RUNNING HEAD: DISCIPLINE-BASED UNIT OF STUDY 1

Discipline-Based Unit of Study

Zach Zimmer

National University
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 2

Abstract

The Discipline-Based Unit of study was a great assignment for planning out a

high-school level aquatics lesson. The author creates a lesson based on CA High School

PE standard 1.2- Demonstrate proficient movement skills in aquatic, rhythms/dance, and

individual and dual activities. Student learning goals, the practices to promote social-

emotional growth, as well as possible barriers students will face are all discussed. The

classroom consists of 39 students (22 males, 17 females). Of these 39 students one

student has an IEP and another is an ELL. Multiple means of Representation,

engagement, and expression are all noted to ensure that every student has the best

possible time learning how to swim.

 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 3

STAGE 1: PLANNING
YOUR TARGET: Standard, Goals & Outcomes

Teacher: Mr. Zach Zimmer Grade/Subject: Physical Education/ High School

(9th-12th)

TARGET: Unpack Your Standard(s): Students will execute basic/proficient levels of

basic swimming techniques

Part 1: My Standards, Goals and Outcomes

Academic Standards: : Demonstrate proficient movement skills in aquatic,
rhythms/dance, and individual and dual activities
CCSS Physical Education High School 1.2

Demonstrate proficient movement skills in aquatic, rhythms/dance, and individual and

dual activities

Nouns: aquatic skills, rhythm and dance skills, individual sport skills, dual activity
skils

Verbs: Demonstrate

*Highlight the main idea/knowledge (what) *Underline the skills/verbs (how)

Big Questions (Questions Knowledge (Concepts to Skills (what you will

to frame student be understood and explicitly teach)
learning) applied)
● Freestyle stroke
● What are the basic ● Students will ● backstroke
steps or cues for a understand the ● breath stroke
basic freestyle stroke? importance of having a ● butterfly stroke
● What are the basic basic knowledge of
steps or cues for the swimming
backstroke ● Students will learn
● What are the basic how swimming is a
steps or cues for great mode of exercise
butterfly stroke to stay physically fit
● What are the basic
steps or cues for a
breaststroke
● What are the safety
rules of the pool?
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 4

Student Learning Goal: (I can...)

I understand the basic steps to the freestyle stroke

I understand the basic steps to the back stroke

I understand the basic steps to the breaststroke

I understand the basic steps to the butterfly stroke

I understand the basic aquatic safety rules

Student Social-emotional Goal (LEARNER):

Students will enter the pool/swimming area in an orderly fashion without any rough
housing or misbehaving. Students will always enter the pool area and sit down in the
bleachers everyday without running around. While sitting down in the stands students
will actively listen to instructions given by the teacher as much of the instruction will
remind students about aquatic safety. While swimming students will not rough house,
pull students under water, etc. Students may work in small groups of to ensure that no
student runs into each other while swimming in the lanes.

Barriers to learning (LEARNER): (level of literacy; language proficiency levels;

funds of knowledge; attention span)
The biggest barrier that students will face in this aquatic unit will stem from
confidence in the water. A handful of students will inevitably not have an prior
experience swimming and will be scared/nervous entering the water and swimming.
One of the barriers that students may face, particularly in the central valley, is being an
ELL student. In the central valley there is a high population of spanish speaking
students. For students who are still learning the english language they may possibly
need a translator; however, as a PE teacher it is important to use lots of visual
demonstrations for the ELL students. It’s important to also double and triple check for
understanding from these students.

