Physical Education & Health

Hommocks

Physical Education Health

Physical Education

The Hommocks Middle School (Grades 6-8) Physical Education curriculum takes into account the wide range of developmental differences inherent at this age group. With this in mind, units of instruction vary in length and appear in all grade levels. Students also have the option of choosing daily physical education or alternate day physical education, depending on their academic load. Instruction in eighteen to twenty curriculum units will range from introduction to rules and basic skills to performance mastery. The overall curriculum has five major components: aquatics, team sports, individual and dual sports, adventure education and personal fitness.

Aquatics

Due to the geographic location of this community in close proximity of the Long Island Sound, a comprehensive aquatics program is vital. The importance of this instruction is reflected at the Hommocks School as every 6th, 7th and 8th grader is given the opportunity to receive aquatics training for approximately ten weeks over the course of the school year. Areas of instruction will encompass the techniques of drown proofing; practice of the four major strokes; introduction to diving; basic life saving techniques and the proper use of masks, fins and snorkels. For any student who desires additional time in the pool the after school intramurals program offers supervision in the pool area each week.

Adventure Education

The program is divided into three major units each lasting seven to ten days. PA-I begins each school year with icebreakers, high energy high fun activities designed to get a new class comfortable with each other as well as the teacher. PA-II is a much more directed unit that has activities designed to "build-up a class". Lessons are made to foster cooperation, trust, safety, communication, initiative and leadership just to name a few. Finally, PA-III allows our students to belay as well as climb our indoor high elements course.

Individual/Dual Sports

  • Pickle ball: Pickle ball is a racket sport and is closely aligned with badminton and tennis in terms of rules, strategies, and general appearance. The game is played on a hard surface with the same outer dimensions of badminton. Players use a square-faced wooden or plastic paddle, and a plastic perforated ball similar to a wiffle ball.
  • Badminton: Another racquet sport, Badminton is great for everyone regardless of age, gender, or strength. Unlike many other sports, new players can quickly achieve success. The lightness of the racket, the "floating" speed of the shuttle (or birdie), and the restricted area of the court allow learners of all ages to experience game satisfaction early on.
  • Table Tennis: Commonly called "pin pong", Table Tennis has become the worlds second largest participation sport and the number one racquet sport in the world. Racquets are commonly small, made of wood, and coated with rubber. The ball is small, hollow, and very light in weight. Game play takes place on a raised table 9 ft in length and 5 ft in width.
  • Orienteering: Is a lifetime sport where participants receive a map of an area, which shows a series of sites to visit. The challenge is to find the most efficient route to all of the locations to prove that you were there. In our program we have the students prove their arrival by doing a special activity, solving a problem, answering a question or retrieving an object. Orienteering can be done indoors or out making it a yearlong option.
  • Track and Field: at the Hommocks covers both field events and running events. Students are given the opportunity to try high jump, long jump and shot put for the field events. As for the running events students can choose short distances (ie.50 meter, 100 meter or 200 meter) or long distances (ie.400 meter, 800 meter or 1600 meter) to challenge themselves throughout the unit.

Team Sports

  • Softball: Softball instruction is a fun team activity that traditionally takes place in the spring. Emphasis is on skill development and understanding of the rules, without concern for the score of the game. Skills include throwing, catching, striking, and running.
  • Ultimate Frisbee: Is a field sport played outside during the fall or spring months. During this unit students learn how to throw and catch a Frisbee in preparation for game play. During this unit teamwork, cooperation and cardiovascular activity is emphasized.
  • Rugby: Is also a team sport were students must work together in order to score for their team. Students must pass the Rugby ball in the opposite direction of their goal and run forward until they are tagged or the ball hits the ground. Once they are tagged students must pass the ball to another teammate. Once the ball hits the ground there is a change of possession. Various skills include, tossing, catching, kicking, communication and teamwork.
  • Floor Hockey: Is another team sport played primarily indoors during the winter months. Students learn various passing and trapping techniques in preparation for game situations.
  • Touch Football: This unit is taught by first teaching the basic skills needed to play a modified version of a football game (passing, catching, hand offs, running of patterns, snaps). Field awareness and the concept of offensive and defensive strategy needs to be explained. Once these basic skills and concepts are understood mini games can be played.
  • Volleyball: In this activity, the game is first broken down onto the skills that are needed to play an actual game. The skills of bumping, setting and serving are first taught. Lead up games are played to practice these skills. Next the concept of the team is taught (where to stand, how to rotate, rules of the game). Once these basic skills and concepts are understood games can be played.
  • Basketball: This unit is broken down into many little activities. Basic skills are first taught, (dribbling, passing, catching) Next the different types and ways of shooting are taught. Defensive positioning and team offensive and defensive strategies are explained. Lead up games consisting of 1 on 1, 2 on 2, 3 on 3 are played. Once these basic skills and concepts are understood games can be played.
  • Field Hockey and Soccer: Are team sports that are conducted outdoors. The basic skills of dribbling, passing, dodges, defensive tackles and scoring are instructed and practiced. The game play incorporates the rules of fouls and penalties that apply for each sport. Modified fields and goals are utilized along with the appropriate protective equipment.

