Integrate STEM into PE with this fun lesson applicable to multiple grade levels.
Lesson: Fitness Stations (incorporating STEM ideas)
Overview: Students will be involved in various fitness activities with a focus on how changing how the activity is performed (stability of surface) can affect the ability to perform said activity. Also, students will wear a step counter (pedometer) while performing the activities and notice which activities get more steps than others (and discuss why). They will also collect the data and add them together in small groups and as a whole class. Students will spend 3-5 minutes at each fitness station engaged in the activity at each station. Stations will focus on either cardio, stretching/balancing, or a specific activity that we are practicing based on skills we are working on from previous units/lessons. The students will be rotated between stations by the teacher.
Fitness stations:
#1 Balance balls– balance ball is an exercise ball, but only half of one mounted on a flat/stable surface. Students will be given cards with some balance positions displayed on them. While at this station, students will do the various exercise positions on the floor and then on the ball to see and discuss with their group the difference between which surface (floor or ball) is better/harder/easier and why.
#2 Light-Up Scoreboard– Students will use the foam dodgeballs to throw at our “scoreboards.” The scoreboards light up and when hit with a ball, the light changes or goes off. Students will practice their throwing skills to aim at the targets. This is practice, but we have talked about proper form in throwing as well as working on direction, force/power of the throw, etc.
#3 Hurdles/obstacles– Students will take turns running through the course, jumping over hurdles and moving around “posts” and jumping over hoops. They will time themselves with timers and track steps with the pedometers.
#4 Cardio cards– Students will do cardio cards (cards with a cardio activity on them). They will do them as a small group and track which activities generate more steps. Cardio cards: Jumping jacks, high knees, mountain climbers, step ups, burpees
#5 Hula hoops– Students will be on the stage and get to use a hula hoop as a hula hoop, jump rope, or roll their hula hoop down the ramp and then come up the stairs.
At the end of class students will record their number of steps. We will add them together, make predictions of how many steps we will get by the end of the week. We will discuss these questions: Did wearing the pedometer motivate you to keep moving/get more steps? How far do you think you traveled doing those activities? Did the stability/balance ball make the exercises harder or easier? Why?
Materials Needed:
- Balance Balls
- Pedometers for each student
- Hula Hoops
- Foam Balls
- Targets or Light up scoreboards
- Cones
- Hurdles