description using the designated
movement – make sure you move safely in your house
o
Walk to find something red
o
Side slide to find something soft
o
Tip toe to find something blue
o
Heel walk to find something bumpy
o
Gallop to find something green
o
Skip to find something you can read
o
Move like a penguin to find something cold
o
Move like a fish to find something small
o
Move like your favourite animal to find something
yellow
o
Jump to find something that floats on water
o
Hop to find something that sinks in water
o
March to find something that helps you be active
·
Choose students to share things they have found in
the different categories
·
Additional extensions:
o
Create a game with the items collected
o
Pick out your favourite item collected and show to
the class
o
Build a tower with your items
o
Make a line with your items and jump over them
o
Make a circle with your items and jump in and out
of the circle
o
Throw and catch your items
o
Clean up your items and put them back where you found
them
·
Balance/Strength/Flexibility Focus using Yoga
Poses– (use yoga pretzel deck or online resource)– describe and demonstrate each
pose and have students try the pose - online source for kids yoga poses https://www.kidsyogastories.com/kids-yoga-poses/
o
Mountain
o
Airplane
o
Tree
o
Dancer
o
Triangle
o
Warrior 1
o
Warrior 2
o
Gorilla
o
Dragon
o
Down Dog
o
Dolphin
o
Arrow
o
Plank
o
Cat
o
Cobra
o
Boat
o
River
o
Lying Twist
o
Shark
o
Pretzel
o
Do your favourite pose
· Mystery Number Game: 1-100 gr 3 and 4, 1-50 gr 2,
1-20 gr 1 – create cue cards with the a mystery number – in groups of 3-4
students combined as the mystery guessers– have these students turned their
back to the camera and show the rest of the class the mystery number - have the students at home write down the
mystery number so they can remember what the number is – the group of mystery
guessers turns around and takes turns guessing a number between 1-100, 1-50 or
1-20 depending on the grade level – if the mystery number is higher than the
guess, the class tosses and catches the snowball (crunched up paper), if the
mystery number is lower than the guess, the class does squats and passes the
snowball from hand to hand – when the mystery guessers guess the mystery number
correctly, the class can unmute their mics and cheer – pick a new team of
mystery guessers – make sure all students get a chance to be part of a mystery
guesser team
