Athletics Festival - Lesson Plan

In the sixth lesson of the Year 3 Athletics Unit, the aim is to host an Athletics Festival where pupils will refine their running, jumping, and throwing techniques. The objectives are to accurately replicate advanced athletic skills, understand and improve the dynamics of a relay team, and to comprehend the rules and principles of each event. To aid the learning process, resources such as cones, hoops, bean bags, balls, quoits, and resource cards are utilised. The key terms for the lesson include 'Jump', 'Run', 'Throw', 'Relay', 'Teamwork', and 'Competition'. By the end of the lesson, the success criteria expect students to demonstrate improved athletic techniques, adapt these techniques to enhance performance, and compete while adhering to game rules.

The lesson begins with a five-minute 'Hoop Shift' warm-up, where pupils sidestep between hoops to move bean bags, focusing on knee bending and quick footwork. The main activity is a 25-minute Mini-Athletics Festival, where students rotate through various stations, spending five minutes at each. Teachers demonstrate each station, and pupils are grouped into fours to practice. During this time, techniques for increasing speed, jump height, and throwing distance are discussed and practiced. Running is associated with maximal speed, jumping with a springing action, and throwing with achieving the right angle and power. The lesson concludes with a five-minute 'Reach for the Stars' cool down, where students perform controlled arm swings and reaching movements, focusing on low intensity and holding positions for three seconds to ensure a gentle end to the physical activities.