GRADE

TOPIC

UNIT

PreK

Levels & Balance

Dance

Equipment Needed

Control Cones, Safety Rules Poster, Stretching Station Cards, High/Medium/Low cards, PowerPoint: Levels & Balance – Lesson 12, Hoops, fun movement music, Levels Music, Music Player.

Content Standard Benchmarks or Common Core Standards

Learning Goals, Objectives, Expected Outcomes

Psychomotor

1. Demonstrate a travel and balance sequence that includes traveling in all three levels and balances on at least three different single body parts.

Cognitive

1. Verbally identify the three levels.
2. Verbally identify the single body part that the student is balancing on.
3. Create a sequence that includes traveling in each of the three levels.
4. Create a sequence that includes balancing on at least three different single body parts.

Affective

1. Have Fun
2. Move and work safely among other children

ACTIVITY

PROCEDURE AND TRANSITIONS WITH

MODIFICATIONS AND OR ACCOMMODATIONS

SETUP

DESCRIPTION OR DIAGRAM

Entrance Routine

Part 1

Warm-up/Review

5 – 10 minutes

Review Levels

Individually review the three levels.

Begin with Low level, ask the children to show you a shape on their mat in a low level. Let them travel to a new mat and create a new shape in a low level.

Do this for each of the three levels.

Assessment:

Ask the children to tell you the level that they are holding their weight in.

Part 2

New skill or concept

Transition

Practice

30 minutes

This game is the same as color hunt, but the card under the mat is a picture with the word that describes the level.  When the children get to the mat, they will look under it and make a shape on the mat in the level that the card indicates.  The children should leave the card under the mat, create the shape, hold it for 5 seconds and then move onto the next mat!

Traveling Levels

Play the levels song again, encouraging the students to find different ways to travel in each of the three levels.  The PowerPoint this week includes a video of the 3-5 year olds traveling in each of the three levels during the song.

Travel & Balance

Explain that you will be calling out the level they should travel in and the level they will balance in.

• Travel in a high level to a new mat, Balance on your Seat.
• Travel in a low level to a new mat, Balance on your stomach.
• Travel in a medium level to a new mat, Balance on your Back
• Travel in a Low Level to a new mat, Balance on your foot.
• Travel in a high level to a new mat and balance on your hip.
• Travel in a medium level to a new mat and balance on your Knee
• Travel in a Low level, and you choose the balance when you get to the mat.
• Travel in a high Level and you choose the balance when you get to the mat.  Choose a different balance than the one you just did.
• Travel in a medium level and choose the balance when you get to the mat.  Choose a different balance than the one you just did.
• You Choose the level you are going to travel in, and you choose the balance!

Travl & Balance with Music

Explain to the children that you are going to play a song to travel to.  When the music plays, the children will choose a level to travel in.  When the music stops, the children will choose a body part to balance on.

The PowerPoint has two slides, one with traveling and one slide that has all the single body parts for the children to reference when they balance. If possible give the children a visual example of the different balances.

Assessment

Ask the children to tell you which level they are making a shape in.

Differentiation:

Easiest: The way the children travel isn’t the focus.  Point out the children who are looking for the level, and then holding a shape in that level.  You can even have a student demonstrate the activity if the class isn’t understanding the activity.

More difficult: As your students get the idea of the game, encourage them to try different ways of traveling each time they go to a new mat.

Stretching & closure

Taking it Home

5 Minutes

Choose 3 stretches to do with the class.  The PowerPoint uses a new cool down sequence, which includes breathing/relaxation and some stretching.

Review

While you are discussing the Levels and balances, have the posters available and point out the poster as the children volunteer the answers. 

1. What Levels did you travel in today?  (Low, Medium and High)
2. What was your favorite balance today?

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.