Discover Gymnastics Activity Book - Gymnastics Ontario

Discover Gymnastics Activity Book

Overview of Discover Gymnastics

The Discover Gymnastics Program is an educational initiative brought to you by Gymnastics Ontario. The program offers a number of learning and interactive opportunities based on a group of student’s attendance at a gymnastics event. Working independently or as part of a small group, students will engage in learning experiences designed to meet a number of Language expectations found in the junior and intermediate Ontario curriculum document. Students will work with the enclosed article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics, in order to complete a variety of before, during, and after reading strategies. Students will gain knowledge on the five disciplines of gymnastics, the history of the sport, as well as character traits of high level athletes and their supportive sport community. Students will access information from within the resource package, as well as those from relevant websites in order to support learning experiences. Teachers will find activity descriptions of the twelve lessons and the accompanying line masters and extension activities required for each activity within the unit. Teachers should assess students on a daily basis using conferencing, exit slips, student observation, and the Ontario Language Curriculum Achievement Chart. Message from Gymnastics Ontario

Gymnastics is a foundation for all physical activity and sport. Participants learn the ABC’s of Athleticism – Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed. It assists in developing social and emotional abilities which carry over into all aspects of life. Gymnastics is the perfect activity for developing physical literacy. It is our hope that this activity book coupled with your attendance at the event will spark an interest in learning more about what gymnastics has to offer.

Discover Gymnastics Activity Book 1

The Schools Program Activity Book is published by Gymnastics Ontario Copyright © 2009 by Gymnastics Ontario.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A special thank you to Heather Gardner, Program Effectiveness Consultant for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for creating this resource and for continuing to be a champion helping to promote the benefits of participation in this fundamental activity. Thanks also to Chris Mitruk of CMitruk Design for his creativity in the design of the cover for this resource.


Activity Book Contents

Activity Page Activity Description 4-5 There's a lot of life for you in Gymnastics 6-8 Anticipation Guide 9 Skimming and Scanning 10 Word Speculation 11 Word Study Word Search 12 Debate It! 13 Provincial and Territorial Flags 14 Dear Mayor Persuasive Letter 15 Pass it on! 16 Pass it on! Gallery Walk 17 Search the Net 18 Jigsaw Internet Search 19 Greek Word Scramble 20 Greek Word Scramble Solution 21 Gym Mat Brainstorming 22 Three Letter Tile Scramble 23 Three Letter Tile Scramble Solution 24 Q-Chart 25 Dice Template 26 Character Sketch 27 Exit Slips 28


Activity Description Anticipation Guide: Before students read the article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics, have students individually complete the Anticipation Guide based on their own thoughts and opinions. Students will circle “Agree” or “Disagree” beside each statement under the heading “Before Reading.” Have students share their thoughts with the whole class. Record some of the key points made during the discussion, on the board. Following the class discussion of these statements, students will read the article There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics. Have students jot down their thoughts next to the corresponding statement on the anticipation guide. Following the reading, have students revisit their anticipation guide and complete the after reading section. Repeat the above class discussion looking for changes in the students’ thoughts/opinions. Skimming and Scanning: Using the article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics and the handout Skimming and Scanning engage students in recording their First Impressions and creating Fast Facts from the information they have read. Have students share their First Impressions and Fast Facts with a partner to determine what they believe will be important points or questions. Students record these ideas under the Final Thoughts column. As a class, students’ share what information they recorded as their Final Thoughts. Word Study: Using the article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics, have students skim and scan the text highlighting new or unfamiliar words. Working in pairs, have students create a list of 10 new or unfamiliar words. Using the handout Word Speculation, have students speculate the meaning of their words then research the word to discover its definition. Use words and definitions on card stock to create a gymnastics word wall. Extension: Have students complete the Word Study Word Search using their new gymnastics words. Students can create their own word search to share using there 10 identified new or unfamiliar words. Debate It!: In groups of 5, students will research the topic of whether children should be encouraged to compete as athletes at the national and international levels. They will identify what the advantages or disadvantages of training and competing at a young age are and record their thoughts on the Debate It! template. Students will present in a tag team debate format. Each team will represent one side of the question. Each team has a set amount of time (5 minutes) to present its point of view. When it's time for the team to state its point of view, one speaker from the team takes the floor. That speaker can speak for no more than 1 minute, and must "tag" another member of the team to pick up the argument before his or her minute is up. Following both teams initial sharing, each team will be give 3 minutes for a rebuttal, using the same “tag” format. Taking a Look At Our City: Challenge students prior knowledge by having them complete the Provincial and Territorial Flags identification handout. Working in small groups (13 group’s total) assign each group one province or territory to research. Students are to identify what resources are available to support Olympic leveled athletes within that province or territory. Introduce this topic to the class by generating a list of Olympic sports and what facilities those sport might require. Using the Dear Mayor Persuasive Letter template, write a persuasive letter to the mayor of your hometown making recommendations or improvements to the city in order to support high level athletes. Pass It On!: In groups of eight, assign each group one section of the article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics (Introduction, Women’s Artistic, Rhythmic, Aerobic, Trampoline, Power Tumbling, Men’s Artistic, and Conclusion). As a group, student’s read their section and together use words and pictures to create a poster on what the main topics from the section are. Students will display their posters to be viewed by the other students in the class. While students are viewing each


