Free Shipping on orders over $59 !Use Code: W3355See Details
P.E. Central Lesson Plan: Same and Different
Prerequisites:Students need to know basic locomotor skills and how to move through general space.
Purpose of Activity:To teach the concept of what looks the same and what looks different, with both objects and movement.
Suggested Grade Level:K-2
Materials Needed:Enough pairs of the exact same piece of equipment for everyone to have one item; For example: 2 tennis balls; 2 red hoops; 2 beanbags; 2 blue 5" balls; 2 red balls; 2 scoops; 2 hula hoops; etc;; CD/boom box; upbeat 4/4 music;
Lesson Plan:Description of Idea
Have students choose a piece of equipment from the basket and take it to a self space. Ask them to now find the other person who has the exact same piece of equipment as they do. Next ask them to find someone who has a different piece of equipment. When with this person, they are asked to switch pieces of equipment with that person, so each person now has a new piece of equipment. Allow them to play with this piece of equipment for a minute or so; repeat by having students find someone with the same piece of equipment (a new partner).
Have students leave their piece of equipment together on the floor and come to sit in a group. Ask students if they know what it is called when both partners have the SAME piece of equipment (they are "matching"). Remind students that not only can clothes or objects be matching, but so can one's movements. This is what their next challenge will be -- to match the movements of their partner.
Explain that they will go back to their space with their new partner and find a way to MOVE using the same locomotor movement as this partner (they may or may not use their piece of equipment while they are moving). Allow them to work on this for a moment; play music while they are doing so.
Stop the music, then have students find a partner with a different piece of equipment and move differently with that partner to the music, e.g. one partner hops while one partner skips. Students can then change equipment with this person and find a new partner who has the same piece of equipment. Once these two students find a way to move the same, have each find a different partner, move differently, etc. By repeatedly changing, students are able to work with many different students in their class.
This is an excellent lesson for use in an inclusion setting.
If there is an odd number of students in the class, give the person who has the "odd" piece of equipment a piece similar to two pieces already chosen. This results in there being one group of three students when they match up to those with the same piece of equipment.
The concept of matching can be taken further into a creative dance lesson which focuses only on "matching". When students initially take a piece of equipment, challenge them to find as many ways as possible to move this piece in their self space (not moving out of it). Then have them find the partner who has the same piece of equipment. Now have them find a way to move this same piece of equipment the same way at the same time. Give them a minute or so (play music while they do this), then have them quickly show other groups what they created. Then bring students in and explain the concept of matching, as above, noting that "matching" occurs when partners are side-by-side (as opposed to facing, which would be "mirroring"). Now ask students to go back and work on their sequence, standing side-by-side and matching the equipment's movement at the same time. Again, give them a
few minutes and music by which to do this; have them show their creation when done to all!
This would be assessed by observing to see if the students know
equipment that looks the same and looks different. Having two balls is not the same, it must be the same size [and color] also. When the students are moving, they must move the same when they have the same equipment or move differently when they have a different piece of equipment.
Author:Donna Rothman who teaches at Summit Park Elementary School in Baltimore , MD . Posted on PEC: 6/7/2001.
This lesson plan was provided courtesy of P.E. Central (www.pecentral.org).
Products for This Lesson: