Differentiated Instruction in Physical Education - Undergraduate Student

In the Fall of 2015, my last semester at Cal State Northridge was a very rewarding experience. In the last teaching class, we were required to teach one final lesson to students in 1st or 2nd grade. One of the first things we did, was to visit the school to observe student behavior in their classroom. Students at the school did not have physical education every day and therefore, it was important to have a clear idea of who the students were.

Our lesson topic was Cardiovascular Endurance. Our students were to learn about the positive effects of exercise in our bodies. Students were expected to learn about the effects different exercise intensities had on the body. Students related movement to feeling, to an understanding how how our heart works and how it helps us stay alive. Hence, the importance of exercising.

At the time, we did not use the term differentiated instruction. We did however, apply may of the same concepts. For example, it was important to know who we were going to work with. We learned that many students enjoyed a certain type of music. We learned that some students did not understand english. We also learned of one student was disabled and he was not going to be able to do what the rest of the class would. Therefore, it was very important to be able to create a lesson that was inclusive.

Our lesson was successful. Students were full of joy during the entire lesson. Students had the opportunity to make decisions. For example, part of the lesson was to mimic animal movements according to what picture they saw. The student that could not physically participate was designated to select which animals the class was going to perform. Students also had the opportunity to select which animals to mimic. At selected times, students were asked to feel their heart rate by placing their right arm over their chest. This helped them feel the different each movement had on their heart beat. Students began to associate heart rate to levels of intensity. Students understood via informal assessment that the faster their heart beats, the stronger their heart gets. 

It was a successful physical activity lesson. Students were engaged during the lesson and they had the opportunity to learn about the importance of physical activity, levels of intensity and the positive effects in the body.