Part 2: My Class
My Classroom Composite: (TEACHER & LEARNER) Whole group (Broad needs
of students; observable patterns & trends; language and literacy subgroups;
digital/technology fluency; emotional regulation)
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 5

The class consists of 39 students, 22 males and 17 female students. Raymond is a very
diligent student athlete that is well-versed in many different sports and physical activities.
He is a great student to use for peer demonstrations as well as pairing him with students
who struggle in certain sports/areas. Maximo is one of the students in the class that is on
an IEP for his ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He will often have
difficulty sitting still, often wander off, as well as get off task easily. Whenever Maximo
begins to show difficulty staying on task or listening to instructions offering him a break
to walk around is often a great a solution. Carlos is a Hispanic student and the sole ELL
student in the classroom. Carlos is classified as a bridging level of proficiency. He has a
very strong grasp of the English language, but shows difficulty in understanding figures
of speech and common phrases (such as “cup your hands when your pulling underwater
as it offers the most surface area”). For Carlos, being very clear with instructions and
physically demonstrating what you expect from the students proves to be greatly
beneficial for him.

Accommodations/Adaptations/Intervention (Teacher, Learner, Instruction,

Management)

Focus Student #1: Special Needs (IEP
Goals;504;SST)
Maximo- IEP: ADHD
Strengths
● Maximo is eager to help the
teacher (run errands)
● Is a strong swimmer
● Very social student. Open to
working with anyone in the
classroom. Very accepting
Needs
● Easily Distracted, off-task very
easily
● when he gets off-task he can be
very loud and disruptive
● Struggles listening to instructions.
Can’t sit down for very long.
Focus Student #2: English Language
learner (ELL); Standard English
learner(SEL);
Carlos- ELL. Bridging
Strengths
● Very strong swimmer. Swims for
the school’s swim team
● Quite, rarely off-task, listens very-
well (when he understands)
Needs
● Reserved student. Isn’t very social
amongst majority of the class
● Has difficulty understanding
certain levels of instruction
● Will sometimes repeatedly not
dress out

(TEACHER, LEARNER, TARGET, ASSESSMENT, INSTRUCTION,

MANAGEMENT),
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 6

Multiple Means of How will the content be presented/shared in multiple ways to

Representation highlight critical features, represent different formats, media
(modeling & types and cultural diversity? How will you monitor and assess
practice)1 understanding of representation?

Video- A great strategy to get students motivated to get into the

pool and learn various swimming strokes is showing them a video
of an advanced level swimmer. Michael Phelps is one of the most
well known athletes that most students will know of and a great
Simultaneou motivational tool.
sly
https://youtu.be/nLhTCwor1YQ

Another great video to show students to get them excited about

swimming is showing them how strong swimming skills can
possibly save lives. The Coast Guard is home to some of the
strongest swimmers in the world and they use the highly advanced
swimming skills to save peoples lives

Training Video
https://youtu.be/ZWey2A5OKao

Coast Guard Swimmer in Action

https://youtu.be/-ym-ZXafoF0

Modeling- Physically demonstrating what you expect from

students in each particular stroke is essential to make sure every
student understand the cues or steps that go into a proper
swimming stroke.

1 Think about at least three ways you can represent this concept: video, role play, manipulatives.
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 7

Multiple Means of How will students engage in the process of new learning? How
Engagement2 will the content become accessible, meaningful, and relevant to
the learner? How will you monitor and assess this process?

Amazon Crossing:

Games are a fantastic way to keep kids motivated and engaged in

Simultaneously the lesson. Class will be divided into groups of 6 to 12. Each team
must work together to transport themselves and their “cargo”
across the swimming pool without falling in and being eaten by the
piranhas. Each team will be given a foam mat, jump ropes,
kickboards, and “cargo to transport” (medicine ball, basketball,
etc.). Students must keep the majority of their body on the mat
while they work together to get across. If a piece of equipment is
dropped the group loses it forever. If the group loses their cargo or
a teammate falls in they must start over.

Free Swim:

Another great way to engage multiple students is rewarding them

with Free Swim Fridays. If 80% of the class participates and
dresses out for swim, the entire class will be given a free swim day
where they can swim around, lounge around/in the pool, and even
use the diving boards. This is a great practice to motivate students
to not only participate and engage but to dress out as well, which is
a problem in PE.

Multiple means of What principles of choice for the product of learning will you
Expression3 accept? How will you provide a space for communication,
(practice & creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration (4 C’s)?
Which measures will you use to assess products of learning?

