Finding Personal Fitness Success - A Health Related Fitness Unit
Most recently taught: November 2023
Key Concept: Change
Related Concepts: Movement, Refinement
Statement of Inquiry: Changing your methods can help refine a movement.
Global Context: Scientific and Technical Innovation (methods)
Learner Profile: Caring (Students will look at how to be caring when performing fitness activities with each other)
Unit Outline
In this unit, students will explore different fitness disciplines, performing exercises that fit within the four components of fitness (cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, and muscular strength). Students will test themselves on their performance during various fitness tests, and have the ability to set a goal and then work towards improving on their chosen focus. Throughout the unit, students will learn basic principles for creating a workout and how to reflect and analyze if the workout was a proper level of challenge. The summative assessment will have students paired up with someone with a different goal, working together to create a workout routine that incorporates both of their ideas. Through formative assessments, students will have learned a wide range of workout principles, have a good understanding of exercises to perform, and be familiar with finding a way to maintain motivation.
This unit, taught to MYP 3, continues the goal of my long-term plan to provide students with the opportunity to progress toward a fitness goal of their choosing throughout the unit. I follow up this unit with "Limited Resource Fitness" to MYP 4, and then "Help: Cross-training Coach Wanted" to MYP 5. The units are set up to provide students with more agency and leadership opportunities as they move from MYP 3 up to 5.
Learning Experiences
*Please note that these are the main focuses and do not include many warm-up games, cool-downs, quick changes of pace, etc.
Lesson 1
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Component of Fitness Stations (4)
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Intro to Perceived Rate of Exertion (reflect after each station)
Lesson 2
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Pilates Circuit and Yoga Salutation (Flexibility)
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Cooper 12-Minute Run (Cardiovascular Endurance)
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Students do not need to share their results on the fitness test but rather is a way to track their own progress as the unit progresses.
Lesson 3
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Muscular Endurance and Strength Teacher-Led Workout (use of dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, pull-up bar, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises)
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Terminology: sets/reps, time, AMRAP, perceived rate of exertion
Lesson 4
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Goal Setting Criterion B Formative
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Students identify a fitness goal and spend class time exploring ways to start working towards this goal (students have access to all appropriate equipment)
Lesson 5
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Cardiovascular Endurance Challenges (Steeplechase Team Cardio Game, Interval Training, Jump Rope)
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Students are grouped up with those with a similar goal and work towards achieving it.
Lesson 6
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Students work with a partner with the SAME goal to complete the Criterion A, B, D formative assessment task
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When done they should work through the workout plan and modify as necessary before submitting
Lesson 7
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Students again use their created workout plan to exercise
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After completion, students should answer reflection questions and submit
Lesson 8
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Student-Led Stretching Circle
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Large Group Jump Rope Challenges
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All-it Tag (if tagged perform 5 pushups while waiting to be rescued)
Lesson 9 - 11
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Students work with a partner with a DIFFERENT goal to complete their Summative assessment project. Students will focus on the planning initially, then exploring their ideas, before finalizing their workout plan with correct terminology and key points
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Students will perform their fitness plan in its entirety, at the end of lesson 10, and again at the beginning of lesson 11 before making sure they are satisfied with the plan, completing the reflection questions and submitting it.
Lesson 12
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Students will choose a fitness test/goal that they want to attempt again to see if they have improved
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Afterwards, students will select games that we have played in this unit to explore for the rest of the lesson
Summative Assessment
Criterion A: Knowing and understanding
To meet these objectives, students will demonstrate their understanding of fitness terms, exercise names, and the key points to performing the exercises included in their fitness workout routine. Students must apply terms and concepts that are relevant to their fitness goals. (ex. Pushups to improve arms/chest)
Criterion B: Planning for performance
While using proper terminology, students will be creating a summative workout plan with a partner, to reach both students goals. Students must explain a plan that is relevant to their goals, meet expectations like 10-15 minutes in length, and has proper sets/reps/rest time built in.
Criterion D: Reflecting and improving
Upon completion of planning and performing their workout routine, students should reflect on their experiences. They will look at interpersonal skills used when planning and performing with a partner, their perceived rate of exertion, if they found their workout routine effective to reach their goal, and finally their overall performance and enjoyment of this unit.
ATL’s focused on in this unit
Self Management - Set goals that are challenging and realistic
In order for students to reflect and improve performance (Criteria B): students will set goals that are challenging and realistic based on an aspect of their fitness they are interested in working on and improving.
The strategy that will be explicitly taught is:
-Set goals that are challenging: students will identify a fitness goal with a measurable test that can be used to track progress throughout the unit. Students should ensure their goal is not already accomplishable.
-Set goals that are realistic: students will ensure their goal can be done at school, with resources (fitness equipment) available. They will also look at what makes a goal too challenging, and not possible to achieve with any amount of hard work in 6 weeks.
Research - Present information in a variety of formats and platforms
In order for students to plan for performance (Criteria D): students will present information in a variety of formats and platforms by learning different training terminology, creating workout plans, and sharing ideas with the class.
The strategy that will be explicitly taught is:
-present information in a variety of formats: students will learn the acronyms in a training plan to keep it simple while working out, explain workout plans in more depth and also present information verbally to a group when leading workouts.
-platforms: canva, google docs, and our class whiteboard will be used to have students share terminology, fitness information and health knowledge.
Teacher Reflection
I teach this unit with the middle MYP grade (3) and it is a good bridge from the earlier MYP health-related fitness units where I focus more on the components of fitness and structured learning experiences to the later MYP units that are based around SMART goals and students having complete control over the way they train to reach their goal.
It takes a lot of scaffolding and trial/error for students to create a detailed workout plan for the formative assessment, but it led to challenging, fulfilling workout plans for the summative assessments. Students wanted to change what did not work in their formative routine so that they were actually being challenged and felt better about reaching their goal upon completing the fitness routine.
Goal setting and providing options for training is a fundamental principle of all my fitness units as not every student enjoys working out so I have found this way they will at least be able to find one area of focus they will not actively avoid, keeping them on track.
Thoughts, questions, concerns? Let me know on twitter @tannernickel or send me an email. I am always looking for ideas and ways to improve my inquiry teaching.