Up, Up, Upper Body Strength!!!

Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1 grade)

Severity of Disabilities: Mild to Moderate

Number of Students: 6

Setting: Multi-purpose room

Equipment: large parachute (6-8 individuals), various size and colored soft balls, and a music player
(fast and slow tempos)

Topic/Unit: Upper body strength with parachute

Duration: 30 minutes

Modification(s): The students will be holding onto the parachute during the warm-up. They will hold
onto the handles of the parachute for grip. This will also help them keep spaced out during the activity
(each student has an area they are to stay and are in charge of). The students will use the parachute for
grip and providing resistance to build upper body strength and to make it fun and engage the entire
class. Other modifications and support will be addressed as needed, depending upon the students skill
level.

Differentiated Instruction: Instructional Assistants will help students with their grip, movement, and
with directions. Sequential visual cues, as well as verbal and physical prompts will be given as needed.

California Physical Education Content Standards

Standard 1.1: Travel within a large group, without bumping into others or falling, while using
locomotor skills.
Standard 1.2: Travel forward and sideways while changing direction quickly in response to a signal.
Standard 1.3: Demonstrate contrasts between slow and fast speeds while using locomotor skills.
Standard 1.8: Demonstrate the relationship of under, over, behind, next to, through, right, left, up,
down, forward, backward, and in front of by using the body and an object.
Standard 3.1: Participate in physical activities that are enjoyable and challenging.
Standard 5.5: Participate as a leader and as a follower during physical activities.

IEP Goals:
By 9/26/14, STUDENT will actively participate in activities that will increase his/her upper body
strength and endurance for up to 5 minutes 2 out of 3 times, with physical and verbal prompts as
needed, as measured by the APE Specialist.

By 9/26/14, STUDENT will increase the ability to grasp a 1-inch object 80% of the time as
measured by the APE Specialist and the Occupational Therapist (collaborative goal).

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:
1. Participate in a appropriate warm-up and cool-down exercises.
2. Change direction and tempo using locomotor skills.
3. Use a grip to work on upper body strength, rhythm, and coordination to cooperatively use a
parachute in games.

Lesson Description:
According to the California Content PE standards it is important for children to development the upper
body strength necessary to participate in physical activities as well as fitness testing. The goal of this
lower elementary school lesson (Up, Up, Upper Body Strength) is to perform upper body strength
exercises while using a parachute.

Lesson: For this lesson you will need a large parachute and various small soft balls, and music that
varies in tempo (e.g. slow and fast).

Set-up: The parachute is laying flat on the floor when the students walk into the multipurpose room.
The balls are out of sight.

Background: Students have been working on upper body strength activities to develop the strength
and coordination to play softball. are going to play softball in the future and need to develop their
upper body strength as well as their manipulative skills of throwing the ball underhand.


WARM-UP
(4 min) prepare:
Walk left, walk right, slide left, slide right, hop on 2 feet, balance on 1 foot (L/R), hop on 1
foot (L/R), biceps curl, front raises. The warm-up is to music in the background. Visual cue
cards are used to change direction (LEFT & RIGHT), as well as verbal prompts.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
(10 min) demo:

Concepts:
Slow waves: Regular, High (up) & Low (up)
Fast ripples: Regular, High (up) & Low (down)
Overhand grip: 2 arms, 1 arm (dominant)
Underhand grip: 2 arms, 1 arm (dominant)
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
(5 min):

Introduce balls
Concepts:
Slow waves: High (up) & Low (up)
Fast ripples: High (up) & Low (down)
Overhand grip: 2 arms, 1 arm (dominant)
Underhand grip: 2 arms, 1 arm (dominant)

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
(5 min):

Going in a circle, students take turns calling out a classmate that has to run from their
spot around the circle and back to their same spot while everyone else is still flapping the
parachute (know peers names and social interaction).
Concepts:
Slow waves: slow music
Fast ripples: fast music
COOL-DOWN
(4 min):

Remove the balls and put away. Still standing in circle and holding onto the parachute,
students raise parachute really high and step inside of it or instructional assistants raise and let
the parachute drop slowly while students are sitting underneath in middle. This provides an
opportunity for students to see the concept of under, as well as slow their breathing and reflect
on the lesson. Behaviors should be decreased and it should be calming experience before they
transition back to class.
Assessment:
1.Performance of each student to follow verbal directions and demonstrate motor skills coordination.
2. Performance of the class to stay in rhythm to control the parachute and keep the balls on the parachute.
3. Ability of each student to call out a concept they want to perform.
CLOSURE
(2 min):

Remove parachute. Have students remain seated from cool-down.
Did you guys have fun?
What body parts are tired? Whos arms are tired? Whos shoulders are tired?
Where are your arms tired? Front or back?