Educational Gymnastics AAHPERD 2009 Ken Bell Boise State University 1910 University Dr. Boise, ID 83725 (208)426-1228 kbell@boisestate.edu John Bale Riverside Elementary School 2100 E. Victory Rd. Boise, ID 83706 (208) 854-5980 john.bale@boiseschools.org Why is gymnastics disappearing from the curriculum taught in most physical education programs? You would be hard pressed to find a more content rich movement experience for students (with the exception of dance). The following quotes from a few physical education teachers might explain: “I can’t do the skills so I can’t demonstrate.” “I am worried that someone will get seriously injured.” “I don’t know enough to teach the kids anything worthwhile.” “After the forward and backward rolls most students are done.” If you can relate to these quotes then this session is custom made just for you. Don’t be afraid . You will be successful! If you are an experienced gymnastics teacher, this session can help you learn new ways to work with students regardless of their skill level. What Is Educational Gymnastics? Educational gymnastics is a significant departure from Olympic gymnastics. The strength of Olympic gymnastics is in the progressions that lead to the acquisition of specific skills such as a cartwheel or handspring. Educational gymnastics on the other hand focuses on the learning and acquisition of skill concepts such as center of gravity or support of weight on the hands. Educational gymnastics also differs from Olympic gymnastics in that no spotting is required. The thought here is that if someone needs assistance to perform a skill, then they have not learned the requisite skills to perform it yet. Olympic gymnastics works well in private gymnastics settings because many of the children have an attraction and propensity to learn gymnastics skills quickly, and the instructors usually have highly specified knowledge and skill in this area. Educational gymnastics works well in public school settings as the majority of your students are not attracted to private gymnastics settings, the class sizes are usually much larger (lots of wait time using an Olympic approach), and the teacher does not usually possess a broad knowledge or skill base from which to draw upon. Educational gymnastics is typically subdivided into three categories: static balance, traveling and rotation. Since most physical educators are usually very skilled at teaching traveling, it will be a short section in the syllabus and will be blended into many of the tasks and activities that will help you teach static balance, rotation, routines and other gymnastics concepts and skills. Static Balance Rotation Traveling Traveling It is important to note that traveling is often overlooked when teaching gymnastics. Below is a table listing some of the concepts we will explore through activity. Types of Traveling Movement Concepts Levels Directions Skip Hop / Jump Leap Low Forward Medium Backward High Sideways Relationships Converge / Diverge Heavy Over / Under Around / Through Slide / Gallop Create Clockwise and counter Formations Force Light Can You? During this activity we will demonstrate how to incorporate traveling and layers of complexity utilizing the chart above (i.e. can you skip backwards at a low level while rotating clockwise?). Skip Dancing Play music with a heavy beat (easy to find and feel). Start students out skipping to the beat of the music and add complexity by adding the movement concepts in the table above (i.e. skipping 4 forward and 4 backwards; skipping 4 forward at a high level and 4 backwards at a low level). Control Freaks It is important that students can travel in gymnastics with control. Using the chart above students will travel in a variety of ways and stop immediately under control when the music stops. Stop and start often without warning! Traveling Routines In small groups or with partners, students will create a gymnastics routine strictly from traveling forms and concepts. Each routine will begin and end with a group static balance or pose. As an example students create a routine that starts with a group balance, skips 4 times, jumps 4 times, leaps 4 times, etc., and end with a different group balance. Add various concepts from the table above to add complexity and enjoyment. Rotation When we think of rotation in gymnastics we automatically think of rolls, somersaults and wheeling actions. Unfortunately, these tricks and skills leave many students behind before they even have a chance to get started. Therefore, think of rotation about the three axes: vertical, horizontal and transverse. The use of a dowel to illustrate an axis of rotation can be highly effective. To show students the vertical axis, hold a dowel on top of your head and explain that if it continued through your head, down through your body and into the ground it would serve as an axle that your body would turn about (do a jump turn). Now hold the dowel so that it sticks out of the side of your hip. Explain that if the dowel went through your hips and came out the other hip your body would rotate around this axle horizontally (describe a forward roll). Finally, if you hold the dowel so that it sticks out of your bellybutton and you rotated about this axle you would be rotating about the transverse axis (explain or have a student perform a cartwheel). Rotation About The Vertical Axis The vertical axis is the safest for all students to rotate about. Ballet Nail one foot to the floor and use arms to initiate rotation. Experiment spinning with arms out