Let's Get Moving!

Year Level:

Year 4

Subject:

Health and Physical Education (HPE)

Duration:

100 minutes

Class Size:

30 students

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ACARA Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Health and Physical Education
Strand: Movement and Physical Activity
Sub-strands:

• Moving our body (ACPMP043): Practise and refine fundamental movement skills in different movement situations
• Understanding movement (ACPMP045): Combine elements of effort, space, time, objects and people when performing movement sequences
• Learning through movement (ACPMP047): Adopt inclusive practices when participating in physical activities

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand and participate in physical activities that are fun, inclusive, and cooperative
• Practise movement and coordination through non-competitive outdoor games
• Show teamwork, communication, and respect in group-based games

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Success Criteria

By the end of the session, students will be able to:

• Participate in six outdoor games that encourage active involvement
• Demonstrate fundamental movement skills including running, jumping, dodging, and balancing
• Work respectfully in diverse groups
• Follow instructions independently and as part of a team

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual Instructions – Clear visual demonstrations and pictorial cue cards
• Verbal and Repetitive Instruction – Game rules explained multiple times
• Peer Pairing – Strategic groupings for students needing movement support
• Flexible Rules – Adjust game pace or boundaries for those with motor skill challenges
• Encouragement and Feedback – Positive reinforcement with adjusted challenge levels

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Extension Activities

Advanced learners may:

• Lead warm-up or cool-down activities
• Suggest and demonstrate variations to games
• Keep tally of teamwork-based challenges (e.g., how many tosses before a drop)
• Reflect on inclusion strategies used during games

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Literacy Considerations

All verbal instructions will be provided with visual aids and large, dyslexia-friendly font cue cards (font: Comic Sans or OpenDyslexic). All student groups will receive a simple written summary of each game.

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Equipment Checklist

• 10 coloured cones
• 20 tennis balls
• 12 bean bags
• 4 hula hoops
• 2 skipping ropes
• 30 A4 printed game cards (laminated)
• Outdoor speaker (for soft background music during rotations)
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Sequence (100 minutes)

1. Welcome & Warm-Up (15 minutes)

Activity: 'Animal Movers' Warm-Up

Students move around the space embodying different animals based on teacher's call:

• "Kangaroo!" — two-footed jumping
• "Emu!" — long strides with pecking motions
• "Wombat!" — bear crawl
• "Frilled Neck Lizard!" — arms flared, tiptoeing rapidly
• "Cockatoo!" — flap arms and high knees

Purpose: Engages imagination, warms the body, inclusive for all movement levels.

🟢 Differentiation: Options for seated adaptation (e.g., imitate animals while seated or support balance by holding a friend’s hand)

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2. Game Circuit Set-Up and Instructions (5 minutes)

• Briefly explain that students will rotate through six stations, each with a creative, non-competitive outdoor game.
• Assign students to six mixed-ability teams of 5.
• Explain that each game runs for 12 minutes, including transition time.
• Each group starts at one game and rotates when a whistle is blown.

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3. Game Station Rotations (72 minutes total)

⛺ Game 1: Bean Bag Builders

Objective: Build the tallest free-standing tower using only bean bags and soft objects.

• Place a cone for each team.
• Team members take turns placing a bean bag on top of the previous one.
• If it falls, rebuild!
• Teams collaborate to develop balance strategies.

🟢 No winning or losing — main goal is experimentation and collaboration.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Provide a steady surface or wider base for those needing an easier version.
🎯 Extension: Add a “no hands” rule or a balancing challenge like building while standing on one foot.

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⚽ Game 2: Tunnel Tag

Objective: Team-based cooperative tag game with a twist.

• One student from each group is the gentle 'tagger'.
• When someone is tagged, they freeze with arms outstretched forming a “tunnel”.
• Only another teammate can “unfreeze” them by crawling under the "tunnel".

