PreK Week 11 Levels

This week your children will explore the spacial concept Levels. For reference; High level is above your shoulders, Low level is below your knees and medium level is between your knees and shoulders. This concept will be important in games, gymnastics and dance. This week the focus of levels will be in relationship to the surface the children are moving on.

PreK Week 11 Levels PowerPoint

High Low Medium Song (for Additional Part 3 Activities)

GRADE	TOPIC	UNIT
PreK	Levels	Dance
Equipment Needed Control Cones, Safety Rules Poster, Stretching Station Cards, High/Medium/Low cards, Yarn Balls, PowerPoint: Levels; Low, Medium & High – Lesson 11, Hoops, Yarn balls, fun movement music, Levels Music, Music Player. Content Standard Benchmarks or Common Core Standards Learning Goals, Objectives, Expected Outcomes Psychomotor make at least two different shapes, within each of the three levels. find at least two different ways to travel, using each of the three levels. Travel two different ways in each direction when retrieving the yarn ball. actively participates in the lesson activities and exercises. gain strength and flexibility through movement and stretching exercise Cognitive verbally identify the body parts on the front, back and side of the body. Affective Have Fun move and work safely among other children
ACTIVITY	PROCEDURE AND TRANSITIONS WITH MODIFICATIONS AND OR ACCOMMODATIONS	SETUP DESCRIPTION OR DIAGRAM
Entrance Routine	Stand on a Spot
Part 1 Warm-up/Review 5 – 10 minutes	Safety Color Hunt Explain the activity and show the children the video in the PowerPoint if possible. Keep the video looping during the activity. “Look under your spot. there is a card with a color. the color is not the same as your spot! your job is to travel to a spot that is the color of the card you just looked at. When i say go, travel to a spot that matches the color of your card. Leave the card under the spot after you look at it. Ready? Go!. Try it once or twice with the children looking and going with your signal. After they have tried it a couple times, show them the video or example of the continuous activity. Let them travel from spot to spot looking for the colors.	Assessment: As the children are moving from one spot to the next, ask them to identify the color they are going to. Differentiation Ask the children to travel in different directions to their new spot.
Transition	Get a mat that matches the spot you finished on and put your mat over the spot inside the boundaries.
Part 2 New skill or concept 10 minutes	Low Level (To the children:) “Find an own space and put your whole body very close to the ground, as close as you can.” After your children have all found an own space and are very close to the ground, you can point out some of the shapes you see, and the fact that they are soooo close to the ground. “Wow! Can you find another shape to put your body in and stay close to the ground? This is called being in a low level, when your body is very close to the ground it is in a low level in relation to the ground. Go to another own space and find another way to put your body in a low level.” Again, as your children are all getting to their new own space, be sure to point out the cool shapes you see in the low level. Continue to do this a few more times, until all your children are consistently creating shapes in a low level. High Level (To the children:) “This time find another own space and put your body as far away from the ground as you can without flying!” Walk around pointing out how far away from the ground they are, and the various shapes you see now. “Go to another own space and find another shape to put your body in as far away from the ground as you can. This is the opposite of being in a low level, it is called a High level. Go to another own space and make a new shape with your body in a high level.” Show off a shape or two as you walk around, or choose a couple children to show their shape while the whole class relaxes to watch. This will build up the self esteem of the children chosen, as well as give some great ideas to the other children. Continue to do this a few more times, until all your children are consistently creating shapes in a High level. Medium Level (To the children:) “Find a new own space and put your body in a shape that is in between a low level and a high level. This is called a medium level.” There are a lot of chances for variety in this level. It is important to make sure your children understand the concept and do not mistake low or high for this level. Let them try going to at least 3 or 4 more own spaces, trying different shapes in medium levels. Once you are satisfied that your children have a good grasp of the three different levels, move on to traveling in the different levels. Traveling in each of the three levels (To the children:) “When I say go again, travel in a High level. Ready, Go”. Watch to see that all your children are traveling in a high level. Name some of the ways you see your children traveling in a high level. “Can you find another way to travel in a high level?” After trying at least 2 or 3 ways to travel in a high level, have the children travel in a low level at least three different ways, followed by traveling in a medium level.
Transition	Stand on a mat
Part 3 Practice 5 minutes	Animal Action During the chorus, get to a mat and dance! When the song sings about the specific animal, travel around inside the boundaries, avoiding the mats, imitating the specific animal.	Assessment Ask the children to tell you which level they are traveling in as they are traveling, inside the boundaries.
Transition	Stay on the mat you finished on.
Part 4 Stretching & closure Taking it Home 5 Minutes	Cool Down Choose 3 stretches to do with the class. The PowerPoint uses three different Yoga poses/moves. The Monkey – breathing, the flamingo – balance and the Snake – stretching the core. Review While you are discussing the Levels, have the 3 posters available and point out the shapes on the poster as the children volunteer the answers. What Levels did you travel in today? (Low, Medium and High) Turn to a person next to you and tell each other about your favorite level to travel in today. What are the three directions you can use while you travel? (Forward, Backwards and Sideways)	Differentiation Strategies: Everyone’s flexibility is specific to their body. If you cannot reach as far as the demonstration, it’s ok. Reach as far as you can and still keep good form. Assessment Strategies: Visually assess whether your children are using the correct form. Watch to see they are not bouncing, but holding the stretch still.

