Grades 4 - 6 Sample Lesson: Steady Steps

• A student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and selective mutism does not talk at school but communicates by pointing and gesturing. The student responds to yes or no questions. The student prefers to play alone and occasionally wanders during physical activities. The student will not leave/elope from the classroom or gym.
  • Considerations:
    • Ensure that students with sensory and cognitive disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), can effectively participate in all activities.
    • Incorporate strategies to support the emotional well-being and participation of the student with selective mutism who has a communication disability. 

• A student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggles with following the rules of a game/activity. They get angry and scream and cry when they don't get their way.
  • Consideration: Ensure that students with ADHD can effectively participate in all activities. 

• A couple of students from low-income families who experience food and housing insecurity.
  • Consideration: Incorporate considerations for students facing food and housing insecurity, and recognize how these challenges may affect their participation. 

• A couple of students with various mixed cultural backgrounds (Black and Chinese, White and Chinese, Métis).
  • Consideration: Explore how students from various multiracial or multicultural backgrounds engage in physical activities to incorporate their experiences. 

• 1 beanbag per student 

• 50 Fitness Activity GIFs 

• Cones or markers for relay courses 

• Appendix: Stretches 

• Teacher Resource: Recordable Assessment Tool (Checklist) 

• Provide students with an overview of the activities in which they will participate. Remind students of the safety rules and expectations. 

• Use selected activities from Appendix: Stretches and 50 Fitness Activity GIFs, to lead students in a dynamic stretching routine. Select stretches and activities that take into account the energy expenditure required of students.  

• Provide verbal and visual instructions to help students safely perform each movement. Remind students that they can decide the intensity with which they perform each of the movements and may take rest breaks as needed.   

• Set up different movement stations around the activity area. Include movements that focus on balance and stability skills. Provide 2–3 options of movements at each station and allow students to choose the movement they want to perform. Refer to 50 Fitness Activity GIFs for a selection of activities to include. 

• Provide clear and concise instructions at each station, accompanied by visual supports or demonstrations to help students understand the movement and perform it correctly. 

• Divide students into pairs or small groups of 3–4 and assign each pair/group to one of the stations. There may be more than one pair at each station.  

• Have pairs/groups review their station activity. Using a Thumbs Up Strategy (consult Teaching Strategy Descriptions), have students assess their understanding of the station activity and clarify instructions as needed.  

• Have pairs/groups perform each movement for a predetermined amount of time.  

• On a predetermined signal (e.g., music plays, a clap, a call and response), pairs/groups rotate to the next station. Display the amount of time using a visual timer or use music as a signal for students to start and stop each movement. 

• Provide positive feedback, encouraging students to focus on proper form and technique while performing each movement. 

• Considering the available space, set up 3–4 relay courses. Use cones or markers to mark the boundary area and the designated start line.  

• Divide students into teams. Keep teams small (e.g., 3–4 students) to maximize participation and minimize wait time. 

• Explain to students that they will be balancing a beanbag on various body parts (e.g., head, shoulder, elbow) while travelling through the relay course. Each team member takes turns navigating the course while balancing the beanbag. The goal is for each team member to successfully navigate the course. Remind students that the focus is not on speed or time and that they may set their own pace through the course.  

• Demonstrate how to balance the beanbag on different body parts, describing and modelling strategies to maintain balance and stability while moving with the beanbag (e.g., keep your body part still, focus on a point in front of the body, move at a steady pace).  

• Provide groups time to practise balancing and moving with their beanbag, providing additional cues as needed. Have groups share strategies that help them successfully travel with the beanbag.   

• Assign teams to a course.  

• Use a visual cue and verbal prompt (e.g., a raised arm and a "go" command) to signal groups to begin.  

• Encourage students to explore opportunities to be cooperative, collaborative, and communicate among team members as they participate in the relay course.  

• Encourage groups to add variations (e.g., select a different piece of equipment to balance, alter their course within their designated space, move through the course in various ways). Ask students to decide how they might change the game to enhance their fun, challenge, and success.  

