Warm-up experiment: a 40-minute PE lab for 7th grade

1. Write a hypothesis as a class: "If we do a dynamic warm-up, our standing long jump will..."
2. Teach a safe standing jump: feet hip-width apart behind the line, swing the arms back, jump forward, land on both feet with knees bent and hold the landing for 2 seconds. Measure from the line to the back of the nearest heel.
3. Before the warm-up, each student does 2 practice jumps at half effort, then 2 measured jumps at a comfortable effort. Record the longer one.
4. Lead a 7-minute dynamic warm-up: marching, leg swings, walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, skipping and 5 squats.
5. Each student does 2 more measured jumps and records the longer one.
6. Pool the data: the average change, and how many students improved, stayed the same or dropped. Discuss other variables such as tiredness, practice and effort.
7. Each student writes a conclusion and one way to improve the experiment.

Safety: no maximal jumps without a warm-up: the first measured jumps come after gentle practice jumps and stay at a comfortable effort; land on a soft, non-slip surface; students with knee or ankle pain record data instead of jumping. Every session: warm up first, clear the space, keep water nearby, and stop if anything hurts or a student feels dizzy or unwell.

Differentiation: students who need support can be measurers and recorders. Students who do not jump can test a different measure before and after the warm-up, such as a seated reach or the distance of a soft ball chest pass. Students who are ready can graph the class data and calculate the percent change. English learners can use the frame "The data shows __ because __."

Quick check: ask a student what their data showed and name one variable the class did not control.

For a full year of free grade 7 PE sessions, see Move Every Day from UpOnly Learning.

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