Additional Part 1 Activities

Toss and Travel (You can use music during these activities)

Review the three levels. Show the children the cards as you review.

(To the children:)

“Remember to look for open spaces to throw your yarn ball into.”

Throw the yarn ball, choose a way to travel in a low level to get your yarn ball, throw the yarn ball to another open space, and choose a new way to travel in a low level to get the yarn ball. Keep throwing and traveling until I say stop.
Throw the yarn ball, choose a way to travel in a high level to get the yarn ball, throw the yarn ball to another open space, and choose a new way to travel in a high level to get the yarn ball. Keep throwing and traveling until I say stop.
Throw the yarn ball, choose a way to travel in a medium level to get the yarn ball, throw the yarn ball to another open space, and choose a new way to travel in a medium level to get the yarn ball. Keep throwing and traveling until I say stop.
Throw the yarn ball and you choose a level to travel to the yarn ball. When you get the yarn ball, throw it again. Choose a different level to travel in to get the yarn ball. Each time you throw the yarn ball, change your level to travel to the yarn ball.

Additional Part 3 Activities

Levels Challenge

(To the children:)

“Now you will have to listen while you travel. I will call out the level you will travel in, and while you are traveling in that level, I will call out a new level. When you hear the new level, change the level and the way you are traveling to match the level I call out. Ready, Low level, go.”

As they are traveling, every 15 seconds or so, call out a new level. Continue calling out new levels for another two

Musical Levels

Music: Traveling and Levels

(To the children:)

“Listen to the song, it tells you which level to travel in! At the very end you will have to pick out your own level to travel in!”

Levels Hunt

(To the children:)

After they are all standing next to a poly spot.

“Underneath each poly spot is a card that shows you an example of one of the three levels. The other side of the card has the name of the level. When the music begins, you will look under the poly spot you are standing close to. Travel in that level to a new poly spot. When you get to the new poly spot, look under it to see what your new level is. See if you can find out what is under every poly spot before the music stops. Keep going until the music stops.

Differentiation Strategies:

Easier – Begin with all the children traveling in the same level. Teacher directs children to freeze. After the children are stopped, choose one child to look under a poly spot and discover the new level to travel in. Teacher directs children to go, and they begin traveling in the new level. Continue traveling in levels until each child gets a turn to choose a poly spot to look under.

Challenge – Change directions in addition to using the new level each time they look under a poly spot.

Rhythm & Mini-Moves

Prek & Kindergarten Physical Education

PreK Week 11 Levels