Gymnastics 3 - Lesson 1

In the first lesson of Gymnastics 3 for Year 1, students are introduced to the use of a bench in various gymnastic activities. The learning objectives set for the pupils include becoming familiar with moving over and balancing on a bench in different ways. To achieve success, students must be able to travel over a bench without touching it, travel on it safely, and balance using different points of contact. Key vocabulary terms such as 'benches', 'safety', 'apparatus', and 'balance' are highlighted to enhance understanding. The lesson requires equipment like cones and benches, and begins with a warm-up where students move around the area, jumping over cones in different manners, including two-footed jumps and a bridge position, with emphasis on looking for space and maintaining balance.

The main part of the lesson spans 30 minutes and starts with sharing bench set-up and usage rules to ensure safety. Activities include 'Don’t Touch It!', where pupils must step over benches without contact, and 'On The Bridge', which involves walking along the benches without stepping off. These exercises incorporate a 'lives system' to encourage precision and balance. Another activity, 'Bench Balance', challenges students to balance on the bench using a specific number of body parts as called out by the teacher. The lesson concludes with a cool-down where pupils become 'Statues', holding a balance of their choice when prompted. Throughout the lesson, there are opportunities for pupil discussions, extensions to increase difficulty, and variations to accommodate different learning styles or to add complexity to the tasks.