Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• This week, we are focusing on enhancing our fitness through fun physical activities and improving our fundamental movement skills. Being physically fit is super important for all of us, especially as young South Africans! When we're fit, we have more energy to play with our friends, concentrate in class, and stay healthy and strong. Physical activity also helps us feel good about ourselves and cope better with stress. Think about how much better you feel after running around in the park with your friends compared to sitting inside all day. This week’s activities are designed to build strength, flexibility, and coordination, all while having fun! We'll learn how to do different exercises correctly and understand why each exercise is beneficial.
• Learning Objectives (CAPS Aligned):
• By the end of this week, learners will be able to:
• Objective 1: Demonstrate correct technique for at least three different locomotor skills (e.g., skipping, galloping, hopping). (CAPS: Physical Education, Movement performance)
• Objective 2: Participate actively and enthusiastically in fitness activities, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of physical activity for health. (CAPS: Physical Education, Active participation)

Lesson summary

This week, we are focusing on enhancing our fitness through fun physical activities and improving our fundamental movement skills. Being physically fit is super important for all of us, especially as young South Africans! When we're fit, we have more energy to play with our friends, concentrate in class, and stay healthy and strong. Physical activity also helps us feel good about ourselves and cope better with stress. Think about how much better you feel after running around in the park with your friends compared to sitting inside all day. This week’s activities are designed to build strength, flexibility, and coordination, all while having fun!

Lesson notes

This week's focus is on building a foundation for lifelong fitness through a combination of locomotor skills, flexibility exercises, and cooperative games.

A. Locomotor Skills: Locomotor skills are movements that allow us to move from one place to another. They are fundamental building blocks for more complex physical activities and sports.

These skills include: Walking: The most basic locomotor skill. Remember to swing your arms and keep your head up!

Running: A faster version of walking. Focus on using your arm swing for power and landing softly on your feet.

Skipping: A combination of a step and a hop on the same foot. This requires good coordination and balance. Imagine you are a happy frog jumping!

Hopping: Jumping on one foot and landing on the same foot. Practice hopping on both your left and right foot. Think of kangaroos hopping across the Australian outback!

Galloping: Moving forward with one foot always leading. It's like a horse running! The leading foot steps forward, and the trailing foot quickly follows.

Jumping: Propelling yourself off the ground using both feet and landing on both feet. Think of jumping over a puddle after a rainstorm in Durban! Why are locomotor skills important? They improve coordination, balance, and cardiovascular health. They also make everyday activities like playing games and getting around easier and more enjoyable.

B. Flexibility Exercises (Stretching): Flexibility refers to the range of motion in your joints. Stretching helps improve flexibility by lengthening your muscles.

Arm Circles: Gently rotate your arms forward and backward in small and then larger circles. This improves shoulder flexibility.

Toe Touches: Slowly bend forward from your waist and try to touch your toes. Don't force it; just go as far as you comfortably can. This stretches your hamstrings (the muscles at the back of your thighs).

Side Bends: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and gently bend to the side, reaching your hand down your leg. Alternate sides. This stretches the muscles on the sides of your body.

Quad Stretch: Stand and hold your ankle, gently pulling your heel towards your buttock. This stretches your quadriceps (the muscles at the front of your thighs). You can use a wall or chair for balance.

Calf Stretch: Stand facing a wall, place one foot slightly behind the other, and lean forward, keeping your back heel on the ground. This stretches your calf muscle (the muscle at the back of your lower leg). Why is flexibility important? It reduces the risk of injury, improves posture, and allows you to move more freely. Imagine a soccer player stretching before a match in Soweto to avoid pulling a muscle.

Important Tips for Stretching: Always warm up your muscles before stretching (e.g., with light jogging). Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds. Breathe deeply and relax while stretching. Never force a stretch. Stop if you feel pain.

C. Cooperative Games: Cooperative games are activities where everyone works together towards a common goal. They promote teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Examples include: Three-Legged Race: Partners stand side-by-side and tie one leg together. They then try to run together to a finish line.

Human Knot: A group of people stands in a circle, reaches out and grabs the hands of two different people. The group then has to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hands.

Obstacle Course: A group creates an obstacle course and then works together to navigate it, helping each other over or around the obstacles. Why are cooperative games important? They teach valuable social skills, encourage empathy, and create a fun and supportive environment. They also foster a sense of belonging and community, much like a vibrant street soccer game in a township.

D. Muscles Used: Throughout these activities, we are using many different muscles. It’s important to be aware of which muscles we’re working!

Legs: Running, jumping, skipping, hopping all primarily use the muscles in our legs. These include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles.

Arms: Arm circles, throwing, and even running (for arm swing) use our arm muscles, like the biceps and triceps.

Core: Our core muscles (abdominal and back muscles) are engaged in almost all activities to help us maintain balance and stability. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Demonstrate the correct technique for skipping. Explain what to focus on to maintain balance and coordination.

Solution: Technique: A skip is a step followed by a hop on the same foot. Alternate feet with each skip.

Balance and Coordination: Focus on lifting your knees high, pushing off with your toes during the hop, and swinging your arms to maintain balance. Imagine you’re skipping down a road, and try to stay on a straight line. Practicing slowly at first will help improve coordination.

Question 2: Perform a quad stretch, holding it for 15 seconds.