Welcome Back PE will begin Monday Audust 13!!

Week 6: Overhand throwing

This week in PE we are having a paper and pencil assessment on the overhand throw. We covered the overhand throw this last week and we are review it again this week in the form of an assessment and also some great games. Younger students will be informally assessed rather than a paper and pencil assessment.

After the assessment we will be doing an activity called clean out your backyard. This activity seeks to give all the students several opportunities to practice the overhand throw. The object of the game is to keep you backyard clean (your side of the gym) by throwing all the balls on your side to the other side. The middle of the gym is separated by a volleyball net and the balls must go over the net. Both sides battle to see who can have the least amount of balls on their side when the music stops.

At the end of class students will be given some free time to throw paper airplanes around the gym and again practice the overhand throw.

Week 5: Throwing and Catching

This week in PE we are working on throwing and catching. For the younger grades we will focus on the underhand throw and catching with two hands. The main cues for the under hand throw are “Tick Tock.” We will start by throwing to a target and move on to partners and then put it into a small game called Oscar’s garbage can. During this game students must use an underhand throw to the garbage can (mats that are standing up) while two students are in the garbage can throwing is back out.

For the older grades we will be outside if the weather permits and working on the overhand throw. We will have all different kinds of equipment to throw, things ranging from a football to a yarn ball. The main cues for the overhand throw are
1. Side to target
2. Step with the opposite foot
3. Make an L- Shape with the arm you are throwing with
4. Follow through

After throwing to one another for a while we will work on throwing to a moving target and then put it all into a game called ultimate football. I am more focused on the throwing this week and less concerned about the catching however next week we will primarily focus on the catch side of things.

Week 4: Pacer


This week in PE we are running the Pacer. The pacer is a cardiovascular endurance test that takes place in the gym. Students run across the gym to a prerecorded CD that beeps every 30 seconds. The beeps get faster as times goes on. If you do not make it to the other side of the gym before the CD beeps then you get a “Mistake,” you are allowed two mistakes and then your test is over. The Osuna pacer record was set last year by a 5th grader with 110 laps.

This year I will be doing the pacer two times, once in the fall and once in the spring to measure fitness and also possible improvement throughout the year. Students are encouraged to go as long as they can within their limit. We discuss cardiovascular endurance and pacing themselves prior to the test.

If any time remains at the end of class students will be allowed to jump rope or play helicopter. For more info about the pacer check out these links:

http://www.fitnessgram.net/protocols/pacer.pdf http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/pacer-test.htm

Week 3: Battleship!

Students are participating in a PE favorite called battleship this week. It works on both the overhand and underhand throw. It also works on teamwork and game strategy. The object of the game is to sink everyone’s battleship before your own battleship is sunk. Ships are sunk when all their pins, lined up on the corners of the ship, are knocked down. Students must stay on their mat (battleship) unless they are the team’s dolphin, in which case they are on a scooter and retrieving balls (cannons) for their team. This game is very fast pasted and games only last 3-5 minutes. New dolphins are selected each time and strategy time is given to teams to discuss ways to protect their battleship while trying to sink others ships. Grades K-2 are assessed on underhand throwing and teamwork. Grades 3-5 are assessed on overhand throwing and teamwork. PE standards covered this week include standard 1 and standard 5.

Week 2: Pedometer Power!!


This week during PE we will start to talk about Pedometers and how we are going to use them throughout the year. Because we were so successful during our jump rope for Osuna last year, I have purchased a classroom set of pedometers and we will be using them for the first time this week! (a pedometer is a device used to count the amount of steps a student takes) We will be introducing them with some fitness activities and I will be keeping track of how many steps each class takes through out the week and year. Hopefully this will encourage even more exercise for all students at Osuna.

The two activities that will be performed will be:
1. Four corners tag
2. Fitness scavenger hunt

Both of these games can be found on www.pecentral.com at these links,

http://www.pecentral.com/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=684
http://www.pecentral.com/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=680

For more information about pedometers check this out,

http://www.walkingworksforschoolstn.com/teachers_tools/usingyourpedometer.shtml