Speed Stacking / Juggling / Jump Roping Unit

What are the benefits of sport stacking, juggling, and jump roping? Kids don't need to be convinced about the benefits of these activities. They just plain love it (even your "way too cool for it" kids).

For teachers and parents, we've always touted hand-eye coordination, quickness and ambidexterity. We now can substantiate those claims with cup stacking. A university study by Dr. Brian Udermann, currently at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, confirms that stacking improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time by up to 30 percent.

Sport stacking (and juggling) helps students develop bilateral proficiency equal performance on both sides of the body. By increasing bilateral proficiency, a student develops a greater percentage of the right side of the brain, which houses awareness, focus, creativity and rhythm. Stacking helps train the brain for sports and other activities where the use of both hands is important, such as playing a musical instrument or using the computer. Sequencing and patterning are also elements of sport stacking, which can help with reading and math skills.

Cup Stacking and Juggling develops the following skill-related components: coordination, speed, and reaction time.

Jump roping is an essential activity for conditioning of the body used in a variety of sports and recreational activities.

Jump Roping develops the following health-related fitness components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance
Jump Roping develops the following skill-related components: agility, balance, coordination, reaction time and speed

Prelude to Lesson Unit Activity:

Warm-up: 1-minute Run Club / Fit Decks / Shuttle Run Cup Stacking
Fitness assessment: 60-second Curl-ups
Stretch: Dog Stretch (Yoga) for Rectus Abdominis / frontal stretch
PE Central Challenge Practice Rotation Station: Days 5, 6, 7, & 8

Day 1

- Intro via .ppt
- Juggling: Intro via you tube, then scarves: 1 toss, 2 toss, 3 toss ­ grocery bags at home
- Intro Cycle 1 (3-6-3) via .ppt, show you tube, and show disc

Day 2

- Intro Jump Roping station ­ intro safety, rope length, and cards; and how to pull a jump rope out
- Review toss-toss-catch-catch, 1, 2, and 3 scarves; Into using socks, bean bags. Must be to toss at least 1 within the "box"
- Review Cycle 1, intro Cycle 2 (6-6) via disc

Day 3

- Review jump roping station ­ quickly
- Juggling within box, scooping motion. Must be able to toss 1, then 2 proficiently BEFORE going to 3
- Intro Cycle 3 (1-10-1)

Rotate stations (5-6 minutes at most)

Day 4

- Intro to students the (4) mat timers, and demo all 3 cycles.
- Briefly review juggling- to stay within box, using scooping motion
- How to rotate at Speed Stack station

Rotate stations (8 minutes)

Day 5

- Warm-up with "Shuttle Run" 3-stack in partner groups
- Break off into groups of 6 for 4-station rotation:
Station 1: Jump Roping
Station 2: Juggling
Station 3: 3 Cycle Speed Stacking
Station 4: Paddle Strike
Day 6

- Warm-up with "Shuttle Run" 6-stack in partner groups
- Break off into groups of 6 for 4-station rotation:
Station 1: Jump Roping
Station 2: Juggling
Station 3: 3 Cycle Speed Stacking
Station 4: 3-way Volleyball / 60-second Curl-up post-assessment

Day 7

- Warm-up with "Shuttle Run" 6-stack in partner groups
- Break off into groups of 6 for 4-station rotation:
Station 1: Jump Roping
Station 2: Juggling
Station 3: 3 Cycle Speed Stacking
Station 4: Balance Beam switch / 60-second Curl-up post-assessment (stragglers/redo)

Day 8

- Assessment Rotation:

Station 1: Jump Rope
Station 2: Juggling
Station 3: Cup Stacking
Station 4: Assessment Work

Rubrics


To Juggle ­ meeting the standard (3)

3rd Grade: Proficient in 2 item juggling
4th Grade: Proficient in 3 item juggling at least twice in a row
5th Grade: Proficient in 3 item juggling at least three times in a row

Jump Roping ­ meeting the standard

3rd Grade: Proficient in demonstrating 1 card / wall exercise activity for 30 sec
4th Grade: Proficient in demonstrating 2 card / wall exercise activity for 30 sec
5th Grade: Proficient in demonstrating 2 card / wall exercise activity for 45 sec

Cup Stacking

3rd Grade: Proficient in demonstrating the 3-cycle within 1-minute
4th Grade: Proficient in demonstrating the 3-cycle within 45 seconds
5th Grade: Proficient in demonstrating the 3-cycle within 30 seconds