Assessment:

Simultaneou When it comes to student expressing their products of learning the

sly swimming strokes multiple types of expression will be offered.
Students in the class will have the option of taking a physical
assessment) assessment where the students will get in the pool and demonstrate
their mastery of each stroke. Or, for students who may not be

2 At least three ways your students will understand, internalize, appropriate: prior knowledge, group
work; technology; graphic organizer; dyads or triads
3 At least three ways your students will show you what they know: oral presentation; written report;
research; technology-mediate projects; debates; simulation; quiz, exit ticket
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 8

strong swimmer, they may take a written test. The test will consist
of key steps/cues of each different stroke, aquatic safety, and
possible sports associated with aquatics.

Collaboration:

Students will often work in teams during the swimming lesson. As

in Amazon Crossing students will work together learning how to
master each stroke as well as problem solving (getting across the
pool).
Managing the How will you manage the classroom/setting so students
Classroom transition successfully through instructional stages, and
Environment student groupings? How will you create an optimal learning
environment (space, time, pacing, interactions, expectations,
assessment)?

Routines:

Managing a classroom is important, especially in PE. To help

manage the class, as well as prevent students from getting
needlessly injured, the class will follow pre-practiced routines.
First the students will always walk over to the pool and wait
outside the gates for a teacher to let them in. This is to make sure
that no students are messing around unsupervised. Once the class
enters the swimming area they will immediately sit in roll call
order in the bleachers. This is to make sure no students are running
around the pool as well as make sure that all students are present.
Lastly, the class knows to enter the pool only when instructed to by
the teacher.

Rules:

Before even starting swimming in the pool students will be briefed

on the rules of the swimming pool.
1. There will be absolutely no running inside the pool area
2. No rough housing in the pool area
3. No diving in the pool unless on the diving boards (Free
Swim Friday)
4. No hanging on the lane lines
5. Appropriate swimwear is required to participate
6. No food or drink is to enter the pool area (this includes
gum)
Constantly reinforcing these rules to the students is important so
they don’t forget, or use the excuse that they forgot. If a student
breaks one of the rules they will first be warned. If the behavior
continues they will be sent down to student services to receive the
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 9

proper punishment, they will lose out on participation for the day,
and parents will be contacted.

STAGE 2: TEACHING
DAILY AGENDA: WHAT WILL YOU USE TO MANAGE DAILY INSTRUCTION

WHAT IS MY LEARNING MAP SEQUENCE FOR DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3…?

Freestyle Stroke and Backstroke Lesson

Class Period: 55 minutes (5 min dress out bell at start and end of period, so only 45
minutes of actual instruction)

Objective:
Students will briefly review and practice their freestyle stroke and learn a new stroke, the
backstroke.

Introduction: 10 minutes
Students will dress out in swimwear in the locker room and promptly head out to sit in
roll call order outside the pool or swimming area. After 10 minutes exit the locker room
and meet the class outside the pool to take roll. Once roll is taken open the pool and have
the students enter and sit down in the bleachers. Tell the students that we will be
reviewing the freestyle stroke that we worked on yesterday, as well as learning a new
stroke, the backstroke. After After talking to the class about what the daily agenda is
they may begin to enter/hop in the pool.

To get students interested in learning the backstroke, as well as a source of UDL, I will
show students a video of Missy Franklin shattering the backstroke world record at the
2012 Olympic Games. It's an exciting video to watch a female perform the backstroke at
such an outstandingly high level, and will hopefully pique the classes interest in learning
the new stroke.

https://youtu.be/Vm3zVaOG0x4
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 10

Explicit Instruction: 5 minutes

Begin by reviewing the cues of the freestyle stroke
1. Arms will alternate windmilling(going over the head) and entering the water
index finger first (this is important).
2. Make sure to keep hands slightly cupped. This is to ensure that your hands have
the most optimal surface area to displace as much water as possible. This will in
turn make your stroke quicker and much less tiring.
3. Once arm enters the water pull down towards your lower body, still with a cupped
hand. Make sure to keep the arm tight to your side and not far from your side.
Pull straight down to propel yourself forward.
4. Once arm enters the water and extends out in front (underwater) the alternate arm
pulls. This is called the catch position.
5. All while this is occuring, the lower body is constantly flutter kicking to propel
the body forward.
a. During the flutter kick students should focus on kicking at the hips (not
the knees). This puts the whole lower body in motion, rather than just the
lower half below the knee. Also remember to point the toes.