for slow rotation and arms in for rapid rotation. Rotate forward and backward, attempt new records for number of rotations. Jump Turns Students will stand in self space and jump to do a 90, 180, 270,360 degree or more turn to face a different wall on the teachers’ signal. Teaching Cue – turn with your arms (swing both arms in the direction you want to turn), stick your landing (arms out to the side, knees bent and feet apart). Sit Spins Have students sit on the floor on a Frisbee or piece of cardboard (this helps reduce friction). A partner will initiate rotation by pushing on the outstretched arm or leg(s) of their seated partner. Experiment while rotating with arms and or legs out and in. Caution: start slow as spinning person needs practice maintaining their balance while rotating. Swedish Meatball: Side-rolls Another safe rotation about the vertical axis. Demonstrate on a mat how this roll is performed (start on hands and knees). Scatter mats around the gymnasium. Groups of four on a mat roll together on teachers signal (point to one side or the other). Teaching Cues – small ball (stay tucked), lead shoulder tucks under Dominoes Students start on hands and knees. Do the wave using a side roll from one end to the other. How quickly and smoothly can your group do this? Can we make groups larger and add tricks into the mix? Log rolls Another safe rotation about the vertical axis. Demonstrate on a mat how this roll is performed. Scatter mats around the gymnasium. Groups of four will take turns performing each of these rolls from one end of a mat (when one student is half way down the mat the next student goes). Teaching Cues – log roll – arm over-hip over; stay tight and straight Surfing USA One student will ride a folder mat (surf board) over numerous students performing log rolls. How quickly can you move your surfer to the beach? Must see to learn tricks to this one. Rotation About the Horizontal Axis Rotation about the horizontal axis is typically associated with forward and backward rolls, as well as somersaults. As many teachers know a variety of progressions for these skills, we will not present horizontal rotation in this workshop as time will be limited. Supporting Weight on Hands & Rotation About the Transverse Axis At this point it is important to teach the concept of supporting one’s weight on their hands. All future rotations, tricks and skills are very dependent upon a students’ ability to support their body weight on their hands when partially or fully inverted. This concept leads nicely into transverse axis rotation. Weeble Wobble Students will squat down in self space and place their hands flat on the floor in front of them (approx. 12 inches from hands to feet). They will tip slightly forward and place their weight on their hands then tip back with full weight on their feet. Teaching Cue – hands flat and wide (fingers spread wide, palms flat on the floor and hands shoulder width apart), strong arms (create tension by slightly flexing arms so they won’t collapse). Tipsy Scatter poly-spots and various raised objects around general space. When the music starts the students will quickly move around the space, when they come to a poly-spot or raised surface they will reach out, place their hands and strong arms on it and lift their feet slightly off of the floor. Continue on. How many surfaces can you elevate on during the time? Not a Cartwheel Scatter folded accordion mats or vaulting boxes around the gymnasium (approx. one to two feet high). When the music starts students will use a locomotor movement to approach the mats. When they reach a mat they will put their hands down using strong arms to support themselves. The raised surface makes supporting weight easier as hips begin below the shoulders. Students will jump their feet into the air (feet together). Now approach from the side and jump one foot to the other side (this progressively turns into a cartwheel on a raised surface). Then have a number of surfaces that are lower or flat on the floor. Encourage students to kick higher as they gain skill and confidence. No Gray Hairs Students perform one foot kick-ups. Students stand on one foot at the end of a raised mat supporting themselves with their strong straight arms. Kick the raised foot up behind you and push with the support leg (land on the support foot). Repeat with the other leg raised. Teaching Cues – head up, tight stomach-kick hard (tighten stomach muscles to protect the back from arching, and kick up hard and back for lift). It’s OK to Kiss at School Students perform a kisser. Same task as above except the support foot pushes off the floor and meets the kicking foot in the air. Touch feet and return to the floor on the support leg. Repeat with the other leg raised. Teaching Cues – head up, tight stomach-kick hard. How high can you get your feet when they kiss? Switch Foot Students perform a switch foot kisser. Same task as above except the support foot pushes off the floor, meets the kicking foot in the air and then land on the kicking foot. Static Balance Static balance is comprised of three elements: tight muscles, moments of stillness and control. In this section we will participate in activities designed to practice and teach the concepts related to each of these elements. X Marks The Spot: Students find a partner. One partner straddles their legs and raises their arms so that their body forms a giant X. The X partner is frozen in this position with as muscles as tight as they can hold them. Their partner will tip them