others work in rotation, have them complete the Pass it on! Gallery Walk handout where they will attempt to identify the main ideas of their classmate’s posters. Following the gallery walk have groups present their poster, stating the main ideas, allowing their classmates an opportunity to modify their Gallery Walk handout. Search the Net: Students will work in pairs to complete the Search the Net handout. Have partners share findings with another pair. Discuss with the class which items were easy and which were challenging to find. Ask students to suggest which features of the website were helpful and/or not very helpful and which should be added. Ask students to evaluate the usefulness of the website from the perspective of athletes, coaches, or a classroom teacher. Jigsaw Internet Search: Individually, students will perform an internet search investigating the history of gymnastics. Students will take note of key and interesting facts related to gymnastics of Greek times and gymnastics today. Students will record similarities and differences in a Venn Diagram on the Jigsaw Internet Search handout. Students will share their research in small groups and in a discussion with the whole class. Extension: Have students complete the Greek Word Scramble handout decoding traditional Greek letters to reveal a fun gymnastics message. Gym Mat Brainstorming: As a class lead a discussion on how certain levels of fitness can lead to a healthy active lifestyle. In groups of four, have students each share their thoughts around the quality of life that an active life will lead to. Using the Gym Mat Brainstorming template, have students take point form notes of the information shared by their classmates. Once each classmate has shared an idea, each student will take turns asking each other one question as it relates to the information they shared. Students may use the Q-Chart handout for support. Students will continue to take point form notes of their classmate’s answers. Once the entire group has shared and answered questions, the group will create one response to the question of how fitness leads to a healthy active lifestyle. Groups will share their responses with the class. Extension: Students complete the Three Letter Tile Scramble handout to decode a message of fun and fitness.On a Roll with Gymnastics: Using the Q-Chart, have students generate seven higher level thinking questions based on previous research and the article, There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics. Students will write their seven questions onto the Dice Template and using scissors and glue/tape, each student will create their own dice. Working with a partner, have students alternate rolling each others dice and answering each others questions. Students may want to keep points turning the activity into a game. Character Sketch: Using the information provided in the article There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics and shared through a class discussion, have students generate a list of character traits required by high level athletes. Using the article There’s a lot of life for you in Gymnastics, have students provide evidence for making these inferences. Students may also want to complete a web search for further information. Using the handout Character Sketch, have students create a character sketch for a high level athlete using words or illustrations. Students should consider these eight topics when writing their character sketch; physical description, what positive things the athlete might say, what positive things the athlete does, what positive things the athlete thinks, what others might say about the athlete (their coach, teammates or family), how others interact with the athlete, the setting the athlete can be found in, and what the athlete is like (mood or attitude). Exit Slips: Following any of the above activities, have students complete an Exit Slip prior to the end of the class. Students will answer questions based on the day’s activities. Students will hand in their slips to be used by the teacher to assess their understanding of the topics. Exit Slips can also be used as a review for students prior to the next class.


