Hold it Steady
- Outcome A (4-6)-12
This activity will provide a little "balance"
in your students' lives!
Ask the students to find a personal space and
balance alternately on one, two, three, four, and then five body
parts. Have them hold each balance for three to five seconds. The
students should strive for control when balanced.
Students can then work with a partner and join
balances or choose two or three balances and put them into a sequence.
Point out that by tightening their muscles and
pointing their toes, students will make their body actions "crisp".
Have the students repeat their balances and analyze
each other's balances, looking for "white space". White
space is created by purposeful angles in the balanced shape. For
example, if balanced on a seat, one leg could be extended and the
other leg could be bent at a 90 degree angle and held at a different
level. If arms are bent, really bend them to form an angular shape.
Choose a student holding a creative balance to
call out the next command.
Choose a student who holds a difficult balance
for a long time to call out the next command.
If space or mats are limited, pair up students
and have them perform a balance that requires only one mat. This
would also allow for peer evaluation.
Have students work in pairs to perform partner
balances on various numbers of body parts.
These are clues that you have reached
the outcomes ...
Students of all ability levels demonstrate their
balances for an informal group/teacher assessment.
Peer assessment checklist could include:
- My partner balanced on
the designated number of body parts.
- My partner held the balance
for the designated amount of time.
- My partner had lots of
interesting angles and shapes in his/her balance.
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