Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.5B Grade 2 CPI 4

 

Standard: 2.5 - Motor Skills

 

Strand: B -   Movement Concepts 

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 4 -  The student will distinguish between personal and general space.

 

Grade: 2

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        CREATING SPACE - For this activity, you need a large open area, one ball for each child, a percussion instrument for signaling activity changes, and a chalkboard. Write on the chalkboard: “Take one ball and practice bouncing it in self-space for two minutes. When you hear the signal, you may bounce the ball in general space for two minutes. Do not talk or touch your neighbors. On the third signal, place your ball against the wall and move to the middle of the gym floor.” Reinforce the directions through modeling, posters, and verbal cues. After students have completed the activity, ask: “Have any of you ever been to an art gallery? What kinds of paintings did you see? Did any of the artists only use half of the canvas and leave the rest blank?” Display several paintings and discuss how an artist thinks about the image on the canvas and uses the entire space to create art. (Invite the art teacher to
participate in this part of the activity.) Describe how good dancers can use the entire dance floor and how a good basketball player uses the entire court. Students pretend to be artists and use general space as their canvas. On signal, students move in a variety of directions and pathways covering the entire play area. Refocus the students to try various levels and kinds of locomotor movements. Stop the action periodically and emphasize how students must move without contact or collision in general space. Next, students dribble or juggle the ball while moving in general space. Regroup the class and discuss the purpose of the day’s activity—to learn to use general space in a safe and fun way. Brainstorm activities that require participants to move in general space and list on the board. Define self-space and general space.

Variation: Combine self-space and general space activities. On signal, students move from one to the other and perform specific locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

 

·        FINDING SPACE - For this activity, you need hoops, poly spots, carpet squares, or sheets of newspaper for marking self-space. Provide each child with a space marker. Students sit on their marker in a tight ball (knees tucked with arms around them) and then open their arms as wide as they can. Ask: “Are you touching anyone? If so, move your space marker so you cannot touch another student.” Students stand, turn, spin, and stretch in their own space. After students demonstrate an understanding of self-space, remove the space marker and have students continue to move in self-space. Ask: “Was it more difficult to stay in your own space without the marker? Why?” Provide students examples of self-space in activities, such as the batter’s box in baseball or the goal in soccer. Brainstorm other examples (e.g., their desk, the teacher’s desk, the driver’s seat in a car).