Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• This lesson introduces Grade 1 learners to the joy and importance of physical education. The focus for the first week is on foundational locomotor skills, body awareness, and safe participation. In South Africa, where children play actively in diverse environments—from community parks and school grounds to their own backyards—understanding how to move their bodies effectively and safely is a crucial life skill. This lesson connects directly to their daily lives, whether it's playing a game of bhakaniya (tag), walking to the local spaza shop, or participating in cultural games and dances. By building a positive relationship with physical activity from a young age, we foster lifelong habits of health and well-being, helping our learners to grow up strong, confident, and healthy.
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
• Identify and point to major body parts (head, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, feet) during an activity.
• Demonstrate basic locomotor movements including walking, running, and hopping on request.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces Grade 1 learners to the joy and importance of physical education. The focus for the first week is on foundational locomotor skills, body awareness, and safe participation. In South Africa, where children play actively in diverse environments—from community parks and school grounds to their own backyards—understanding how to move their bodies effectively and safely is a crucial life skill. This lesson connects directly to their daily lives, whether it's playing a game of bhakaniya (tag), walking to the local spaza shop, or participating in cultural games and dances.

Lesson notes

This section provides the core knowledge for the teacher to deliver the lesson. The language used should be adapted to be simple and engaging for Grade 1 learners. A. Our Wonderful Bodies Our bodies are amazing! They are made of bones that give us shape and muscles that help us move. To make our bones and muscles strong, we need to move them every day. Physical Education, or PE, is our special time to learn how to move our bodies in fun and healthy ways. When we run, jump, and play, we are helping our bodies grow strong, just like watering a plant helps it grow tall.

B. The Warm-Up: Waking Up Our Muscles What is it? A warm-up is a set of slow, gentle movements we do at the start of PE. Why do we do it? Think of your body like a car on a cold morning. You need to warm up the engine before you can drive fast. A warm-up wakes up our muscles and tells our body, "Get ready to play!" This helps prevent us from getting hurt, like pulling a muscle.

Example: Neck Rolls: Gently roll your head from one shoulder to the other.

Arm Circles: Make big circles with your arms, like a windmill, forwards and backwards.

Jogging on the Spot: Gently run in one place to get your heart beating a little faster.

C. Locomotor Skills: Moving From Here to There What are they? Locomotor skills are the ways we move our whole body from one place to another. Today we will learn three important ones.

Walking: This is the first way we learn to move around! When we walk properly, we keep our heads up, look where we are going, and swing our arms gently.

Example:* "Let's all pretend we are walking with our Gogo to the market. We are walking carefully and looking for cars." Running: Running is like fast walking, but there is a moment when both your feet are off the ground at the same time! We use our arms to help us move faster. We must always look where we are going so we don't bump into anything.

Example:* "Imagine you are playing soccer in the park and you are running to score a goal!" Hopping: Hopping is when you jump and land on the same foot. It's a bouncy movement and great for balance.

Example: "Let's pretend we are bunnies hopping through a field. Now let's try playing ugusha (hopscotch) by hopping from one block to another."

D. Personal Space: Your Own Safety Bubble What is it? Personal space is the invisible bubble all around you. Stretch your arms out wide—that's your bubble! Why is it important? When we are moving in PE, we need to be careful not to bump into anyone else or pop their bubble. Keeping our own space helps everyone stay safe and have fun without getting hurt.

E. The Cool-Down: Time to Relax What is it? A cool-down is a set of slow stretches and deep breaths we do at the end of PE. Why do we do it? After playing hard, our bodies are full of energy. A cool-down helps our bodies to calm down slowly. It tells our muscles, "Thank you for working so hard, now it's time to relax."

Example: Deep Breaths: Breathe in slowly through your nose like you are smelling a beautiful protea flower, and breathe out slowly through your mouth like you are blowing out a candle.

Slow Stretches: Reach up high to the sky, then slowly bend down to touch your toes. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: Body Part Bop Instruction: "I am going to play some music. While the music plays, I want you to dance around in your own personal space. When the music stops, I will call out a body part, like 'Knees!' You must quickly, but gently, tap that body part with your hands and freeze like a statue. Ready?" Solution/Methodology: The teacher plays an upbeat South African song (e.g., by Master KG or Sho Madjozi). After 15-20 seconds, the teacher stops the music and calls out "Shoulders!" The teacher models the action by tapping their own shoulders. The teacher praises learners for freezing quickly and touching the correct body part. This activity reinforces listening skills and body part identification in a fun, active way.

Activity 2: The Movement Train Instruction: "Let's make a train! I will be the engine. Everyone stand behind me. When I say 'The train is walking,' we will all walk. When I say 'The train is running slowly,' we will all jog. When I say 'The train is hopping,' we will try to hop. You must copy the engine!" Solution/Methodology: The teacher leads the line of learners around the open space, clearly calling out the changes in movement. The teacher ensures there is enough space between learners. This guided activity provides a safe and structured way for learners to practice walking, running, and hopping while following a leader. It encourages coordination and group participation.

Activity 3: Red Light, Green Light (Rooi Lig, Groen Lig)

Instruction: "Spread out in the space, facing me. I am the traffic light. When I shout 'Green light!' you can run towards me. When I shout 'Red light!' you must freeze immediately. If I see you moving on a red light, you go back to the start.