Name: Peanut roll

Concept/Skill: Forward/Backward Rolls

Materials: Mat area for each child; 1 unshelled peanut

Lesson:
To introduce the forward and backward rolls to students, they must develop the concept of tucking their heads. In order to do this, I have each student place an unshelled peanut under their chin (holding it in place only with their chin). On signal, the students squat into a tucked position, place their hands on the mat, lean forward and roll.
If they did not lose their peanut (which means they kept their head tucked), their reward is to eat the peanut (TIP: designate an area for eating the peanut or shells will be all over your mats).
Unsuccessful students simply continue trying; eventually, all my students become successful.
The next step is to have each student place an imaginary peanut under their chin to "hold in place" as they roll.......PRESTO!
This can also give the physical education teacher a chance to introduce a historical lesson on the founder of the peanut, how peanuts grow, who invented peanut butter, etc. ENJOY!

Submitted by:
Judy Howard
HOW@mail.utexas.edu
T. A. Brown Elementary (Austin ISD)
505 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78752

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