Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Body Awareness Gymnastics

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objective-setting stage is crucial for clearly outlining what students should achieve by the end of the lesson. By establishing specific objectives, students can direct their focus and efforts during practical activities in the classroom, ensuring that learning is targeted and effective. This stage also serves to align expectations between the teacher and students, promoting a more organized and productive learning environment.

Main Objectives:

1. Explore gymnastics as a tool to enhance students' body awareness, highlighting the importance of recognizing and managing their own body movements for healthy physical and motor development.

2. Develop practical skills in gymnastics exercises that promote coordination, balance, and flexibility, engaging students in activities that require self-awareness and body control.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage reflection on one's practice and the importance of physical and mental self-care through gymnastics.
2. Foster collaboration and communication among students during practical activities, reinforcing the importance of teamwork and mutual respect.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and connect the knowledge they have previously acquired with practical application in the lesson. By using problem situations, students are encouraged to think critically about how body awareness applies in real life, preparing them for practical activities. The contextualization helps build a deeper understanding of the impact that body awareness has on daily life, increasing interest and relevance of the topic for students.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are participating in a balance competition. How do you think your body awareness could influence your performance?

2. Think of a situation where you need to react quickly to avoid an object coming towards you. How could knowledge of your body's movements and limitations help in that situation?

Contextualization

Body Awareness Gymnastics is not only related to physical activities in gyms or schools; it also applies to many everyday situations. For example, being aware of how you sit can prevent back pain, and understanding how to distribute your weight when carrying heavy objects can prevent injuries. Interesting facts, such as gymnasts using body awareness techniques to improve performance and reduce the risk of accidents, make learning more relevant and engaging.

Development

Duration: (75 - 80 minutes)

The development phase is designed to allow students to apply the concepts of body awareness in practical and challenging activities. By working in groups, they not only develop physical skills but also improve communication and collaboration. Each proposed activity aims to integrate learning in a fun and interactive way, ensuring that students can directly experience the benefits of greater body awareness in various situations.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Body Awareness Circuit

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop body awareness skills through a range of practical activities that challenge students in different ways.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to five and will go through a circuit with stations that challenge different body skills. Each station will have an activity focused on a specific aspect of body awareness, such as balance, coordination, and flexibility.

- Instructions:

• Organize the room into five different stations, each with a specific challenge related to body awareness.

• Each group starts at one station and has 10 minutes to complete the challenge before rotating to the next.

• Instruct students to reflect on how each activity affects their perception and body control.

• At the end of the circuit, each group should discuss and present which activity was the most challenging and why.

Activity 2 - Tightrope Walkers

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Improve balance perception and the ability to control and adjust the body in response to different challenges.

- Description: Students should simulate the balance necessary for a tightrope walker, using simple materials such as ropes or marked tapes on the floor. The challenge is to cross from one point to another in the room, with variations to increase difficulty, such as blindfolds or carrying an object.

- Instructions:

• Mark a straight line on the floor with tape that will serve as the 'tightrope'.

• Students should try to cross from one extreme to the other of the tightrope, first with their eyes open and then with their eyes blindfolded.

• Introduce variations such as balancing a book on their heads or holding a ball between their hands while crossing.

• Each student attempts the crossing while others watch and provide feedback on posture and technique.

Activity 3 - Mimes in the Park

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Explore body awareness through imitation of specific movements, promoting an understanding of how our body moves and adapts to different activities.

- Description: In this fun activity, students will have to imitate various activities that can be done in a park (such as playing frisbee, rollerblading, walking an imaginary dog), focusing on the precision of movements and awareness of the different body parts involved.

- Instructions:

• Create cards with different park activities and place them in a box.

• Each group draws a card and must prepare a mime presentation of the selected activity, highlighting the body awareness needed to perform such movements.

• After the presentation, other groups must guess the activity and discuss the movements used.

• Group reflection on the differences in executing movements and the importance of body awareness in everyday activities.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan aims to consolidate students' learning, allowing them to articulate what they have learned and how they can apply that knowledge. The group discussion helps reinforce body awareness concepts, promotes the exchange of ideas and experiences among students, and facilitates the identification of areas for future improvement or additional learning.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion by inviting each group to share their experiences and discoveries during the activities. Use questions like 'What did you find most challenging and why?' and 'How do you think body awareness helped in completing the activities?' to guide the conversation. Encourage students to reflect on how the activities relate to everyday situations and how they can apply what they have learned in their routines.

Key Questions

1. Which activity did you find most challenging and why?

2. How did body awareness influence your performance in the activities?

3. In what way can you apply what you learned today in your daily life?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The conclusion stage serves to consolidate the knowledge acquired during the lesson, helping students to synthesize the information and practices experienced. This final reflection reinforces the importance of body awareness and provides students with a clear understanding of how to apply the concepts learned in their daily routines, as well as establishing a bridge between theoretical knowledge and its practical applications.

Summary

To conclude, let's review the main points addressed in today's lesson. We discussed and practiced Body Awareness Gymnastics techniques, emphasizing the importance of perception and control of body movements. We explored various activities that challenge balance, coordination, and flexibility, allowing for a practical experience of the concepts studied.

Theory Connection

This lesson was designed to connect theory and practice in an integrated way. Students had the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations through circuits and activities that simulate everyday challenges, allowing them to visualize the applicability of body awareness concepts in their daily lives.

Closing

Body awareness is essential not only for physical activities but also for overall health and well-being. The skills developed today are applicable in many situations, from preventing injuries to improving performance in sports and daily activities. I encourage everyone to continue practicing and deepening these concepts to promote a healthier and more conscious lifestyle.