After students practice their freestyle stroke for awhile then introduce them to the cues to
the new stroke, the backstroke.
1. While doing the backstroke remind students it will feel strange doing this stroke
from their back and not knowing where they are going. This is where flags above
the pool come into play. Tell students the purpose of flags above the pool is to
alert swimmers to where they are in the pool. When they cross the line of flags
they know they are about to reach the end of the pool.
2. When doing the backstroke students need to try and keep their head stationary and
looking up the whole time. To help keep head above water remind students to try
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 11

and flex their stomach, this will help keep their lower and upper body on the
surface of the water.
3. The lower body is going to be doing the same exact motion as the freestyle
stroke(flutter kick), except upside down.
4. Arms will be windmilling above the head entering the water with the palms facing
out. Or pinky first.
5. When pulling remember to keep a nice cupped hand and continue pulling tight to
the body (similar to freestyle stroke). The only adjustment is the arm is pulling
slightly farther away from the body compared to the backstroke.
6. While not a cue I believe during explicit instruction it is important to teach
students that the backstroke is a great stroke to learn to rest when in the water.
The backstroke allows the swimmer to keep their head above water the whole
time and breath normally. So, if a student is ever faced with a long distance swim
they know if they get tired they can switch over to a backstroke to breath and rest.

Guided Practice- 15 minutes

After reviewing the cues to a proper freestyle stroke the students will alternate swimming
to the other side of the pool (there will probably be about 4-5 students in each lane line).
Remind students that at any moment they feel tired or even worried they can grab onto
the lane line to catch their breath. Once students have practiced the freestyle stroke for 5
to 7 minutes move on to reviewing the cues for the backstroke. After teaching students
proper backstroke technique students. I like to review that since students will be doing
the stroke from their back and they won't be able to see where they are going they may
turn down and observe where they are at in the pool at anytime they feel uncomfortable.
This will occur with most students, especially when they begin to get near the end of the
pool. Students will then practice their backstroke for 10 minutes. During guided practice
it is important to be constantly moving around the edge of the pool observing closely.
Not only for safety reasons, but to offer feedback to students.

Independent Practice- 5 minutes

Students will be released to practice either the freestyle stroke or backstroke on their
own. Possible addition could be to have students critique each other strokes. Remind
them of the compliment sandwich. Tell them something they do well, something they
need to work on, and something they did exceptionally well. While the class is doing
independent practice this a great time for students to catch their breath and relax, as well
as set up the closing activity or game.

Closing- 5 to 10 minutes (depending on time left before the shower/dress out bell)
I love ending each lesson with a game or fun activity to get the kids excited about
practicing their newly learned skills.

Relay Race:
Students will compete in teams(already perfectly grouped by lane lines, adjust if teams
are uneven) to win a relay race against the neighbor lane(lane 1 vs lane 2, lane 3 vs lane
4, etc.). Place random objects (baseball, tennis ball, etc.) at the end of each side of the
pool, inside the hula hoops or base, evenly between each lane line. The goal of the game
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 12

is to end with more objects in your teams hula hoop than the other teams while using the
2 strokes. Students have to perform both strokes when swimming, either freestyle stroke
down and backstroke back or vice versa(students get to choose which stroke they want to
start with). When the students get to the other side of the pool they will grab 1 object,
and only one, and swim back with the object. They will then place the object in their
teams hula hoop and the next student will go. The relay race will be over after 3-5
minutes, time will be based on each individual classes skill level (make sure every
student gets the opportunity to swim at least twice).