Personal Fitness

Upon entering the Hommocks, students are exposed to our weight room for the first time. Students are instructed in proper resistance training technique and safety in the weight room. Cardiovascular fitness includes use of the Polar Heart Rate monitors to individualize training and teach scientific principles of exercise to students. Each may be instructed to design their own personal fitness plans utilizing the components of strength, flexibility, agility, and endurance to increase their knowledge of health related fitness.

Health

6th Grade

Students in the 6th grade attend an eight-week block of health education. The class meets each day and covers a variety of topics that include tackling middle school issues, first aid & safety, anatomy & physiology and wellness, chemical health and human growth/development.

Tackling Middle School Issues:
  • Self image & self-esteem
  • Goal setting
  • Peer pressure
  • Effective communication skills
First aid & Safety:
  • Identifying safety concerns & hazards
  • Basic first aid procedures
  • Bloodborne pathogens
  • Protection from the elements
  • Volunteer Ambulance Corps (VAC)
Anatomy & Physiology/Wellness:
  • Body types & body image
  • Basic exercise programs
  • Use of Heart Rate Monitors
  • Learn the What, Why, How and Where of the twelve major body systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, reproductive, immune, lymph and integumentary systems).
Chemical Health:
  • Teens & Drugs: Correlate what makes a person feel good and be successful to the bad consequences of using drugs for this purpose.
  • Substances & Your Body: How different substances can harm the body, specifically the symptoms to each system.
  • Alcohol, Use and Abuse: Legal drinking age is for a purpose, drinking alcohol is a mature decision and there are harmful risks to the body.
  • Tobacco: Understanding of how the use of tobacco products affects the respiratory system and holds long-term harmful effects.
  • Refusal skills & strategies
Human Growth & Development:
  • Introduction to adolescence
  • Personal hygiene
  • Puberty: The changes that a preteen can expect to experience.
  • Male & female reproductive systems (anatomy)
  • HIV/AIDS

7th Grade

Students in the 7th grade attend a ten-week health education block. This class revisits some units covered in the sixth-grade, but does so in more depth. Units covered include Consumer Awareness, stress management, chemical health, human body systems, diseases, and human sexuality.

Consumer Awareness/Advertising:
  • What is the real message?
  • Evaluating the resources and sources
  • Where to obtain reliable information
Stress Management:
  • What is stress management?
  • Identify stress triggers, management tactics.
  • Heart Rate Monitors/game show
  • Benefits of Yoga exercises
  • How to relieve stress at all ages.
Chemical Health:
  • How it affects teenagers.
  • Why do teens choose this, how can they harm themselves?
  • Other drugs: stimulants, club, inhalants, etc.
  • Review of refusal skills & strategies
Human Body Systems
  • Review and further explore the What, Why, How and Where of the twelve major body systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, reproductive, immune, lymph and integumentary systems).
  • Illnesses associated with each system
  • Relationship between systems
  • Create a fact sheet and quiz for a particular system.
  • Construct a fact book of the class work to take to future science and health courses.
Diseases
  • Common cold, cancer, viruses, diabetes, West Nile, lyme, anthrax, cardiovascular, etc..
  • Identify how diseases spread.
  • Controllable & uncontrollable risk factors
  • Body defenses & immunities
  • Research a specific condition in a report to be presented to the Congress.
Human Growth & Development
  • Continued exploration of adolescence
  • Sexuality issues
  • Revisit puberty and male/female reproductive systems
  • Sexual intercourse, abstinence, conception, pregnancy and birth.
  • STD & HIV/AIDS virus
Home | To the Top