forward and backward, side to side, up on one foot and spin them slowly. After 30 seconds switch roles. The goal is to stay totally solid, especially through the waist and midsection. Teaching cue: Tight muscles. Locked in the Ice Box Half of the class will assume a position as if they had been frozen solid in a large ice box the night before. The other students will remove them and take them to the fry warmer to thaw. Once students are placed on the mat they begin to thaw. Once thawed they can help carry their frozen classmates. Switch roles after everyone has been gathered and thawed. It requires a minimum of three people to move a frozen person regardless of size. Teaching cue: Tight muscles, totally still. Another simpler version of this activity is called Tater Tot Tag. Students play tag and freeze in a squat position when tagged. Untagged teammates pick them up and carry them to the French fryer to thaw. Back in action! Mirror-Mirror One partner will create a crazy shape that they can hold perfectly still in, and keep tight muscles. Their partner will pretend they are looking in a mirror and try to create the mirror image and hold. Switch roles. Balance Concepts The following list is comprised of a number of balance concepts that we will experiment with: patches & points, symmetrical & non-symmetrical, inverted & upright, counter-balance & counter-tension, center of gravity & base of support, eye focus, straddle, split, stag, and abstract. Patches and Points: Teach students that patches are large areas for balancing (bottom, back, stomach) and that points are small balance places (hands, elbows, knees, head, etc.). Students will travel around in general space and when the music stops the teacher calls out balance concepts and how many patches and points to balance on (low level, symmetrical on one patch and two points). Students will quickly assume the various positions. Make it challenging once success has been attained. Can you do this with a partner? The Spelling Bee Students will work in small groups. The challenge is to spell out words from cue cards with static balances. Cue cards for very young children can be single letters. Another group will try to guess what word or letters they have spelled out. Jumpin Jehosafat On teacher command students will attempt to hop and balance, hop and balance around the general space. To maintain balance, bend your knee, arms out, focus eyes on a spot. Sumos & Ballerinas If Sumo is called the children will assume a static balance with a low center of gravity and a wide base of support. If Ballerina is called out they will assume a balance position with a high center of gravity and a narrow base of support. The teacher will move around and try to topple balancing students. It’s So Beautiful I Could Cry In small groups have students create the most beautiful group static balance using counterbalances and counter-tensions. Take digital photos. Poker Balances Create a deck of cards with a variety of movement concepts on them. Students will form small groups, and everyone in the group will select a card. All groups will form a balance utilizing all of the concepts on their cards (counter-tension that is symmetrical, narrow, and has a shoulder stand in a stag position in it). Manikin Manor Half of the students will assume a one legged balance. The only thing they can do to maintain their balance is lower their center of gravity and then go back to their original balance position. The other students are walking around trying to make the Manikins laugh, smile or lose their balance. Switch roles. Say Cheese Form large groups of 6-8 students. Students will create a group static balance and draw it using stick figures. They will then try to perform it (they can modify and redraw if necessary). Practice your balance and make it perfect. Next time in class students will practice for a couple of minutes and then photos will be taken which will be displayed on the gymnasium wall. Encourage them to coordinate their clothing so they match and it looks professional. Moving Mountains Groups of 6-8 students will create their own static balances. Once they attain the required five seconds of absolute stillness in their balance, the balance must move five feet without losing its integrity (stay together and balanced), and then hold the balance for another five seconds. Creating Gymnastics Routines The logical next step is to put the pieces (traveling, static balance and rotation) together into what most would consider gymnastics routines. Gymnastics routines may be performed solo, with a partner or in groups (small to large). As this section is the union of many discrete skills and movement concepts, we will introduce you to ‘The Formula’. The Formula is basically an addition problem that children use in math beginning in 1 st grade. An example is: A low level balance + any travel + a vertical axis rotation + a symmetrical balance As you can see, The Formula provides a simple format to create gymnastics sequences that children are familiar with. The beauty of this process is that the teacher can ask students to demonstrate any number of movement skills and concepts that have been taught, while at the same time allowing students to work at a level in which they feel comfortable. These gymnastics sequences can be as simple or complex as you want. Use every movement concept that you have taught the children up to this point. We will perform a number of routines together. These will be put to music and will bring a tear to your eye .
