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.

back to top