CSET Practice Test Physical Education

AEROBIC TRAINING 

Energy is derived aerobically when oxygen is utilized to
metabolize substrates obtained from food, and deliver
energy to the working muscles.

A sports event, or activity that will build
cardiorespiratory endurance, is termed aerobic when the
majority of the energy in the athlete is derived
aerobically (aerobic training is without oxygen debt).
Aerobic training should be activities that are performed
continuously for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes at a level
of 70% to 90% of maximal heart rate; no less than three
times a week. 

Athletes requiring a higher level of aerobic fitness
(endurance) will train four to six days a week. Examples
of large muscle group activities include; walking, jogging
running non-sprint cycling, swimming, and cross-country
skiing. 

The critical feature of aerobic activity is continuous
activity. And, specificity of training (SAID) dictates
that the training should closely resemble the activity, or
event: Runners should run, swimmers swim, for example.
Thus, to improve cardiovascular endurance, the athlete
should train aerobically.

Athletes involved in activities with a low aerobic
component, such as football, power events in track, sprint
events in running, swimming, and cycling, may see a
decrease in power and strength with excessive aerobic
training. These athletes should limit their aerobic
training to the early preparation of off-season training
and then engage in a minimal amount of aerobic training to
maintain good general fitness.

By Letitia Hart GRADE LEVEL:4-6/middle school APPROXIMATE
TIME: 45 - 75 min

Creative Body Movement

TOPIC Straight, round and arched back shapes and how to
use them in dance

GOALS Body awareness, movement communication and response,
and motor efficiency is enhanced through exploration using
the three back shapes at different levels using axial and
locomotor movements. Aesthetic appreciation in enhanced
through audience feedback.

OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students will
perform a brief dance movement and will demonstrate the
use of the three postures correctly, safely, and
creatively. Students observe group dances and are asked to
recall interesting shapes and tell why those shapes stood
out as interesting. The audience is asked to point out
contrasts in the group work, both planned and unplanned.

RATIONALE Dance is an internationally accepted art form
that also meets the requirements for physical education.
The purpose of this dance lesson is to help students to
use different postures in their dances in order to add
variety to their creations. Other foci are; giving
students an appreciation for their backs and how to take
care of them, working as partners and in a group to create
movements using different postures, and practice freezing
movement on command.

STRATEGIES Direct instruction, guided discovery, and group
process

VOCABULARY dancer's space--the area used by the dancer
without accidentally touching other dancers locomotor - a
dance movement that progresses across the dance area axial
- a dance movement that remains fixed in one part of the
dance area tailor sit -stright-backed sitting position
with knees bent and feet close against thighs butterfly
stretch - stretching the inner thigh muscles in the tailor
sitting position, with soles of feet together, by slowly
bringing the knees toward the floor straddle position -
seated position with straight legs extended out so as to
stretch the inner thighs, preferably with toes alternately
pointed and flexed improvisation - free-form or unplanned
movement, often with a given set of parameters, such as
round back, beginning, freeze, steps arched back, ending,
contrast,level, straight back,posture, stretch, shape
INTRODUCTION While sitting in a circle, tell students they
will begin with warm-up movements and that they should pay
careful attention to what their backs are doing during
these warm-ups. Ask students to be prepared to tell what
they think the lesson will be about at the end of the
warm-up.

WARM-UPS Tailor sit, focusing on a straight back. Look L,
R, L, R, then down and up. Round the back and attempt to
touch the floor with the nose, then sit up straight.
Straddle position, arch the back, sticking tummy out,
shoulders back, and chin up. Feel stretch in inner thighs.
Lean forward with hands on floor, straighten back and
reach forward. Sit back up and turn L, round back-nose to
knee. Repeat to R. Butterfly position, soles of feet
together, straight back, and stretch knees to floor.
Discuss sit-ups and the importance of strong abdominal
muscles to protect the back from injury. Do 10 or more
bent-knee sit-ups. Roll onto tummies, push up slowly with
hands and try to touch head with toes, arched back.
PROCEDURES Ask what back shapes were stressed during warm-
ups. Discuss objects in nature with similar shapes as
round, straight, and arched back. (Examples: round
back=older people, straight back=praying mantis, arched
back=sway-backed horse) Ask why our backs are so
important. Generate discussion that centers on the value
of good posture for health, strength, and appearance.
Explain goal of exploring ways to use different back
shapes to add variety to dance movements.

EXPLORATION Dancers move into dance space and freeze in a
shape at the count of three. Report any shapes that make
obvious use of any of the three postures. Have dancers
remain within their space, say: How many round-backed
shapes can you show me without leaving your dance space?
This is called axial movement when you keep one body part
planted on the floor and move the rest. Look for good
variety and have dancers freeze several times. Report: I
see round backed shapes on the floor/at medium/at high
level. Can you keep your round-back shapes as you take
little steps around the room? This is called locomotor
movement when you move across the floor.

I see high/low level shapes moving slowly/quickly across
the floor, etc. Call freeze and report interesting shapes
and locomotor movements. Ask dancers to move about in slow
motion using arched-back shapes. Report for levels and
interesting shapes. Ask students: Do you notice that
arched-back shapes are not as comfortable as the other
shapes? Be careful when you arch your back. (Be sensitive
to the discomfort of arched-back shapes when freezing
students) Explore all three back shapes in this manner. As
dancers move about during exploration, suggest that they
find a partner to move with. Ask if they can hold a shape
and walk, step, crawl, or skip together. Report for
interesting ensembles. Have pairs move about within their
space, (Axial pairs - one body part stays planted on the
floor and another body part stays connected to partner) as
they use the same back shape in different movements.
Report for variety. Ask student pairs to combine with
other pairs and create freeze shapes involving touching
and the same back shape. Repeat several times and report
interesting shapes utilizing the three back shapes.

CREATION Divide students into even-numbered groups of four
or more. Tell students they will make a dance with their
partners or as a group and perform it for the rest of the
class. The dance will have: A planned beginning using
arched-back shapes. Then axial, paired movement-
improvisation A middle individual dance that involves
improvisational locomotor movement using the straight-back
shape A paired, axial movement-improvisation during the
final third of the dance using the round-back shape,
finishing with a planned, round-back ending shape

Give groups 5-10 minutes to create beginning and ending
shapes and work out their improvisations (students should
be aware of each other during dance, even in
improvisational movement). Circulate and offer advice.

CLOSURE Each group will perform its dance to music (I
would choose something ethereal). Changes from beginning
to middle to end should be signaled with a gong or bell.
The rest of the class will watch the dance and be prepared
for questions at the end.

Did you see the three back shapes? Which ones were most
interesting and why? How did the different postures add
contrast to the dances? What parts were danced together
and what parts were improvised? Dancers must respond to
questions as well. What part of your dance was easiest and
hardest? What would you change and why?

EVALUATION Did dancers demonstrate body awareness,
movement communication and response, and motor efficiency?
Was there adequate exploration using the three back
shapes, different levels, axial and locomotor movements?
Did dancers demonstrate the use of the three postures
correctly, safely, and creatively? Did students observing
group dances recall interesting shapes and tell why those
shapes stood out as interesting? Were observers able to
point out contrasts in the group work, both planned and
unplanned? Was criticism constructive?

EXTENSION Groups could be asked to rework their beginning
and ending shapes, or collaborate more on the
improvisational portions of the dance, then perform their
revised version at a later time. A cultural focus could be
added by exploring the postures used in different cultural
dance forms, then using the music from those cultures in
performance of the dances. Literary Arts can easily be
incorporated by having dancers make journal entries
describing their creative process.