Pool Diagram
Te Te
a Tea
a
m VS. m1
m
2 Team 2 1
Ba B
se
Te Te
as
Team
a ae
3
m VS. m
4 Team 4 3
B B
as as
e Team e
Te Te
a 5 a
m VS. m
6 Team 6 5
B B
as as
e1 e

Kicking Tug of War

Students will form teams based on the lane lines they are in. One student from each team
will be chosen to compete in the tug of war. One student from each team will grab onto
opposite sides of kickboard, in the middle of the pool. They will then kick as hard as they
can, much like a tug of war except with pushing. Once students pass a certain marker
(color on the lane line) their team wins 1 point (make sure to make it a short distance or
else students will become fatigued). Students will each go twice, once face down like a
freestyle stroke, and the other facing up like a backstroke. Make sure every student gets
an opportunity to play. This is a great game for students to have fun and work on
perfecting their flutter kicks. For added fun on free swim fridays you can compete in the
Olympic Games. The class will be broken up into fair teams and will compete in a
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 13

double elimination tournament. Teams can even draw countries out of hat to have
designated team names (Croatia, Italy, Russia, USA, etc.).

ELL/SELL Student Accomodations:

During the instruction on freestyle stroke and backstroke the best option might be to
enlist the help of your school and get any ELL/SELL student a translator/IA to offer
individual help to them while teaching. If an translator is not available it is essential to
use lots of visual demonstrations on the cues. This way the student can visually follow
along with what you expect.

Grouping:
When students first enter the pool I will generally let them pick the lane they want to start
in. However, after walking around the pool and observing I will move strong swimmers
around to help the weaker swimmers during the individual instruction. This way
swimmers who are improving can get some great feedback from a strong swimmer. It is
also to walk around and group students fairly for the closing game. This way the teams
are not drastically slanted in one teams favor.

FS1:
This lesson will be the perfect lesson for focus student one. It is high activity which will
give the student something to do constantly, which means they won't be off task or
distracting others. During the introduction I will make sure reiterate to the student
multiple times the rules of the pool (no running, rough housing, etc.). Overall I don’t see
the students ADHD posing any problems in this lesson.

FS2:
For focus students two refer to ELL/SELL section.

Social Emotional
PE as a whole is a great subject for students to work on their social skills with their peers.
During this lesson students will practice working on their social skills with their
classmates during the game and independent practice. During the independent practice
students will be working on socializing with their peers by giving them constructive
feedback. The compliment sandwich is a great practice for the students to learn. It
balances giving a classmate constructive criticism as well as a compliment to ensure no
one feels attacked or bad about themselves. Working as a team is a common in PE. It
teaches students to work together with classmates they may not socialize with outside of
school and find ways work towards a common goal together. However, it is important to
enforce a strict rule of no put downs or verbal abuse in the classroom as some students
can be extremely competitive.

WHAT MATERIALS WILL I USE FOR DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3?

● Kickboards
○ for any students who do not feel comfortable swimming in deep water or
any students on an IEP/504 plan who need extra assistance.
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 14

○ Kickboards could also be used to reinforce proper technique for the flutter
kick on both freestyle and backstroke
■ have students hold onto the kickboard facing both down and up to
practice their flutter kicks
○ Kickboards will be used for Kicking Tug of War
● Various objects/balls (tennis balls, mesh balls, etc.)
○ these objects will be used in the relay race
○ make sure to have multiple colors and sizes for students
● Hula Hoops
○ Hula Hoops will act as bases for each teams objects during the relay race.
● Goggles
○ for any students who use glasses
○ any students who simply don't feel comfortable opening their eyes in the
pool and want to see where they’re going.

HOW WILL I ASSESS STUDENT LEARNING ON DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3? WHAT

EVIDENCE WILL I COLLECT OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR UNIT OF
STUDY?

