Zervas Physical Education
Curriculum
Grades 3, 4,and 5
Fall
New York City Street Games
Childhood Games
Bowling and Related Games
Four square and Related Games
New York Street Games
New York City Street Games
Games include stick ball, stoop ball,slap
ball, and box ball.
Skills: throwing,catching,striking,and base
running
Vocabulary/Lingo:
stoop,macadam,spaldeen,and sewer
cover…
Games of Childhood
These are also street or sidewalk games:
hopscotch,marbles, jacks, jump rope
and “skullize”
Children in K-2 also participate in these
activities.
Skills: agility,endurance,and balance
Vocabulary/Lingo: knuckling down, swirls,
aggies,scrubbing, “keepsies”…
Bowling and Related Games
We play a cross between ten pin and candle pin
bowling.Our rules are more candle pin.This is
all school activity (K-5)
Related games: bocce, marbles, skittles,lawn
bowling,and corn shot
Skills: Four step delivery, rolling which is a form
of throwing, eye hand coordination, and how
to score
Vocabulary/Lingo: gutter, strike,turkey,
frame,splits,kegal (we have over 69 terms)
4 Square and Related Games
With the K-2 grades this curriculum is called
“Racket,Nets,Courts, and Hands”
We will have 4 square tournaments
Related games: tether ball,table tennis,quad
ball,Roman ball,2 square,and wall ball
Skills:Cooperation, serving(a form of
throwing/striking),underhand,overhand hits
and following rules
Vocabulary/Lingo: bus stop,chicken feet, hot
ball, and tree tops….
Winter
Fitness and Nutrition
Gymnastics (Ropes,Rings, and Mats)
Volleyball
Project Adventure
Fitness and Nutrition
I sometimes combine Fitness and Nutrition with
gymnastics. This is a K-5 curriculum.
We learn how to read the food
pyramid,and the”Nutrition Facts” on packages, how to
choose healthy snacks
Skills: All the components of health- related fitness:
muscular strength and endurance,
cardiovascular strength and endurance, flexibility and
balance
Vocabulary: aerobic, anaerobic, heart rate,wellness…
Fitness stations: Exercise machines,heavy jump
ropes,hand weights
Wellness
“ Wellness is a multi-dimensional
approach to well-being tat emphasizes
individual responsibility.
It is an active process of becoming
aware of and making choices toward a
healthier and more fulfilling life”.
Physical, Emotional, Career, Intellectual,
Environmental, Social,Spiritual
Gymnastics
At Zervas we only have ropes, rings and
mats.The K-5 grades all participate.
Gymnastics is also combined with fitness.
The students compete on the “Monkey” and
“Tarzan” clubs.
Skills: Muscle strength and endurance,
balance,agility,flexibility.
Vocabulary:L &V hangs,bird’s nest,skin the
cat,inverted hang,tuck,extend…
Spring
Volleyball
Project Adventure
Jump Rope and Related Games
Lifetime Activities
Old Fashion Base Ball &Tennis Baseball
Volleyball
Volleyball is an Olympic sport. Some times we pretend
to have a mini Zervas Olympics. The students divide
into small groups and choose a country. After the
terrible tsunami we choose countries effected by the
wave.The teams draw the countries flag and do a
brief written report.
Skills: overhand,underhand,sidearm serving (throw)
setting,bumping,blocking and spiking.
Vocabulary: court,serving line, net violation, dig,and
rotation…
Project Adventure
This is another curriculum that is school wide K-5.
The Full Value Contract for Zervas is Play Hard, Play Fair ,Play
Safe, and Have Fun.
It also has Challenge by Choice.
Icebreakers and Games include “Escape from Shark
Island”,Popcorn, “Toxic Waste Transfer”
Skills: Demonstrate use of motor skills and concepts.Responsible
for personal behavior.Use effective interpersonal
skills.Demonstrate decision making skills,problem solving,goal
setting.Understanding of and respect for differences.
Vocabulary: Is the Full Value Contract and Challenge by Choice.
Jump Rope and Related Games
This is a school wide activity K-5.
The great thing about jump rope is that it includes many
self challenge opportunities for different levels of skill.
Skills: Jump forward and rest-Steady forward
jumping,double under, jumping with a partner…
Related games: Pogo sticks,stilts,hula hoops,pogo
balls,skip-its…
Skills Developed:Endurance,agility, balance,strength
Vocabulary/Lingo: Salt, pepper,front door, back
door,Double Dutch,rhymes…
Lifetime Activities
Lifetime as its name implies can be played from ages 6
to100+. We alternate these activities with Old
Fashion and Tennis Baseball.
Activities: Horse shoes, croquet, Yolf
(golf),badminton,bocce, shuffleboard
Skills: eye hand coordination,strategies,manipulation of
equipment (rackets,mallets,clubs)
Vocabulary: Ringer,court ,shuttlecocks,call shots,discs,
the jack…
Old Fashion Base Ball
Tennis Baseball
The rules of Old Fashion Base Ball are different then modern
baseball.Genteel behavior is expected of players and spectators
alike.
Rules:Pitches are underhand, any hit is fair,outs if fly ball is caught
or by soaking,more than 1 player on a base allowed,bases may
be run in reverse (3.-2-1-Home) every player bats then you
switch,1st team to 21 tallies wins.
Skills: Throwing,catching, striking, strategies
Vocabulary/Lingo:Feeder=pitcher,behind=catcher,
striker=batter,base tenders=base payers,
soaking=pegging,tally=run
Cheers:Both encouraging- Capital!, Well Struck! and
Disappointment- Carsarn It!,Thunderation!(there are others)
Artists
Stilt Walkers - Francisco de Goya
Snap the Whip - Winslow Homer
Untitled (Blind man’s bluff)- Kitagawa Utamoro
Children’s Games - Pieter Bruegel
The East River - Maurice Prendergast
Baseball Players- Elaine De Kooning
Ajax and Achilles Play A Board Game- Unknown (Etruscan vase)
Scarecrow playing croquet - W W Denslow
Girls Playing Knucklebones - Unknown 3rd Century BC
The Story of Rip Van Winkle-@1896 McLoughlin Bros. NY(possibly
Arthur Rackman or George P Webster
Clip Art- Mircosoft Office