• Have students remain in their group and form a circle.  

• Have group members identify and describe a favourite game or activity in which they like to participate. Identify one stretch, movement, or skill they practised today that would help them be successful in that game or activity.  

• Have each student select and lead their group in a cool down stretch. Encourage them to select one they would use to warm up before playing their favourite game or activity.  

• Review the lesson’s learning goals with students. 

• Using the Think Pair Share Strategy (consult Teaching Strategy Descriptions), have students reflect on some or all of the following questions (either verbally or through gestures):
  • Describe what you enjoyed the most about the activities.
  • What skills would you like to continue to develop to be successful in activities in which you most often participate on your own time outside of school?
  • Which body part did you find it easy to balance the beanbag on and why?
  • Which objects would you like to explore balancing with?
  • Were there any techniques you used during the activities that are familiar to you from other games you know or helped you succeed?
  • What is one challenge you encountered during the activities? What strategy did use you to overcome it?
  • How did you and your group use teamwork and relationship skills to support each other and be successful as a team? 

• Using the Thumbs Up Strategy (consult Teaching Strategy Descriptions), have students assess the degree to which they met the learning goals. 

• Create a simplified relay course with fewer obstacles or challenges for students who may struggle with balance or coordination or may lack energy to be successful. 

• Instead of beanbags, allow students to select other objects for the relay with which they have prior experience using (e.g., scarves, foam balls, plastic eggs). 

• Create new stations with opportunities to explore different ways of demonstrating stability skills (e.g., balancing an object in a seated or kneeling position, balancing an object with another student while exploring different levels). 

• Offer progressive challenges at each station, allowing students to start with simpler movements and gradually increase the difficulty level as they feel more confident. 

• Incorporate sensory elements into the movement activities, such as a station with textured mats for tactile input or a station with calming music and a relaxation activity.

CRRP and Disability-Centred Movement Strategies Embedded in the Lesson 

• Visual cues and verbal reminders are used to help students navigate expectations and follow instructions.  

• Instructions for all activities are designed to be clear and concise, divided into smaller steps, and repeated as needed, which helps students understand and follow instructions. 

• Using visual cues, outlining the sequence of activities and transitions, and checking for understanding before beginning an activity helps students anticipate the next activity.  

• Providing opportunities for students to take breaks during physical activities helps them regulate their energy level and attention.  

• Clear rules, routines, and expectations for behaviour in the gym are established and reviewed at the outset of the lesson.  

• Intentional groupings provide a predictable order and reduce the wait time when taking turns.  

• Clear physical boundaries are established for each activity.  

• Students are offered choices within activities to provide a sense of autonomy and increase engagement (e.g., choice of movements at balance stations, choice of body part to balance their beanbag). 

• An overview of the lesson provides a consistent structure and a predictable framework.  

• Flexible groupings help students to feel safer and comfortable during activities.  

• Multiple strategies and ways to communicate are used for the student to engage in discussions and reflect on their learning (e.g., gestures, yes or no questions, written responses on a wipe board). 

• The strategies selected to elicit student responses provides for an appropriate amount of time to wait for responses from the student so they can contribute. 

• Using positive reinforcement techniques, such as praise, rewards, and encouragement to acknowledge and reinforce appropriate behaviour and effort, helps the student feel a sense of belonging.  

• Students are instructed to determine the level of intensity at which they participate, including resting as needed. 

• Activities are selected with student energy requirements in mind, considering students’ potentially decreased energy levels, tiredness, and concentration due to hunger and limited access to food at home. 

• Students are provided their choice of movement activities at each station to accommodate different abilities and energy levels. 

• The activities chosen support students in building skills for lifelong participation that do not require expensive or specialised equipment. 

• Students are provided with a choice of movement activities at each station to accommodate different interests and comfort level. This helps students make connections to skills acquired through prior diverse physical activity experiences. 

• Through the use of small group decision-making during the relay activity and reflection discussion, students have opportunities to share their experiences and make connections to their preferred ways of engaging in physical activity.