Key Up - Outcome A (7-9)-3

Students choose a partner and label themselves as "A" and "B". They line up in two lines facing their partners. As a sign of etiquette and to begin the challenges, each student introduces himself/herself and bows to their partner or makes a positive comment about their partner.

The students then complete a series of challenge activities suggested by the teacher. After each challenge is completed, one line of students (A) moves over one person. (The person at the end of the line moves to the front.) The B line remains stationary. Now everyone will have a new partner. The activity repeats from introduction to challenge to the line shift.

Challenges can include:

• Thumb Wrestling.
  
• Push 'em, Pull 'em. With palms touching, try to force your partner to move their feet.
  
• Trust Falls. Fall forward into your partner’s hands and then push to stand. Take a step back and repeat.
  
• Push 'em Again. One line of partners faces one wall of the gym. The other line of partners faces the opposite wall. Make sure the inside feet of both partners are touching. Bend the inside elbows and join hands in a thumb wrestling position. Each partner attempts to make the other partner’s outside foot move in order to win the challenge.
  
• Teeter Totter Foot Fight. Partners assume a position sitting on the mat with feet and hands up so that they are balanced in a "V" sit-up. They should be close enough so that they can push up against each other’s foot soles to disrupt the other’s balance. Momentum is used as a strategy.
  
• Leg Wrestling. Partners lie next to each other, with heads and feet at opposite ends to each other, and left hip touching left hip. As both partners count 1 2 3, they raise their inside legs straight up. On the count of 3 they wrap their legs around each other’s and attempt to flip the partner onto his/her stomach.

Instead of introducing themselves to their partners at the beginning of the activity, have students give one positive comment about their partner such as one positive contribution this person makes to the class.

Include balance challenges such as a stork stand or hand-stand.

These are clues that you have reached the outcomes ...

Students gain more control over their movements as they proceed through the challenges.

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