UNIT – Gym 3:2
YEAR 3
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
1. Run in/out of each other avoiding
contact. Make a snake pathway.
In pairs, one leading follow a snake
pathway. Do not touch other pairs.
Change leader.
STAGE 3
Running on the spot high knees for ten
steps – travel 10 big steps to another spot
and repeat task.
Jump rhythmically on the spot on teacher’s
command.
Jog rhythmically making large curving
pathways on the floor.
Run in and out of each other following a
curved pathway.
(ii) With partner, one leads other, follows
in curved pathway. Change over.
2. Floorwork
Travel to a spot 10 steps away. Travel to it
in a straight line by trotting with knees high,
bouncing, using hands and feet,
turning/rolling, different jumps, sliding.
Choose your two favourite ways of
travelling and travel 10 steps along a line
in one way and travel back to starting
place in the second way. Repeat task but
when you have travelled 10 steps turn and
face a different direction and travel another
10 steps. Practise joining these
movements together.
Add another way of travelling travel in a
triangular pathway so you end up where
you started.
Travel along each side of the triangle
showing a different movement on a
different level i.e. high, medium, low.
3. Apparatus. Travel round gym exploring
between over, under, along apparatus, be
aware of others. Travel towards a piece of
apparatus and onto it then turn and travel
off it and away on same pathway. Travel
towards a piece of apparatus and onto it,
turn and travel off it and away on a
different pathway using own apparatus.
Travel on a triangular pathway finishing
back at the starting point. Travel in a
different way along each side of the
triangle.
Floor work. Practise a variety of jumps
upwards, forwards, sideways, turning
showing different shapes and take-offs.
Using a selection of runs, bounces and
jumps trace a square pattern on the floor.
Choose children to demo how they turn
corners e.g. turning jumps, slow down to
turn, and accelerate in a new direction,
jump sideways, then gallop sideways etc.
Join them together and make a smooth
sequence to finish where you started.
Travel along a zig-zag path to new spot
about 20 steps away by jumping and
turning into the new direction. Join
together a turning jump and a rolling or
turning movement along a new pathway.
Choose good quality demo’s, ask for
observations.
Apparatus Travel about the hall exploring
between, over, under, along apparatus
being aware of others. On your own
apparatus stand on low part and carefully
jump from it with or without a turn. On own
apparatus, mats and floor space, travel in
square pathway so you finish the
sequence where you started.
Floor work. Link balances, twists and rolls
to travel along a semi-circular pathway to a
chosen spot.
Use a variety of step patterns and jumps to
travel round a circular path.
Use step-like actions in different
combinations to travel a circular pathway.
Demonstrations and discuss ideas.
Use suitable ways of travelling along
circular pathway – diffferent sized circles.
Join 3 different types of movement
together to travel the complete circle. Link
them together smoothly to make up
repeatable sequence.
Apparatus Travel about the gym exploring
between, over, under, along the apparatus
being aware of others.
Travel between the apparatus following
snaking, curving and travel over, under or
through apparatus using straight pathway.
On your own apparatus link different
travelling actions to show a circular
pathway using mats, floor space and
apparatus.
4. On balls of feet take small steps to
make 8 shape on floor. Make different
sizes very small to very large.
Slide and spin on different body parts in
different ways. Walk around the room and
stretch. Repeat and stop.
LINKED TO …
QCA Unit 3 Gymnastics
POS
8a, 8b
UNIT THEME Pathways
LEARNING OUTCOMES







