Dominoes is used to teach falling and landing techniques. The object of the lesson is to learn how to catch yourself without injury.

Although I have done the lesson without mats, my suggestion is to have as many mats as possible.

1. The first activity is to have all students stretch out all muscle groups and especially the wrists since they will be taking most of the weight of the body.
2. Go through tightening leg muscles and loosening, add legs and butt muscles, continue with stomach, legs and butt. Continue adding until the students are tightening their whole body. I call the tightening Arnolds ( for Arnold S. the body builder ), the loosening is called Jello.
3. Next add the in between concept of slowly loosening and tightening the muscles which is called springs. This is done by doing push ups and jumps straight in the air and landing with bended knees.
4. Next have the students go on their knees with their back straight. Have the students show you their hands to check their hand positions (thumbs facing each other and fingers wide apart).
5. Let them fall forward and catch themselves using the springs concept. Check everyone to see if they have the skill. Move on to the next progresion of standing and dropping to their knees, then falling forward. ( At this point I tell students they have achieved their goal with words of encouragement and tell them they can stay at that skill level ).
6. The next level of the activity is to have the students stand and fall forward. ( I pick students who have graduated to this point ).
7. Finish the lesson by having the students stand in line at the edge of the mats. On cue, the first student falls forward followed by the next until all have fallen in order.

Note:
My students get a great sense of personal and group accomplishment from this activity.
I have never been able to get a whole class to get to next progression of jumping forward, feet off the ground and doing a fish flop. Although some do get it, it is usually the students who go to a gymnastics class after school.

Submitted by:

George Hasker ( ghasker@ptd.net )

Hazle Elementary ( http://home.ptd.net./~student/gym/gym.htm )

Hazleton, Pa. 18201

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