Poly Spots/ Half Dome Activities

SHAPE America National Standards

1, 3, 5

SEL Competency:

Self- awareness

Accurate self-perception
Recognizing strengths

Teaching Outcomes:

I can balance on different parts of my body.
I can create different stretching poses.
I can identify reasons why physical activity is enjoyable.

Activities:

Place the poly spots on the floor around you but be sure they aren’t too far apart. Try creating your own stretching poses by placing different body parts on the poly spots. Adjust your poly spots if you need to so you can reach them.

Place a body part of your choice on the poly spots in the following ways and balance for at least 30 seconds:

One upper body part, two lower body parts
One upper body part, one lower body part
Two upper body parts, one lower body part
One hand, one foot
One knee, two elbows
Sit on a poly spot and balance yourself so no other body parts touch the ground
How many different stretching poses and challenges can you create?

For an added challenge can you complete the challenges listed above while balancing the half cone on your:

Head
Stomach
Knee
Foot
Hand
Back

After you’ve completed the challenges, take a Mindful Minute. A Mindful Minute is when you sit quietly for 60 seconds (or longer if you can) and notice what is around you. You aren’t thinking about what is going to happen and you aren’t thinking about what already has happened; you are in the present moment. Once you’ve completed the Mindful Minute, reflect on the challenges you completed. Answer some of the questions below.

What did you like about creating your own stretching poses? What didn’t you like?
What challenge was easy for you? What challenge was more difficult?
What are physical activities you like and why do you like them?

Communicate and connect the SEL competency of self-awareness along with its sub-competencies by explaining to students that part of being self-aware is being able to recognize our strengths, is another part of being self-aware. It’s important to learn about what we like and don’t like and being able to recognize the things we are good at or may need to improve upon. The more information we know about the person we are, like what kinds of physical activity we like and don’t like, the more likely we are to make it a part of our daily lives.