Athletics - Lesson 2

In the second lesson of a Year 4 athletics programme, pupils aim to enhance their sprinting abilities with a particular focus on maintaining pace and executing an effective sprint finish. The session's success criteria set clear objectives: pupils should be able to sustain their sprinting speed, exhibit proficient running techniques, and demonstrate a strong finish. The lesson incorporates key vocabulary such as 'sprinting', 'sprint finish', and 'technique', ensuring that pupils are familiar with the terminology. Essential equipment for the activities includes cones, stopwatches, and skipping ropes. The warm-up involves pupils lining up and sprinting on command, with variations and extensions to challenge them further, such as increasing the sprint distance or speeding up the starting commands.

The main portion of the lesson, lasting 30 minutes, is dedicated to teaching pupils how to maintain their pace over different distances and includes a key teaching point on starting techniques. Pupils work in groups, taking turns to sprint, time, and start the race, with the aim of matching or improving their 20m sprint time over a 40m distance. The session progresses to focus on the sprint finish, where pupils race towards a skipping rope held by their peers, simulating a finish line. Emphasis is placed on the chest being the first body part to cross the line, with the importance of maintaining speed until the end of the race highlighted. The lesson concludes with a cool-down activity where pupils compete in heats based on their sprinting performance, allowing them to apply the technical aspects they've practiced throughout the session.