Jump for Joy! - An Aesthetic Movement Unit
Most recently taught: April 2023
Key Concept: Aesthetics
Related Concepts: Interaction, Movement
Statement of Inquiry: Aesthetic products can be based on interaction and movement.
Global Context: Personal and Cultural Expression (products)
Learner Profile: Balanced (Students will explore the learner profile of balanced by understanding there are multiple ways to contribute to a group, through physical skills and being active in collaboration)
Unit Outline
In this unit, students will explore how different jump rope skills can be learned, practiced and used to create a movement routine for an audience. While also a good cardiovascular fitness activity, the class will look at individual tricks, group challenges, getting comfortable with moving to a beat and performing the jump rope tricks according to a plan. Students will start with individual jump rope tricks and getting used to jumping consistently, before moving on to working in larger groups with a single large jump rope to create and perform tricks for a movement routine. Taught to my youngest MYP cohort, students will get familiar with planning a movement routine, and practicing, then following the plan as written for their summative performance.
Learning Experiences
Lesson 1
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Introduction to Jump Rope - Basics, teacher observation of their initial skills and fitness
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Introduce four beginner skills (one foot, backwards, quarter turn, jogger)
Lesson 2
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Jump Rope fitness challenges
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Individual skill review and four new skills (skier, bell, double hop, scissor)
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Students to partner up and create a 3x8 routine together then perform
Lesson 3
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Hula Hoop Jump Rope Race, cardio jump rope competition, Whirlwind game
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Advanced Individual Jump Rope Tricks (double under, can-can, cross-over, run)
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Individual performance of a 3x8 routine
Lesson 4
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Whirlwind Challenge competition and daily jump rope fitness warm-up
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Introduce formative planning document (Crit B) students to fill out and begin practice after each different skill
Lesson 5
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Criteria B Formative Jump Rope Routine Performance and document submission
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Students will be a group of 3-4 performing their individual rope routine
Lesson 6
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Introduce large jump rope - how to spin and how to enter the rope from outside
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Large Jump Rope challenges - 10 jumps with 1, then 2, then 3 people, etc
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Criterion D formative reflection - each group at a different time (15 minutes each)
Lesson 7
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Hurricane Challenge - entire class tries to jump in and then out of rope without breaking the motion of it
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Large Jump Rope Challenge - 5 jumps in, 5 out, switch swingers without breaking rope rhythm
Lesson 8
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Individual Jump Rope Fitness and Skill review
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Students to work in groups with large jump rope, performing the individual skills with large rope
Lesson 9 - 10
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Students to work on their Summative Large Jump Rope Group Plan (Criteria B)
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Students should complete written component alongside practicing movements and trying different things to gain inspiration
Lesson 11
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Each group to perform their Jump Rope Routine after practicing, aiming to perform the routine like they planned on their document
Lesson 12
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Students to complete Criterion D Summative reflection
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Class Jump Rope games: Hurricane, Whirlwind
Formative Assessments
Every lesson will end with students performing a short routine demonstrating their learning, sometimes working individually, with a peer, or in a small group and receiving feedback from peers and/or teacher.
Students will be assessed on Criterion B and D. After starting with learning individual jump rope skills, students will work in a small group to create a 4x8 movement routine, showcasing their abilities and collaboration. The planning document will be submitted.
The students will also reflect on their collaboration skills, and performance for Criterion D, in the mid point of this unit.
Summative Assessment
Students will work in a larger group to plan and perform a movement routine that uses a single large jump rope. They will come up with at least 6 different movements to include, and ensure every group member takes on a role. To meet Criterion B objectives they will set goals, explain their success criteria, and share the movements they will perform.
To finish this unit, students will complete a final summative reflection for Criterion D where they evaluate their performance, collaboration in the summative, and how effective their routine was.
ATL’s focused on in this unit
Communication - Organize and depict information logically
In order for students to demonstrate planning for performance objectives (Criteria B): students will organize and depict information logically by choosing an effective way to share their planning. They will choose a digital method that allows for group collaboration, lists the movements logically, and explains each pattern clearly.
The strategy that will be explicitly taught is:
- organize: students will look at how everyone can contribute to the planning process and the best way to ensure everyone has access to the documents and information.
- depict information logically: how to best make the information on the planning document easy to follow, and straightforward to analyze when needing to reference it during practice times.
Self-Management - Demonstrate persistence and perseverance
In order for students to reflect and improve performance (Criteria D): Students will demonstrate persistence and perseverance by learning difficult jump rope skills and not giving up. They will reflect on how their mindset and attitude helped or hindered their performances, practices, and experiences in this unit.
The strategy that will be explicitly taught is:
- persistence: students will be encouraged to include at least one new skill in their end-of-class routines, to encourage students to work through a challenge and not default to already practiced skills. They should stick to the skills originally chosen and not change the plan immediately in the face of difficulty.
- perseverance: similar to above, students will be introduced to extremely challenging skills early in the unit, and continue to have time to focus on them as the unit progresses, trying to improve from their day one effort.
Teacher Reflection (April 2023 Reflection)
I was happy with how this unit flowed, students enjoyed the cardiovascular element of jump rope, and the consistent collaboration with others, even despite the fact they were in the hot Barbados sun for an hour.
It was interesting to see how varied the jump rope skill levels were, and I quickly learned to have a wide variety of skills available to differentiate.
Students are still learning how to reflect meaningfully, using specific examples from lessons so I made sure to brainstorm some possible examples of answers through large and small group discussions as students worked on the tasks.
Thoughts, questions, concerns? Let me know on twitter @tannernickel, I am always looking for ideas and ways to improve my inquiry teaching.