Relay - Lesson plan

In the fifth lesson of the Year 5 athletics unit focusing on relay, pupils are expected to grasp the significance of speed matching and the timing of the baton exchange during a relay race. The lesson's objectives include understanding how to combine sprinting techniques with successful baton passing in a competitive setting and developing decision-making skills to enhance team changeovers. Resources such as cones, bibs, batons, and resource cards are utilised to facilitate learning, with literacy elements like speed and coordination being focal points. The success criteria set for the students involve running at speed while exchanging a relay baton, adjusting their speed to sync with team members, and evaluating team baton exchanges.

The lesson begins with a warm-up game called 'Rabbits and Foxes', where students must quickly move and protect their 'tails' from being caught by the 'foxes'. Following this, the 'Paired Crossing' activity encourages pupils to strategize and communicate to improve their performance in crossing from one point to another using hoops or mats. The main activity involves relay races where students practice baton exchanges, focusing on up-sweep and down-sweep motions, and learning the importance of receiving the baton with an open palm and matching the speed of their teammate. The lesson concludes with group stretches, allowing pupils to cool down while performing stretches from head to toe, each held for 20 seconds, reinforcing the importance of teamwork and collective cool-down exercises.