Gymnastics 3 - Lesson 3

In a Year 4 gymnastics lesson, the objective is for pupils to develop their ability to link movements seamlessly through jumps, turns, and pivots. The success of the lesson is measured by the pupils' capability to demonstrate a pivot, choose appropriate actions to create a sequence, and exhibit strength in their movements. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as yoga, linking, cat leap, chassis step, hop, jump, and turn. To facilitate the lesson, mats are required as part of the equipment. The warm-up consists of yoga stretches including elephant pose, happy baby, 3-legged dog, warrior, and frog pose, with pupils sharing mats and attempting each stretch twice. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate breathing techniques and pupils are prompted to discuss the importance of yoga and stretching.

The main activity spans 30 minutes and involves dividing the area into six sections with mats, where pupils practice different types of linking movements such as skipping, hopscotch, cat leap, chassis step, straight jump half turn, and pivot. After practising each movement, they discuss the various linking movements they have learned. Extensions and variations are suggested to challenge the pupils further. The lesson concludes with a 'Link it up!' activity where pupils perform short sequences combining different linking actions, such as forward rolls, cartwheels, and jumps. Finally, a cool-down session includes an evaluation where pupils pair up to demonstrate a counterbalance and answer questions about the routine and linking movements they practised, ensuring a clear understanding of the skills developed during the lesson.