Mastering Counter Balance and Tension Through Partner Gymnastics
Gymnastics
•Year 6
•6 Lessons
This unit challenges Year 6 students to explore the fascinating physics of counter balance and tension through sophisticated partner gymnastics work. The focus shifts from individual skills to collaborative problem-solving, where students must understand how their body weight, positioning, and timing can create seemingly impossible balances with partners. Through progressive exploration of push-pull dynamics and gravity-defying positions, students develop both technical precision and creative expression whilst building trust and communication skills essential for advanced gymnastics work.
Lessons in This Unit
6 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies as counterweights to create stable and elegant gymnastics balances?
Key Objectives:
- • To demonstrate controlled balances on a variety of body parts
- • To work collaboratively with a partner to create counter balance sequences
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we use push and pull forces to create amazing balances with a partner?
Key Objectives:
- • To understand and apply counter balancing principles using push and pull forces
- • To create and perform symmetrical and asymmetrical partner balances at different levels
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we combine counter balances with rolling movements to create aesthetically pleasing sequences?
Key Objectives:
- • To hold a range of symmetrical and asymmetrical counter balances with control
- • To incorporate rolling movements into balancing sequences
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can we use our body weight and our partner's strength to create stunning balances that seem to defy gravity?
Key Objectives:
- • To perform a range of symmetrical and asymmetrical counter tension balances with a partner at different levels
- • To use body weight in opposition to apparatus effectively and safely
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can we use timing and technical precision to create impressive gymnastics sequences that demonstrate perfect coordination between partners?
Key Objectives:
- • To perform sequences in canon at different levels with precise timing
- • To link asymmetrical counter tension balances and counter balances using smooth transitional moves
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to create dynamic group sequences that combine counter balance and counter tension in creative ways?
Key Objectives:
- • To perform asymmetrical counter balances in group sequences using canon and unison
- • To demonstrate understanding of the difference between counter balance and counter tension