This activity is designed to teach students the basic muscles with word association and movement. Spread the Polyspots out in the playing area. Have students stand on a Polyspot. The teacher calls out the muscle and/or key phrase and the students perform the movement associated with that muscle. The muscles are listed below along with the key phrase and movement.
TRAPEZIUS: The TRAP muscles. Have students TRAP their right ear to right shoulder and then TRAP their left ear to left shoulder.
DELTOIDS: The AIRPLANE muscles. Have students put their arms out like an airplane and remind them that Delta Airlines refers to the deltoids.
BICEPS: The BICYCLE muscles. Have students rub their biceps and remind them that a bicycle has two wheels and the biceps have two parts.
TRICEPS: The TRICYCLE muscles. Have students rub their triceps and remind them that a tricycle has three wheels and the triceps have three parts.
PECTORALS: The KING KONG muscles. Have students pound on their chest like King Kong.
ABDOMINALS: The DOMINO PIZZA muscles. Have students rub their abdomen (stomach) and remind them it's where the pizza goes.
OBLIQUES: The "O'BOY" muscles. Have students put their hands on their waist and say, "O'BOY that pizza was good!"
LATISSIMUS DORSI: The DINOSAUR muscles. Have students put their hands on their lower back and remind students that dinosaurs sometimes have those same bumps on their backs too.
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS: The GLUE muscle. Have students GLUE (sit) their bottoms to the floor.
QUADRICEPS: The QUARTER BACK muscles. Have students rub their quadriceps and remind them that QUARTER BACKS use these muscles to run and throw.
HAMSTRINGS: The HAM muscles. Have students look for a piece of HAM under their upper leg.
GASTRONEMIUS: The GAS muscles. Have students rub their calves and remind them that this is where your legs store the GAS to run faster.
Teaching Suggestions:
Create your own key phrases and action movements for each muscle.
First review the muscles in the order written above. Then mix up the order when students are familiar with the muscles, key phrases, and movement actions.
As the students get better at identifying and knowing the muscles, increase the pace of the activity.
Instead of the teacher calling out the muscle and/or key phrase, the teacher can perform the movement and have the students call out the muscle and/or key phrase while also performing the movement.
Create small groups and have students take turns leading their group through the activity.
Submitted by Debbie Wilson
who teaches at Oakwood Elementary
in Preston , IN .
Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 3/15/2001.
Very cute idea. I am focusing on muscles this year in 3rd-5th P.E. as part of my student learning objective. This will be a great help. Thanks for sharing!
Neveah de Medici
IT is a very good assignment or lesson plan. I admire the creativity that helps children remember and understand muscles. Very good job, Debbie.
Sherrie
This is really helpful to physical education teachers like me. I find that yr one students respond the best (out of k-4). 5/5! ^^