During the lesson multiple different forms of assessment will be occurring.

Informal Assessment
Throughout the entirety of the lesson I will be walking around constantly offering
feedback to student, both positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. Letting
students know that they are doing a good job is something that every student, of every
levels, needs to hear. Walking around and performing informal assessments constantly
also will give me idea if I need to spend more time with a particular skill, if I need to go
back and review, or if I need to make certain adaptations for students who are struggling
(such as implementing a kickboard).

Students will be conducting peer assessments by critiquing each others technique during
the indepent practice section of the lesson. It is important to remind students that we are
being kind to one another and not putting anyone down. Remind them that we use the
compliment sandwich when critiquing our peers. Something they do good, something
they need to work on, and something they did exceptionally well.

Formal Assessment

While there will be no formal assessment in this particular lesson students will be
completing both a written and practical test at the end of the swimming unit.

Written test: Whole Class

 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 15

The written test will consist of cues that were taught on each stroke, basic water safety
rules/procedures that were taught, and aquatics sports information (how many laps is a
200M race, etc.).

Ex.
1) If you were racing in an olympic sized pool, how many laps would you have to
complete in a 400M freestyle race?
a) 10 laps
b) 5 laps
c) 16 laps
d) 25 laps
2) When performing a backstroke you want your pinky to enter the water first
a) True
b) False
3) While inside the pool area which one of these is not a rule?
a) No eating or chewing gum inside the pool area
b) No running once inside the pool area
c) No rough housing
d) No goggles while in the pool

ELL/SELL Students: FS2

For any ELL/SELL students in the classroom accommodations will be made for the
written test. The student will either have their written test score combined with their
practical test or be given a written test orally based on various pictures. If the student is
still working on learning basic english they might need an aide/translator present during
the test to help.
Ex.

What stroke is the swimmer performing in this stroke?

IEP/504 Plans: FS1

For any students who have a 504 or IEP plan it is important to abide by any
accommodations that the student may have. For example, if a student has a 504 plan for
ADHD the student should be given extra time during both their written and practical test.
If a student has an IEP plan where they spend most of the day in a special education
classroom they may be given the option of completing the written test in their home
 Discipline-Based Unit of Study 16

classroom with the help of their IA/home room teacher.

Practical Test: Whole Class

At the end of the unit students will meet one on one with the teacher to show that they
have a firm understanding of the various strokes that they learned(freestyle, backstroke,
breaststroke, and butterfly stroke). As the teacher I will have a checklist of the cues that
were taught during the unit for each stroke. If the student understands and shows that
they know each stroke (no matter the level of skill) they will receive credit for that
cue/stroke.

Ex.
Backstroke
● Keeps head stationary (eyes looking up) and above water
● Flutter kicking at the hip (not the knee)
● keeps toes pointed
● Arm tight to the body and enters the water pinky first
● Student maintains a cupped hand while pulling

ELL/SELL: FS2
ELL or SELL students will be given accommodations to ensure they have the same tools
to succeed as the rest of the class. During the practical test ELL students will either have
a translator/IA present to assist or the teacher can you use cue cards to show the student
what stroke they want them to perform.

IEP/504 Plans: FS1

For any students who have a 504 or IEP plan it is important to abide by any
accommodations that the student may have. For example, if the student has a IEP plan
that does not allow them to participate in the aquatics activity they can show their
understanding of the cues out of the pool. As long as the student shows an understanding
of the cues/stroke they will receive full credit. For any 504 plans, such as an ADHD
student, a practical test might actually be a form of assessment they thrive in. Remember
to be patient with these students.

STAGE 3: ASSESSING/REFLECTING
WHAT EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING HAVE I COLLECTED ON DAY
Discipline-Based Unit of Study 17

1, DAY 2, DAY 3 FOR CONTENT AREA LEARNING, LANGUAGE

EXPRESSION AND LITERACY USE?

