Empowered Movement

Unit: Empowered Movement Mastery

Lesson 1 of 3
Lesson Title: Introduction to Empowered Movement
Duration: 60 minutes
Year Level: Year 11 (NZC Level 6)
Number of Students: 24

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📘 Curriculum Alignment

Health and Physical Education Learning Area (NZ Curriculum)

• Curriculum Level: Level 6
• Big Ideas:
  • Movement is essential to hauora
  • Self and others: Movement involves diverse perspectives
• Whakataukī: He oranga ngākau, he pikinga waiora
  (Positive feelings in your heart will raise your sense of self-worth)
• Key Competencies Developed:
  • Managing self
  • Relating to others
  • Participating and contributing
  • Thinking
  • Using language, symbols and texts

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🎯 Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define "empowered movement" and describe its importance in everyday life and sport.
• Identify and reflect on their own movement experiences and physical literacy.
• Participate in dynamic warm-up activities designed to promote bodily awareness.
• Understand introductory biomechanical principles (balance, stability, and body alignment).
• Set a personalised movement goal to guide further learning.

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✅ Success Criteria

Students will:

• Contribute meaningfully to class and small group discussions.
• Demonstrate safe and effective movement patterns in warm-up drills.
• Record a clear and reflective personal movement goal.
• Show an understanding of how biomechanics relates to functional movement and hauora.

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🧠 Teacher Preparation

Required Materials:

• Cones and floor markers
• Large sheets of A3 paper, markers
• Reflection journals or booklets
• Whiteboard and pens
• Speaker for music
• Pre-set Stations for “Warm-up Cogs” Activity (labelled with instructions)

Classroom Setup:

• Indoor gym or outdoor flat space
• Circle of 6 “Movement Warm-Up Cogs” stations with instructions (see below)
• Breakout space for small groups

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🕐 Lesson Breakdown (60 Minutes)

1. Karakia & Whanaungatanga Circle (5 mins)

• Begin with a simple karakia to centre the group.
• Stand in a circle and briefly go around, each student sharing one movement activity they enjoy or a positive body experience. This builds whakawhanaungatanga and sets the tone for voice and student agency.

Teacher prompt: “What’s a way of moving that makes you feel strong, confident, or just happy?”

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2. Warm-Up Activity: Empowered Movement Cogs (15 mins)

Students rotate through 6 short stations (2 minutes each with 30 seconds for transition). Each "Cog" represents a fundamental aspect of movement:

Station Name	Focus
Balance Blast	Single-leg holds, hand/foot switches
Flow Flex	Animal flow / primal movement
Cardio Pulse	High knees, star jumps
Grounded & Strong	Squat form, stance switches
Reaction Ready	Partner mirror drills
Breath & Reset	Box breathing, breath-body sync activities

Purpose: Build kinaesthetic awareness and introduce basic biomechanics and physical literacy through movement.

Teacher circulates and prompts body awareness questions such as “Where do you feel pressure?” or “What helps you stay balanced?”

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3. Class Introduction: What is Empowered Movement? (10 mins)

Gather students in a semi-circle. Use visuals and student voice:

• Define “empowered movement”: the ability to move confidently, competently, and mindfully across a range of environments.
• Make links to hauora – movement impacts physical (taha tinana), mental/emotional (taha hinengaro), social (taha whānau), and spiritual (taha wairua) wellbeing.
• Highlight real-life scenarios—sports, kapa haka, skateboarding, casual play—and how movement empowers identity.

Prompt students to consider:

• “How do you feel when you move well?”
• “What supports or blocks your ability to move confidently?”

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4. Mini-Workshop: Exploring Physical Literacy & Biomechanics (10 mins)

In small groups of 3–4, students brainstorm their “movement story”:

• How confident are they in different physical activities?
• Where have they developed movement skills?
• Write or draw their current movement confidence zones: “Green – Confident”, “Yellow – Developing”, “Red – Yet to explore”

Teacher introduces THREE biomechanical pillars:

1. Stability — Base of support and centre of mass
2. Alignment — Joint stacking, spinal alignment
3. Balance — Static and dynamic coordination

Utilise visual examples (e.g., through real-life photos or mini-demonstration by students).

Groups discuss how these biomechanical principles were involved in the warm-up activities.

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5. Individual Reflection & Goal Setting (10 mins)

Students complete a personal "Empowered Movement Map" in their learning journal:

• Question prompts:
  • One thing I’m confident doing with my body is…
  • A movement I’d like to improve is…
  • My goal for this unit is...
  • I know I’ll have made progress when I can…

Students complete their goal sheet and share it with a classmate for accountability.

Teacher Note: Collect these movement goals at the end to inform planning for Lessons 2 and 3.

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6. Cool Down + Karakia Whakamutunga (5 mins)

Guided cool-down incorporating breath work and mobility stretches.
End with a closing karakia and group reflection:

“What's one insight you’ll take with you today about movement or your body?”

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🧾 Accommodations & Differentiation

• Pair less confident movers with supportive peers.
• Allow verbal storytelling for those less confident writing.
• Movement stations can be adjusted in intensity—students choose their own level.
• Anchor discussions with real-life examples relevant to the students’ cultural and community context.

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📌 Assessment for Learning

Formative Observations:

• Participation and effort at movement stations
• Quality of goal-setting and personal reflection
• Verbal expression and engagement in group discussion

Teacher uses a checklist to note individuals demonstrating high-level movement awareness or needing support in self-management.

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📍Looking Ahead: Lesson 2 Preview

Students will:

• Analyse their chosen movement goal through a biomechanics lens
• Work in small movement labs to refine technique
• Begin constructing a “Personal Power Pattern” – a movement sequence tailored to their strength zones

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🪶 Final Thought for Teachers

This lesson invites ākonga to honour their whakapapa of movement—whether it’s running across paddocks, flowing through pōwhiri, dancing with friends, or mastering sport technique. It’s about grounding in hauora and recognising movement is not just activity—it's identity.