🟢 Encourages teamwork and dynamic movement. No elimination.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Reduce the size of the zone for students needing shorter distances.
🎯 Extension: Challenge: 3 tunnels at once = full team win bonus (cheer and reset).

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🎨 Game 3: Rainbow Race

Objective: Silly group relay where colour cards determine the movement type.

• A stack of coloured cards lies at the end of a 10m “runway.”
• One student runs, picks a card, returns to teammates and debates movement style (e.g., “Blue = hopping”, “Green = crab walk”).
• Everyone does the movement together to the marked cone and back.

🟢 Teams invent, adapt, and reflect on movement styles. No time goals.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Modify pace; buddy up; adjust the distance.
🎯 Extension: Add an optional story/world-building element (“We’re dinosaurs crossing lava!”)

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🌀 Game 4: Mirror Movers

Objective: Copy your partner’s movements by mimicking them like a mirror.

• One student is ‘the mirror’, one is ‘the mover’.
• After every 2 minutes, swap roles.
• Encourage slow, controlled, flowing movements.
• Extra points for group synchronisation.

🟢 Encourages body control, focus and empathy.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Demonstrate with students beforehand. Offer example moves.
🎯 Extension: Encourage partner groups to form a “synchronised dance” and perform briefly.

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🏰 Game 5: Castle Keep

Objective: Protect your tower of balls (placed on standing cones) using only your body, without touching others.

• Each team has a “castle” made of 5 tennis balls on cones.
• Using only dodging and blocking (no physical contact), protect your castle from one “wandering” bean bag being tossed gently by other teams.

🟢 Non-contact strategy game. No point tracking.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Introduce a “force field” area where a student can stand safely and observe if needed.
🎯 Extension: Appoint strategists to develop silent team signals.

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🧭 Game 6: Follow the Rhythm

Objective: A musical-movement chain game.

• One student creates a 4-beat movement (e.g., stomp, clap, jump, turn).
• Each player adds to the routine, creating a growing chain.
• Keep the rhythm. Everyone joins, moving together.

🟢 Builds focus and memory. Ultimately, the group creates a giant movement routine.

👩‍🏫 Differentiation: Students may opt to repeat a move instead of create a new one.
🎯 Extension: Include quiet sound effects or tap percussion with movements.

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4. Reflection and Cool Down (8 minutes)

Activity: 'Pose and Freeze'

• Students stand in a circle. One student does a balance-based freeze pose (e.g., yoga shape).
• The rest copy.
• Reflect after 2 minutes: What helped you stay balanced?

Discussion prompt questions:

• What game helped you work best as a team?
• Which activity made you laugh?
• How did you help your teammates today?

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Assessment & Observation

Teachers will monitor and record anecdotal notes on:

• Student engagement
• Inclusivity participation
• Ability to follow movement instructions
• Social skills and cooperation

An informal rubric can be used:

Criteria	Emerging	Developing	Achieved
Participates in all games	⬜︎	⬜︎	⬜︎
Demonstrates movement skills	⬜︎	⬜︎	⬜︎
Uses teamwork language	⬜︎	⬜︎	⬜︎
Adapts positively to different roles	⬜︎	⬜︎	⬜︎

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Use of Digital Technology

• Use a portable speaker to play rhythm-based background music during mirror and rhythm games
• Use a stopwatch or timer displayed visually on iPad for clear expectations
• Optional: record brief game plays and review for self-reflection or future digital PE portfolios

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Teacher Notes

🟡 Emphasise effort and enjoyment over skill
🟡 Use praise frequently (“Nice team communication!”, “Great safe movements!”)
🟡 Allow flexibility in transitions if certain stations need more support

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Final Word

This 100-minute session blends imaginative play, physical skill-building, and inclusive movement practices. By removing competition and focusing on collaboration and fun, these activities support students’ social-emotional development while addressing key curriculum goals.

"In Year 4, movement becomes more than physical—it's a tool for expression, creativity, and connection."