• Fitness & Health
• Sport & Exercise Science
• Physical Education
• Strength & Conditioning
• Sports Medicine
• Sport Management
• Dance

Lesson plan for decision-making for positive health outcomes (Grades K-2)

This is an excerpt from Lesson Planning for Skills-Based Elementary Health Education 2nd Edition With Web Resource by Holly Alperin,Sarah Benes.

Lesson 2: Let’s Be Active in Small Spaces

Note: Before teaching this lesson, be aware that some children will be unable to perform some of these activities because they have a motor impairment, they may not know (e.g., how an elephant swings their trunk), or because they haven’t developed the skills (e.g., planking or burpees). In some cases, you will need to provide scaffolding, but in other cases, you may need to think about adaptations that foster inclusiveness rather than singling out the children with the motor impairments. This lesson can be done in collaboration with the physical education teacher, who may have other ideas for games and activities in small spaces.

Purpose

In lesson 1, students were introduced to the definition and relevance of decision-making and the skill steps that ask students to identify some decision helpers. This lesson lets students apply the skill cues associated with decision-making at the K-2 level (the five W’s) and will explore different types of physical activities that can be done in small spaces.

Skill Objectives

• 5.2.2 Recognize when help is needed for a decision about physical activity (modified).
• 5.2.3 Describe options and potential outcomes for a health-related ­decision.
• 5.2.4 Choose an option that supports health and well-being.

Functional Knowledge Objectives

• Identify physical activities for small spaces.

Skill Development Steps

• Step 4: Provide opportunities for practice and feedback
• Functional information

Materials

• Varies based on the small space activities chosen.
• Copies of the Fitness Bingo activity cards

Instant Activity

Ask students to respond to the following prompt: Let’s think about the last time we met for health class. We talked about decision helpers. Can you name some of the decision helpers we talked about? Why is it important to know who our decision helpers are (formative assessment of lesson 1 objective)?

Introduction

Once students have settled in and have had a chance to answer the Instant Activity prompt, introduce the lesson for the day by explaining that in today’s lesson we will be trying out some different activities to use in small spaces and talk about reasons we may or may not use different activities. Review the lesson objectives.

Main Activities

1. Group discussion
   • Ask students: Today we are talking about being active in small spaces. What kinds of spaces do you think we might be talking about? Their answers can be any space where they do not have a lot of room but still want to be active, like the living room, classroom, deck or porch, ­bedroom, or garage.
   • Tell students: All these spaces, although small, can be spaces where we move our bodies and be active. Let’s come up with some examples of physical activities and movements we can do in these small spaces.
   • Brainstorm a list and write down some of the examples. This might include a dance party; twist-and-reach body exercises (e.g., running in place, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees, plank stretching); games (e.g., Twister); or a fort.
   • Let students know these are all good ideas and that you have a few more that you are going to play today.
2. Be Active in Small Spaces!: Have students participate in some of the ­small-space activities. After each activity, ask students to share some ­reasons that doing the activity could be a positive way to be active and why it may not be a good idea to do the activity.
3. Fitness Bingo: Give each student a Bingo card that lists a variety of ­different activities. You can use the example below, create your own, or find one online.
   

   

4. Tape Games: Create various designs on the floor in different shapes or ­patterns for students to follow, like
   • a squiggly line,
   • a hopscotch outline,
   • two lines (moving from one line to the other in the least amount of steps), and
   • a tic-tac-toe board (students are the pieces or use other marking items).
5. Mindful Movement Zone: Give students the name of an animal. For the animal, ask students to create a movement or action that is done by that animal. For example, a cat could be on all four legs and arch their back (and could transition to being a cow by rounding their back), a kangaroo could hop around the space, or an elephant could swing their trunk. ­Students could be directed to do different movements either “fast” or “slow.”

Closing

Ask students to share with a partner an activity they want to try in their small space. Ask students to share with the class. As a follow-up, students could be asked if they would need the help of an adult before doing their activity.

Meeting the Needs of All Learners

• Include sensory-inclusive activities in the Be Active in Small Spaces! ­activity.
• Modify, as necessary, to ensure developmental appropriateness; for ­example, adjust the activities to ensure students with mobility issues can participate.

Resources and Extension Ideas

“Small-space indoor games and activities for kids” (https://activeforlife.com​/small-space-games-and-activities)

More Excerpts From Lesson Planning for Skills-Based Elementary Health Education 2nd Edition With Web Resource

---