Trace a semi-circle or circle in the air in
different ways.
Travel slowly around the room and trace
circle in the air. Repeat.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Are they wearing footwear and clothing that are safe and help
learning? Is the space safe and clear enough to work in? Do they
all know how to lift and move apparatus safely?
Understand the importance
of warming up.
Identify when the body is
warm and stretched ready
for gymnastic activity.
Understand strength and
suppleness are important
parts of fitness.
Devise and perform a
gymnastic sequence,
showing clear beginning,
middle and end.
Show control accuracy and
fluency of movement when
performing actions on their
own and with a partner.
Explore combinations of
floor, mats and apparatus
and find different ways of
using a shape, balance or
travel.
Practise an action or short
sequence of movements
and improve the quality of
the actions and transitions.
TEACHING POINTS
1. May need to show children a snake
pathway.
Remind children to keep head up and land on
two feet with knees slightly bent.
Children will discover it is unwise to travel by
large leaps, smaller turning jumps are more
suitable for this pathway. Small turning
jumps or repeated step patterns could be
used. Hopscotch or legs apart/together or
bunny-hop could also be used.
Ask children to describe the changes to body
in warm up and cool down.
REFERENCE TO ‘TOP CARDS’
Top Gym – five basic jumps
shapes in air
Travelling – on, off, over, under.
Resources
Floor, mats, benches, small apparatus, larger apparatus. Fixed high apparatus e.g. ropes, rope ladders, climbing frames. Appendix – teaching points.
UNIT – Gym 3:2
YEAR 3
STAGE 4
STAGE 5
STAGE 6
1. Travel in and out of each other
choosing a zig-zag pathway. Travel by
running and performing turning jumps.
Move around the gym by linking a series of
balances and rolls.
1. Run around the room avoiding others.
Repeat but walk, then repeat but jog.
Stand in a space, start to move around the
room by walking, trotting, running fast,
back to trotting, walking then stop. Repeat
this acceleration/deceleration.
Run, walk and trot around the room, don’t
touch anyone. Change order of actions.
Stand in a space, begin moving around the
room through walking, trotting and fast
running then back to running, trotting and
walking. Finally stop. Repeat this
acceleration/deceleration.
Do this “follow my leader” activity with a
partner. Make sure you don’t touch your
partner. This means you must both know
when you are changing speed.
2. Leap from one foot to the other and
continue in a series of large bounding steplike jumps.
Select the best pathway for the jumps.
Join together a series of rolls and sliding
actions. (Give children time to experiment
then pick child to demonstrate).
Try again changing direction when needed
at the end of each roll. Run, jump and sink
down into a balanced position.
Perform a series of twist and turns on the
floor and in the air.
Experiment and choose children to show
good pathways.
Use any of the ideas above to build a
series of movements to follow a “cloverleaf” pattern on the floor. Pick out demo’s.
Ask children to comment on what they see.
3. Apparatus Travel about gym exploring
apparatus over, under, along and through
etc. Be aware of others. Use own set of
apparatus as central point of clover-leaf
shape. Plan a sequence of movements to
follow that pathway using your own
apparatus, mats and floor space.
2. Floor work. Link together three or four
movements which enable you to travel
along a straight pathway of about 16 steps
– repeat till you can remember it.
Practise the sequence at a quick pace then
practise again at a very slow pace.
Repeat the sequence using acceleration
and deceleration.
Think which speed is suitable for each
movement.
Make up another sequence and go
through the same activities to find the most
suitable speeds for this sequence.
Plan and perform a sequence of
movements that take a circular pathway,
and show changes of speed and level.
Apparatus Travel about the gym exploring
the apparatus, over, under, along and
through. Be aware of others.
Travel round gym and use a variety of
travelling movements and when you come
to a clear piece of apparatus use it or cross
it as slow as you can.
Use own apparatus and plan a sequence
of movements showing a flexible pathway
and changes in speed and level.
Floor work. Discuss with partner how to
include four different travelling movements
and follow your own pathway in “follow my
leader”.
With partner discuss and practise before
composing a sequence to be performed
side by side and including appropriate
movements along a pathway chosen by
teacher.
Give time to experiment and then look at
sequences.
Apparatus As individuals move around the
gym and explore under, over, on, off
apparatus and be aware of others.
With a partner “follow my leader” between
the apparatus and when you come to a
clear piece of apparatus, work out how you
can cross or pass underneath or through it
side by side.
Stand side by side with a partner and take
the same time to slowly sit down, lie down,
sit up and stand up again.
4. Slide or move on hands and feet to
trace the first letter of your name on the
floor.
From lying on the floor, stand up. Start
slowly, accelerate into a jump. Use
deceleration to go down on floor.
Trace a semi-circle or circle in the air in
different ways.
Travel slowly around the room and trace
circle in the air. Repeat.
UNIT THEME Pathways
LEARNING OUTCOMES
TEACHING POINTS

Adapt a sequence to include
different levels, speeds or
directions.

Understand strength and
suppleness are important
parts of fitness.

Devise and perform a
gymnastic sequence,
showing clear beginning,
middle and end.
1. Show children a “snake” pathway and zigzag pathway.
Make sure partner knows when you are going
to slow down or speed up.
2. Look at children demonstrating a
controlled landing and a slow motion moving
into a balanced position – understand this is
accelerating into a jump and decelerating into
a balance.
3. Experiment and show demonstrations to
decide upon the suitability of actions for
pathways.
2. High quality sequences well contain
movements performed at different speeds.
Demonstrate to show changes of level and
speed.
2. Tell children to decide on the shape of the
pathway then work out suitable movements
to follow it. Look at demonstrations.
Evaluate – are the pathways similar/different?
Pupils to comment on what they see.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING
ACQUIRING AND DEVELOPING
1a, 1b
SELECTING AND APPLYING
2a
KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING OF FITNESS & HEALTH
4a, 4b, 4d
EVALUATING & IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
3a, 3b