Building Strength Together

Curriculum Area

Physical Education, High School Grades 9–12 (Specific to standards 3 and 4)
Aligned with SHAPE America’s National Standards:

• Standard 3: The physically literate individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.
• Standard 4: The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.

Lesson Objective

By the end of the session, students will:

1. Understand the importance of functional strength training to improve overall fitness and injury prevention.
2. Perform a series of bodyweight and resistance-based exercises with proper form.
3. Demonstrate teamwork, collaboration, and leadership through a partner-based circuit workout.

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Materials Needed

• Resistance bands (enough for every pair of students)
• Mats (15 – one for each pair)
• Cones or markers for station setup
• Whiteboard/markers to demonstrate exercises
• Stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Goal: Prepare muscles for physical activity and introduce the theme of collaboration.

1. Dynamic Movements (5 minutes) (All in a large circle to emphasize unity):

   • High knees (30 seconds)
   • Arm circles (30 seconds forward, 30 seconds backward)
   • Side lunges (8 per side)
   • Jumping jacks (30 seconds)

2. Partner Warm-Up Challenge (5 minutes):

   • Partner students in pairs and assign them these fun, collaborative movements that promote engagement:
     • Squat High-Fives: Face each other about 2 feet apart. Squat at the same time and give a high-five at the top. (10 reps)
     • Plank Pass: Each partner holds a plank and passes a small object (such as a cone) back and forth between them. (10 passes)

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Main Activity: Strength Circuit (40 minutes)

Format: Students rotate through six stations in pairs. Each station focuses on functional strength and teamwork while fostering a sense of accountability.

• Station Rotation Breakdown:
  • Time at each station: 5 minutes (3 minutes of activity, 1 minute to rotate and review instructions).
  • Total time: 30 minutes + 2 minutes to introduce and demonstrate the circuit setup.

1. Station 1: Bodyweight Squats

   • Goal: Build lower-body strength.
   • Instructions: Each partner alternates doing 10 squats while the other holds a sumo squat position, encouraging one another to maintain good form.

2. Station 2: Resistance Band Rows

   • Goal: Improve posture and back strength.
   • Equipment: Resistance bands.
   • Instructions: Loop the band around a fixed point. Partners stand side by side, pulling the band with controlled form (15 reps per partner).

3. Station 3: Push-Up Challenge

   • Goal: Increase upper-body strength and work on endurance.
   • Instructions: Partners complete as many push-ups as possible together in 3 minutes, alternating every 10 reps. Modify by doing knee push-ups if needed.

4. Station 4: Core Partners (Sit-Up Twist with Medicine Ball)

   • Goal: Build core strength while improving communication.
   • Equipment: Medicine ball or weighted object.
   • Instructions: Partners sit facing each other with feet touching. One partner completes a sit-up, passing the ball to the other at the top. (15 sit-ups each)

5. Station 5: Lateral Band Walks

   • Goal: Strengthen glutes and hips.
   • Equipment: Resistance bands.
   • Instructions: Partners face one another, each with a band around their thighs. They side-step 10 feet left, 10 feet right, in sync, maintaining eye contact and encouraging proper form.

6. Station 6: Partner Burpees

   • Goal: Full-body explosive strength and cardio.
   • Instructions: Partners complete alternating burpees, high-fiving at the top. Try to do as many as possible in the allotted time.

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Debrief & Reflection (10 minutes)

After completing the circuit, gather students for a cool-down and group discussion.

Cool-Down (5 minutes):

• Static stretches (lead as a group):
  • Hamstring stretch
  • Seated butterfly stretch
  • Shoulder stretch
  • Child’s pose

Reflection Activity (5 minutes):
Encourage students to sit in a circle and discuss:

1. Which station did they find the most challenging and why?
2. What strategies helped them succeed working with their partner?
3. How can these exercises apply to their daily lives (e.g., staying active, teamwork)?

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe students’ ability to follow exercise instructions, collaboration with their partners, and effort levels during activities. Provide verbal feedback as needed.
• Summative: After class, ask students to complete a short written exit slip with the following prompts:
  • What did you enjoy most about today’s lesson?
  • What is one goal you want to set related to strength training?

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Teacher Notes

• Differentiation: Modify activities as needed for students with physical limitations (e.g., wall push-ups instead of standard push-ups, lighter resistance bands).
• Incorporating Technology: Consider using a stopwatch app and portable speaker for motivating music during station rotations.
• Community Building: Promote inclusivity by assigning partners randomly to ensure students interact with classmates they may not know well.

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Follow-Up Plan

In a future lesson, students will expand on this foundation by designing their own functional fitness circuits tailored to personal fitness goals or sports-specific skills.