Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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

Performance objectives

• This week, we're diving deeper into physical education! We'll be building on what we learned in previous weeks about moving our bodies and staying healthy. Physical activity is super important for Grade 1 learners in South Africa. It helps us grow strong bones and muscles, improve our concentration in class, and makes us feel happy! When we play and move, we learn important skills like teamwork, coordination, and following instructions – all things that will help us succeed at school and in life. Think about playing soccer with your friends in the township, or dancing to Gqom music at a family gathering - these are all forms of physical activity that are part of our South African culture! This week, our focus will be on combining different movements to create simple routines and participating in games that promote fitness.
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this week, you will be able to:
• LO1: Combine at least three different locomotor movements (running, jumping, hopping) in a sequence. This is about putting different types of movement together to make a short routine.
• LO2: Participate actively in games that improve cardiovascular fitness (e.g., running games, tag). Cardiovascular fitness is about how well your heart and lungs work when you're being active.

Lesson summary

This week, we're diving deeper into physical education! We'll be building on what we learned in previous weeks about moving our bodies and staying healthy. Physical activity is super important for Grade 1 learners in South Africa. It helps us grow strong bones and muscles, improve our concentration in class, and makes us feel happy! When we play and move, we learn important skills like teamwork, coordination, and following instructions – all things that will help us succeed at school and in life. Think about playing soccer with your friends in the township, or dancing to Gqom music at a family gathering - these are all forms of physical activity that are part of our South African culture!

Lesson notes

Locomotor Movements: These are movements that move you from one place to another. Think of them as the building blocks of movement!

Running: Moving quickly on your feet, with both feet off the ground at some point.

Why it matters:* Running is great for cardiovascular fitness and leg strength.

How to do it well:* Keep your head up, swing your arms, and land softly on your feet.

Jumping: Pushing off the ground with your legs and landing back down. This can be jumping forward, backward, or in place.

Why it matters:* Jumping improves leg strength and coordination.

How to do it well:* Bend your knees before jumping, push off strongly, and land softly with bent knees.

Hopping: Jumping on one foot only.

Why it matters:* Hopping helps with balance and coordination.

How to do it well:* Use your arms to help you balance, and try to keep your body upright.

Skipping: A combination of a step and a hop.

Why it matters:* Skipping improves coordination and rhythm.

How to do it well:* Alternate legs and try to move smoothly.

Cardiovascular Fitness: This is how well your heart and lungs work together to get oxygen to your body during physical activity. If you can run around without getting too tired, you have good cardiovascular fitness!

Why it matters:* Cardiovascular fitness helps us stay healthy, have more energy, and be able to do all the things we enjoy.

How to improve it:* Running games, tag, dancing, and other activities that get your heart rate up.

Personal Space: The area around your body that you need to feel comfortable. It's like an invisible bubble!

Why it matters:* Respecting personal space helps us avoid bumping into each other and keeps us safe while we're moving.

How to respect it:* Be aware of where other people are around you and try to keep a safe distance between yourselves.

Combining Movements: We can put these different movements together to create short routines! This helps us improve our coordination and creativity.

Example 1:* Run for 5 steps, then jump twice, then hop on your right foot twice.

Example 2:* Hop three times, skip twice, then run back to your starting point.

Example 3:* Jump forward, run to the side, then hop backwards.

Worked example

Imagine you are playing a game of "Animal Walk".

The teacher says:

"Walk like an Elephant (slow, heavy steps) for 3 steps"

"Jump like a Frog (big jumps) for 2 jumps"

"Hop like a Bunny (small hops on one foot) for 3 hops on each foot"

How to succeed: Make sure to act out each animal walk, counting the steps and hops carefully. This combines different movements into a sequence and is fun.

Another common game is "Simon Says". Simon can ask you to do any combination of these moves.

Understanding Fitness through Tag Games: In a tag game, you constantly have to adjust your speed and movements. You are developing not only your stamina (cardiovascular fitness), but also agility, which is the ability to quickly change directions. For instance, if you are playing a game of freeze tag, you need to be aware of where your friends are, and how to quickly run away from someone trying to tag you.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)