The first form of evidence of student learning I collected comes from all the informal
assessment I did during the backstroke/freestyle stroke lesson. While walking around
the perimeter of the pool it was clear that students had a firm grasp on the freestyle
stroke after reviewing the stroke. Most students were able to perform the stroke
perfectly based on the cues that they were taught. One area that students still show need
for improvement is picking up their head. A handful of students will still pick their
head up to breathe rather than rolling it off to the side. The backstroke was a bit more
of a struggle for the class. The main problems that students faced with the stroke was
the ability to swim in a straight line. Students were running into the lane lines while
performing the backstroke or turning over often to check where they were at in the
pool.

HOW WILL I ANALYZE THIS EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING?

The two main ways I will analyze student learning is through informal and formal
assessments. The informal assessments will give me an idea if the students are
grasping the material from the lesson presently. It will give me insight if I need to go
back and review a skill the following day or if the students understand well enough to
move on to a new skill. While the formal assessments offer more evidence if a student
grasped the unit as a whole. If a student does not do well on their formal assessment it
might be a good idea for them to participate in after school or lunch PE to make up the
credit as well as get a better overall understanding of the unit. As for the focus students
in the classroom, I will use the same assessments for my focus student with ADHD.
Now for my other focus student who is an ELL I will use a slightly different assessment
to analyze their learning. Instead of a written test I will either combine their written
test score with their practical test, or use flashcards with pictures of the different strokes
to make sure he can identify each stroke.

WHAT INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS CAN I MAKE AS A RESULT OF MY

ANALYSIS OF THIS STUDENT LEARNING EVIDENCE?

Based on the results of both the formal and informal assessments I can either spend
more time on a skill, sport, or activity that students show they are struggling to
understand. One practice that I really enjoyed for this lesson was the kickboard tug of
war. This was a great game that all the kids loved and were excited to play. It also was
a great game for the students to learn how to kick while not using their upper body.
Discipline-Based Unit of Study 18

STAGE 4: APPLYING
As I reflect about my Unit of Study…

What new information did I get about my students in relation to their learning
preferences?

One thing I learned about my students preferences during this lesson was the students
preference to receiving visual demonstrations. During this lesson I found out how
much quicker my students learned a skill if I were to physically show them the steps
rather than just lecturing them about the skills. Many of the students grasped the
backstroke very quickly due to the visual demonstration that they could replicate once
they were in the pool swimming. I also learned how great peer assessment was for the
classroom. Stepping back and letting students give each other pointers was a great way
for students to learn and a great way for students to work on their social skills. During
the peer assessment I also changed up the groups in the pool, which gave students a
chance to socialize with peers they may not usually socialize with.

What new information did I get about effective teaching practices for the whole
class, small groups and/or individual students?

A bit of new information that reinforced my decision was ending every lesson with a
fun game or activity to reinforce the skills taught. Ending every lesson with a game is
not only fun for the kids but also a great way to force them to practice their newly
acquired skill/s, but it also is a great tool for me to assess if I need to spend more time
or review a certain skill the following day.

How was the student learning data collected in alignment to content area
standards for this grade level?

Student learning data was collected through both formal and informal assessments of
the students. The informal assessment consisted of myself walking around the pool
observing the class and noting how well the students were doing with the two strokes.
If the class does well then I will move on to a new skill tomorrow, if they struggle I will
use the following day to review so the class can continue to hone their skill. The
formal assessment consisted of both a written test as well as a practical test. The
written and practical test is a great tool to see how well a student grasped the entirety of
the unit.
Discipline-Based Unit of Study 19

How were the language and literacy scaffolds effective for student learning given
language diversity in the classroom?

I believe the language and literacy scaffolds were extremely effective for student
learning. My ELL student really shined in the swimming lesson. To make sure the
student understood everything that was expected of him I made sure to visually
demonstrate every single skill. This way if he fell behind or got lost with the auditory
instruction he could follow along with my demonstration. I also made sure to double
and triple check for understanding with the student. I would ask the whole class
multiple times as well as approach the student individually, asking to make sure they
understood what they were doing.