There's a lot of life for you in GYMNASTICS Article adapted from www.ogf.com

What is it about gymnastics that has captured people's imaginations since its origins close to 5,000 year ago? It is gymnastics' unique combination of grace, flexibility, agility, balance, power and strength. Gymnastics' balance of artistry and athleticism has earned it a place at the very forefront of the Olympic movement, since the first modern Games in 1896. The same attraction that draws people to watch Olympic gymnastics on television is what inspires people of all ages to participate in the sport. In Ontario alone, there are more than 60,000 registered members of the Gymnastics Ontario Federation. Worldwide, an astounding 30 million people are members of their country's gymnastics federations. Everyone can find something meaningful and beneficial in the sport, regardless of age, athletic ability, or the ambitiousness of your goals. There is room for everyone in this sport, from the recreational gymnast who participates just for fun, to the high performance international who is a competitor drawn by the allure of a gold medal. The five disciplines of gymnastics not only help you improve your fitness, but also demand mental focus, and provides a valuable outlet for personal expression. You are never too young, or too old, to gain something positive from the sport. Let’s look at what those five disciplines are: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Artistic Gymnastics is definitely the most popular discipline in the gymnastics family. Over the years, female gymnasts have provided the most exciting, memorable and historic moments at the Olympic Games. Magical performances, from innovators like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci, which beautifully combined creativity with technical skill, have been a major source of inspiration the world over.

Although most gymnasts will learn new skills on various different pieces of equipment - including the trampoline, only four events are used in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition. They are: Vault, Bars, Beam and Floor. Vaulting is an event that requires tremendous speed and strength down the runway. This power is used to generate the necessary airtime up off the horse to complete the intricate twisting or salto vault. Once in the air, the gymnast then aims for a perfectly stuck landing. Bars are an event that demands special timing in order to initiate seeming effortless swinging elements. The most advanced routines will incorporate daring release moves that flip through the air before quickly catching the bar once again and smoothly continue on to an exciting, highflying dismount. Beam is the event that true champions make appear deceivingly easy. The gymnast must perform on the 10 cm. wide stage as if she were on a full floor area. Floor Exercise is the most popular event for the viewing audience, due mostly to the musical accompaniment. A floor routine is the best example of where sport meets art, as each gymnast strives to merge her own unique personality and emotion into

every performance.


Rhythmic Gymnastics Rhythmic Gymnastics is quite possibly the most beautiful of all competitive sports. Unlike Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics is currently performed in official competition by women only. Competitors use small pieces of hand apparatus - Rope, Hoop, Ball, Clubs and Ribbon as an extension of their bodies in routines always accompanied by music. The performance takes place on a carpeted mat that is 13m. X 13m. It is slightly cushioned, but certainly not to the extent of a 'spring' floor used in Artistic Gymnastics. The question has often been asked of Rhythmic Gymnastics: Is it Dance? Is it Art? Or is it Sport? In reality it is a unique combination of the best of all three worlds. The essence of Rhythmic Gymnastics is self-expression. In the absence of extremely difficult acrobatic elements used in Artistic Gymnastics, the movements in Rhythmic Gymnastics are elegant, expressive, precise and graceful. Athletes require a full range of flexibility throughout the entire body in addition to explosive power. Both factors combined allow athletes to maintain perfect body alignment in leaps, balances, pirouettes and other intricate body movements. Athletes display coordination and cohesion in their use of the hand apparatus with rhythmic sensibility while taking risks with technical precision. The highest-level competitors take great pride in their original compositions as they appear to become one with the music and the apparatus. Aerobic Gymnastics What began as part of the fitness craze over 20 years ago has now become a dynamic and exciting competitive sport for both male and female athletes. Simply put, Aerobic Gymnastics combines aerobic choreography and gymnastics elements. These phenomenally fit athletes perform incredibly fast, eye catching routines to upbeat music. Their nonstop performance incorporates complex and high intensity movement patterns which originate from traditional aerobic dance. Judges are evaluating each athlete on their ability to deliver perfectly executed elements of difficulty with artistic flair. The winning routine shows excellent technique with a balance between airborne, floor and aerobic dance.

