Pyramid Building - A (10-30)-12

Each student must have a mat. Instruct the students to find a partner and demonstrate how to safely connect the mats together so they don’t slip apart. Discuss and demonstrate the strongest parts of the body for weight bearing.

Safety Guidelines

Balanced Bods

Have the students connect with their partners and move around the gym in pairs. Then have them change the way they are connected and move around the gym again. This gets the students warmed up.

Base of Support

• Instruct one student from each pair to kneel on the mat with their knees close together and their hands close together.
• Have the other student gently push their partner off balance.
• Next, instruct the student on the mat to spread their knees and hands apart, making a wide base of support.
• Have the partner again try to gently push them off balance.
• Discuss with the students what this exercise demonstrates.

Balances With a Partner

• Instruct the students to go to their mats and create three different static balances connected with their partner. They must hold each balance for a three second count.
• Have them perform each balance again, but this time they should disconnect from their partner, add a type of locomotion, and finish with an individual balance.
• Encourage students to find out what each other’s strengths are and work with them. (For example, if one student can do a handstand but the other can’t, the student who cannot should connect to the feet of the student doing the headstand.)
• Have the students demonstrate their creations to another pair.

Balances in Groups of Four

• Instruct the students to connect their mats with another pair to make groups of four.
• Have them go through the process of creating pyramids with twos, threes, and fours.
• Instruct the groups to set up two two-person pyramids or one three-person pyramid and a static balance, or one four-person pyramid.
• Encourage them to come up with ideas for all the variations, and allow them to refer to PDF files for ideas.
• Have the students perform four different pyramid combinations in front of their peers.
• Have each group choose one of their pyramids for a photo. Make copies of the photo available to each person in the group for their personal portfolio or journal. Students can also do a self-assessment using their photo, and hand it in.

Stuntnastics Project

This begins the routine formation process.

Students can also do this balance activity while standing.

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

Students stay on task as they create their balances. They demonstrate proper safety techniques.

Students show good body control, use of the three second count rule, and consideration of each other’s abilities.

Students are able to demonstrate a mini routine with all the required components in front of their peers.

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