Speed Running - Lesson Plan

In the Year 4 athletics unit on speed running, the first lesson is designed to teach children the technique of running at their maximum speed, understand the effects of exercise on their body, and appreciate the importance of pacing and speed judgment. The lesson utilises a variety of resources including cones, hoops, bean bags, and resource cards featuring key vocabulary such as 'Maximum Speed', 'Accelerate', 'Decelerate', and 'Pacing'. The success of the lesson is measured by the children's ability to run at their top speed, quickly accelerate and decelerate in different directions, and maintain a consistent running speed over a set duration.

The session begins with a 5-minute warm-up where children explore various methods of moving within a pre-defined space, incorporating actions such as walking, jogging, hopping, skipping, and running, as well as star jumps and varied movement commands. This is followed by a 15-minute 'Bean Bag to Hoop Relay', where students work in teams to sprint and exchange bean bags between hoops, focusing on running style and technique. The next 10-minute activity involves continuous circular running around a cone-marked circle, where students aim to complete a set number of laps at varying paces, either individually or in pairs. The lesson concludes with a 5-minute group stretch cooldown, where pupils touch a called-out body part to the ground for 5 seconds, and reflect on their decreasing heart rate and the sensation of cooling down.