It includes elements of dynamic and static strength, flexibility, balance and the ability to perform high flying jumps. The competitor must also include various combinations and sequences from the list of 7 basic aerobic steps: Knee Lift, Kick, Jacks, Lunge, March, Jog and Skip.

Trampoline Trampoline is the newest Olympic sport. Gymnastics Ontario is incredibly proud of Canada's performance in Sydney at the 2000 Olympic Games. Karen Cockburn, Mathieu Turgeon and coach Dave Ross created a magical moment for all of us to cherish for years to come when they won their Olympic Bronze Medals. Their combined effort, talent and dedication resulted in a historic achievement as Trampoline made its debut as an Olympic sport. Karen Cockburn followed it up with an Olympic Silver Medal in 2004 in Athens and with two gold medals at a World Cup in England in 2006.

Trampoline requires tremendous leg strength, endurance and phenomenal air sense (spatial orientation). To have some 'dare devil' tendencies is a definite asset as they fly through the air

performing somersaulting and twisting skills with grace and agility. The best trampolinists in the world jump in excess of 30 feet above the trampoline with cat like precision.


Power Tumbling Power Tumbling blends the most exciting aspects of an Artistic Gymnastics floor exercise with the dynamics of Trampoline skills. Tumblers perform on a specialized tumbling strip, which are 26 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. The strip is an elevated floor sprung with horizontal fiberglass rods concealed beneath a carpeted layer of foam. The innovation of this specialized 'floor' has raised the level of the sport to new heights. It provides the athletes with an extremely explosive 'launching pad', which can propel the most talented athletes high into the air allowing them to perform combinations of consecutive aerial skills at levels of difficulty not normally seen in Artistic Gymnastics. In competition the athletes perform tumbling lines (connected tumbling skills) called 'passes'. These passes consist of eight acrobatic elements judged on their degree of difficulty and execution - which includes the evaluation of speed, technique, height and maintenance of tempo throughout the entire 8 element pass. Men's Artistic Gymnastics Men's Artistic Gymnastics is comprised of six exciting and demanding apparatus: Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. Ontario athletes have contributed greatly to the Canadian National Team program and its international successes. Much of this is due to the talent and hard work of many international gymnasts such as two time World Championship medalist - Curtis Hibbert, and three-time Olympian - Alan Nolet.

Men's artistic gymnastics is the best way to initiate strong physical basics for all other sport development. Those athletes that choose to continue on with gymnastics past the introductory stages will enjoy the fun and challenge of further developing their coordination and concentration as they begin to perform new elements on the cutting edge of biomechanical possibilities. Men's Artistic Gymnastics is the original 'Extreme' sport!

Here are some of the reasons why there are more than 60,000 registered gymnasts in Ontario:

* Programs for every skill level and goal, from purely recreational to high performance competition * A sport that is focused on the needs of the athletes * High quality, fully certified coaching * A clean sport that will fulfill you at all ages * A sport that is community based * A sport that is well governed by Gymnastics Ontario to ensure an enjoyable experience that is safe and based on a code of ethics and standards

Isn't it time you found out what gymnastics can do for you?

Contact your local clubs or Gymnastics Ontario.


Anticipation Guide

Before Reading Statements Personal Thoughts

After Reading

1. Agree/Disagree

2. Agree/Disagree

3. Agree/Disagree

4. Agree/Disagree

5. Agree/Disagree

6. Agree/Disagree

Gymnastics' balance of artistry and athleticism has earned it a place at the very forefront of the Olympic movement. Everyone can find something meaningful and beneficial in the sport, regardless of age, athletic ability, or the ambitiousness of your goals. Gymnastics not only helps you improve your fitness, it also demands mental focus, and provides a valuable outlet for personal expression. You are never too young, or too old, to gain something positive from the sport. Gymnastics will also help you to get more out of life. Over the years, female gymnasts have provided the most exciting, memorable and historic moments at the Olympic Games.

