Mini Olympics Inclusion

Overview

This 30-minute Health & PE lesson is Lesson 1 of a 6-lesson sequence about the Olympics. Today students explore inclusivity and participation through safe movement games and build shared class agreements for respectful, anti-discriminatory behaviour. This supports the QCAA Health & PE focus on moving well, staying safe, and taking personal and social responsibility during physical activity.

Learning intentions

• Students will participate safely in an “Olympics Day” style activity.
• Students will demonstrate respectful communication and inclusive behaviour during group tasks.
• Students will use simple strategies to include others (e.g., sharing roles, encouraging participation).
• Students will apply basic rules for fair play and anti-discrimination in PE situations.

Success criteria

• I can follow safety rules and game boundaries.
• I can cooperate with my group and include others in play.
• I can show fair play by following rules and treating others with respect.
• I can explain one way to include someone who is finding the activity difficult.

Curriculum links

• QCAA Health & PE (Personal and social responsibility): students demonstrate respectful relationships and safe participation.
• QCAA Health & PE (Healthy lifestyles): students understand why safe participation and hydration matter for wellbeing.
• QCAA Health & PE (Physical activity and participation): students engage in purposeful physical activity and apply rules.
• QCAA Health & PE (Fair play and inclusion): students practise anti-discrimination behaviours and inclusion strategies during games.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Welcome & safety. Teacher outlines today’s aim and safety expectations (space, equipment handling, respect). Students listen, then repeat 2–3 safety rules with a partner.
2. 4–9 min · Warm-up (Olympics movement circuit). Teacher leads a low-impact circuit: jogging on the spot, dynamic stretches, arm swings, lunges to cones, skipping (choose level). Students move through stations, choosing an effort level that keeps control and safe technique.
3. 9–20 min · Main activity (Inclusive ‘Events’ rotations). Teacher sets up 3–4 stations with simple scoring and clear roles (starter, encourager, recorder, timekeeper). Students rotate every 2–3 minutes, using inclusion strategies: shared role switch, “everyone gets a go” rule, and supportive coaching language.

• Station examples:
• Target toss (beanbags into hoops) with underarm or rolling option.
• Relay hand-offs (modified distance) with clear passing zone.
• Balance challenge (step-over/hold) with different heights or still-standing option.

4. 20–25 min · Mini debrief & formative check (exit prompt). Teacher asks: “What is one inclusive strategy you used today?” Students complete a quick exit slip (or spoken response if needed) with one sentence.
5. 25–30 min · Cool-down (calm down + class agreement). Teacher leads gentle stretching and breathing. Students add one class agreement idea on a board: “We will…”, focusing on inclusion, fair play, and anti-discrimination.

Resources

• Cones for boundaries and stations
• Hoops/markers for target zones
• Beanbags and/or soft balls
• Score sheets or clipboards
• Coloured bibs/role cards for group roles
• Stopwatch or timer
• Water reminder slide/board prompt
• Exit slips (or response cards)
• Space: flat indoor gym or outdoor area with 1–2 lanes per station, clear separation between groups

Assessment

• Formative observation checklist (teacher): safety (moves within boundaries), inclusion (encourages/shares roles), fair play (follows rules, respectful language).
• Exit ticket: one inclusive strategy used today.
• During debrief: quick “thumbs” check for understanding of fair play and anti-discrimination expectations.

Differentiation

• Dyslexia-friendly reading options:
• Use pictorial station cards (icons for what to do, where to stand, what to pass/toss).
• Read instructions aloud once; provide a short checklist with 3 steps max per station.
• Allow oral responses for the exit ticket.
• Support:
• Pre-assign roles and partners; use sentence starters: “I included ___ by…”, “A fair rule is…”.
• Offer technique demos and a “try one option” choice (e.g., underarm toss vs rolling).
• Provide extra time during rotations; reduce distance or target difficulty if needed.
• Extension for advanced learners:
• Add a “strategy” challenge: create one fair play rule for your station, or suggest a modification that still keeps the activity inclusive.
• Add a scoring multiplier for consistency (e.g., more points for controlled technique, not just speed).
• SEN/EAL considerations:
• Use clear, consistent signals (whistle/hand signal) for rotation and stop.
• Visual timer for transitions; reduce language load by pointing to role cards.

Culminating task (across the 6 lessons)

• Students will collaborate to design a mini “Olympic event plan” for a future class day that includes: safe rules, fair play guidelines, anti-discrimination language, and at least 2 inclusion modifications for different ability needs.

Note for the teacher (sequence map for next 5 lessons, 30 minutes each):

1. Inclusivity & participation (this lesson).
2. Physical literacy (movement quality and control).
3. Healthy practices (warm-up, hydration, recovery, wellbeing choices).
4. Fair play (rules, officiating roles, conflict resolution).
5. Anti-discrimination (respect, bystander actions, inclusive language).
6. Mini-Olympic event plan presentations (culminating task) with safe implementation in class.