Gymnastics 3 - Lesson 2

In Year 3's second gymnastics lesson, the objective is to enhance pupils' ability to perform jumps and leaps from various heights with precision and safety. The success of the lesson is measured by the students' capability to jump with control at ground level, to jump and land safely from elevated surfaces such as tables or wall bars, and to seamlessly link jumping actions to create a routine. Key terms for the lesson include 'apparatus', 'jumping', 'landing', 'height', 'pike', 'straddle', 'turn', and 'routine'. The equipment required for the lesson comprises flat markers or spots, wall bars, tables, benches, and mats. The warm-up session involves the pupils jumping over mats with a focus on bending knees, swinging arms for height, and controlling movements. The teacher can extend the challenge by increasing the speed of jumps, introducing one-footed jumps, or adding half and full turns.

During the main 30-minute portion of the lesson, the pupils are divided into four groups and rotate through different apparatus stations, practising various jumps like the pike jump, straddle jump, and straight jumps with turns. Key teaching points are given to ensure proper technique and safety, such as using arms for height and bending knees. The lesson also incorporates the creation of jumping routines, where pupils combine travelling movements with a chosen jump to complete the sequence. The lesson concludes with a cool-down period where the pupils assist in tidying away the equipment and reflect on their successes and challenges with the jumps, considering which apparatus they found most difficult. The lesson encourages pupils to think about the structure of their routine and the safety rules when using gymnastics equipment.