1. Agree/Disagree

2. Agree/Disagree

3. Agree/Disagree

4. Agree/Disagree

5. Agree/Disagree

6. Agree/Disagree


Skimming and Scanning

First Impressions Fast Facts Final Thoughts


Word Speculation

New or Unfamiliar Word

Speculated Definition

Actual Definition


Word Study Word Search

C W W T B K N H A Q R C C T V L Z O E U O C C G O J I A R Y U E A M B M R I P P M M E A S B M C B E O B E K H N A R M C S A I A B N A L T O T N O P I E R L A R G S Y I F G Y B O P X X T L I G H T I N V D I L M K I P L X R I L U N G E C I Y C C I R F T E C N A L A B N L W T F L E X I B I L I T Y E O Y J O P M S G N I H C A O C S S O M Q R A S O C I A L G Q K R O P O O H R I S U C O F M C C R E W O P S C O R I N G S A S T R E N G T H H N M E N S J

ACROBATIC AEROBIC AGILITY BALANCE BALL BEAM CLUBS COACHING COMPETITION DYNAMIC EXPRESSION FLEXIBILITY FLOOR FOCUS GRACE HOOP JACKS JOG KICK LIFT LUNGE MARCH MENS OLYMPICS POWER RIBBON RINGS ROPE RHYTHMIC SKIP SOCIAL STRENGTH TRAMPOLINE TUMBLING WOMENS


Debate It!

Debate whether children should be encouraged to compete as athletes at the national and international levels. What are the advantages and

disadvantages of training and competing at a young age? Use the space below to brainstorm/research your thoughts.


Provincial and Territorial Flags

1._________________________ 2.________________________ 3._________________________

4._________________________ 5.________________________ 6._________________________

7._________________________ 8.________________________ 9._________________________

10._________________________ 11.________________________ 12._________________________

13. ________________________


Dear Mayor Persuasive Letter

Dear Mayor, ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Pass it on! Poster Page Topic: ______________________________________


Pass It On! Gallery Walk

My interpretation of Key Ideas from the graffiti work depicting…

Introduction

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Aerobic Gymnastics

Trampoline

Power Tumbling

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Conclusion


Search the Net Use the Gymnastics Ontario Website (www.ogf.com) to answer the following questions:

1. What is the name of the website? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Who created the website? How can you contact them? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What are the 5 values of Gymnastics Ontario? How can these values help you in your everyday life? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Who is Max? What information does he provide to teachers, coaches, and gymnasts? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. The information on the website is available to five gymnastics disciplines. What are they and how do they

access information for their sport through this webpage? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What information can you infer about Gymnastics Ontario by looking at the photos on the website? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Pick one tabs from the home page and list (in your own words) three pieces of information that you find

regarding that discipline of gymnastics.

Tab title: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Information one: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Information two: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Information three: _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. How are the graphics used to enhance the usefulness of the site? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Which gymnastics disciplines are available as an OFSAA (Ontario Federation of Secondary School

Athletics) sport?_____________________________________________________________________


Jigsaw Internet Search

Gymnastics Today Greek Gymnastics

Similarities


Greek Word Scramble

Decode the Greek translation to reveal a message


Greek Word Scramble Solution

The revealed message should read:

There is room for everyone in Gymnastics, from the recreational gymnast who participates just for fun, to the high performance international who is a

competitor drawn by the allure of a gold medal.


Gym Mat Brainstorming


Three Letter Tile Scramble

Unscramble the tiles to reveal a message.


Three Tile Scramble Solution

The unscrambled message should read:

Gymnastics not only help you improve your fitness, but also demand mental focus, and provides a valuable outlet for personal expression. You are never too young, or too old, to

gain something positive from the sport.


Q-Chart

IS DID CAN WOULD WILL MIGHT

WHAT

WHERE

WHEN

WHO

HOW

WHY

Shaded area represents highest thinking level questions


Dice Template


Character Sketch


Exit Slips

1. List something new you have learned during today’s class. 2. How do you think what you have learned is connected with the other lessons from the

unit? 3. List three to five important things to remember for tomorrow’s class.


Discover Gymnastics Activity Book - Gymnastics Ontario

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