How will I use this information to plan my future instruction?

This is definitely a fun lesson that I plan to save and use for my future PE classes. This
is a great introductory lesson to the backstroke with great review on the freestyle
stroke. One change I would add after running this lesson is starting weak swimmers in
the wading pool (waist deep water), especially for the backstroke. Some of students
who were not as confident were running into the lane lines and constantly turning over
during the backstroke practice. Starting them out in the wading pool will help with
their confidence and they don't have to worry since they can stand up anytime they feel
uncomfortable.

How effective were my practices? What will I keep, what will I improve and what
will I discard?

I believe that the practices that I used in this lesson were highly effective. One practice
I believe I will keep in future lessons, no matter the subject, is physical demonstration.
Physical demonstrations are great because combined with auditory instructions they
cover not only the whole class, but my focus students as well. One practice that I
believe I could work on for future lessons is my feedback. While I believe that my
feedback was good in certain situations I believe I could benefit from giving feedback
to greater number of students.

What new understanding do I have about my own teaching practices?

One new understanding that I gained from this lesson is to have confidence in my
ability. I always seem to get very nervous about subject areas I’m not as well-versed
in, like swimming. However I was pleased to see how successful students were off of
my instruction. It reminded me that it does not matter if you have a background in the
particular sport, but about how you are able to breakdown the information for students
to understand. Another aspect I took away to use in future lessons is to utilize the
Discipline-Based Unit of Study 20

kickboard, especially for the backstroke. The kickboard is a great tool for the class to
use when learning how to kick properly. It is also greatly beneficial for students who
feel uncomfortable with the backstroke as it allows them to not worry about keeping
their upper body out of the water.

What have I learned about myself as a teacher?

What this lesson taught me about myself as a teacher is to have confidence in my

ability. While nerves are good to keep you on your toes it is also important to trust in
your knowledge and skills. I also learned that I need to be more vocal and offer
feedback to a wider variety of my students. I don't want to get in the habit of
talking/giving feedback to the same students over and over.

As a professional learner where do I need to continue to grow and strive for?

As a professional learner I believe I need to continue to grow is my knowledge of

Physical Education and its benefit to common core curriculum. PE and the fine art
programs are continuing to be cut in schools across the country. As a PE teacher it is
important to be constantly reading and learning about new studies that show the
correlation between physical activity and brain activity. This is one of the biggest ways
we as PE teachers stay knowledgeable and relevant.

Reflection

If there is one thing I have learned on my journey to becoming a teacher it is the

importance of planning. Planning will hugely benefit the teacher and ensure that not only

the teacher is successful the students as well. When it comes to planning the most

important step, and first, is always deciding on a CA standard that you will be covering.

The standard helps gives the unit or lesson direction and helps guide the teacher. Once

the standard was determined the teacher may begin to break down the standard and get

more specific on what they want their particular class or students to learn. For instance,

while the standard I chose was based on students learning basic swimming strokes, one of
Discipline-Based Unit of Study 21

the important steps to learning swimming strokes is introducing safety procedures and

rules.

Once choosing on the standard for the unit or lesson it is important to turn and

focus on planning with each student in mind. Keeping each student in mind while

planning a lesson will help guide what to include in a lesson. If a student is an ELL in PE,

using plenty of visual demonstrations and checking for understanding with them will

greatly increase their chance at success in the classroom. Another important planning

aspect, especially in PE, is planning around any medical conditions that may prohibit a

student from completing a lesson. It is important to work around these conditions and

make the lesson inclusive for all students.

Finally planning for instruction is the backbone of any good lesson plan or

learning map. Much like practicing a speech the night before in the mirror it is important

for teachers to plan a lesson out in detail. When planning a lesson out in detail the lesson

will not only go smoother since it was planned out and practiced, but quick thinking

adaptations also become easier for the teacher. Overall, planning out a lesson with a

standard, every student, and instruction in mind will lead to a clear, effective lesson for

teacher and student alike.