Physical Education

UNIT 6 AWARENESS OF OUR BODY AND

LEARNING
Structure
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Objectives
6.3 Body Awareness — Body Image
6.4 The Signals from Our Sensory Organs and its Use for Movement
6.5 Movement Education — Motor Learning
6.6 Let Us Sum Up
6.7 Unit-end Exercises

6.1 INTRODUCTION
Children, when they enter class I, will have learnt many fundamental
movements. But they may not be consciously aware of their body parts and
their capacity for movements. It is necessary to learn the ability to express through
and make specific movements i.e. to structure movements. So children must
learn vocabulary and verbalisation of movements. In awareness about their own
physical self as movers, will facilitate to develop a self-image. Activities in this
unit are meant to give prominence or focus their attention on themselves and
their body parts – their shape, function and capacity for movement.
This unit is planned to make the teachers or would be teachers, not only to
perform but more importantly, to initiate them to the process of learning
movements.

6.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit you will be able to

list all the body parts, their actions and functions,

describe how they are related to each other parts of oneself also with those
of others,

explain their relationships with respect to space,

assess their body to form a self-image both while being stationary and in
motion, and

help children in learning new movements.

6.3 BODY AWARENESS — BODY IMAGE

Names and Identification of Body Parts:
Hand, Fingers, Nails – Left side and Right side
Foot, Toes, Big toe, 2nd toe, middle or 3rd toe, 4th toe and little toe, Nails cuticle,
Toe nails, Digits of toes, In step, Side of step, sole, Bridge of foot, Ball of foot.
Arm, Upper, Elbow, Fore, Wrist, (left and right side) Leg Thigh, Knee, Shin,
20 Ankle (left and right side)
Trunk Chest, Ribcage, Back, Abdomen, Pelvis, Hip, Buttocks Back column, Awareness of Our Body and
Shoulder, Groin (Joint) Learning

Head Face, Hair, Scalp, Skull, Ears, Eyes, Nose, Mouth. Forehead, Temple, Cheek,
Cheekbones, Teeth, Tongue, Pallet.
Earlobe. Nostrils, Nose bridge
Eyes Eyebrows, Eye lashes, Eyeball, Eye socket, Iris Pupil, Eye lids.

Hair

Ear
Eye
Nose
Mouth

Shoulder

Hand

Stomach

Finger

Knee

Leg

Toe

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Physical Education Neck, Adam’s apple, Gullet, Nape of neck.
Names of bones of Thigh, upper arm, and shin and fore arm (2) back column
Types of joints, Ball socket, Hinge others.
These names, location, shape and functions must be taught as recreational
activities, as follows:
Audio 1. (clue) You say, the name of a body part (say nose) all students touch
their nose and say, “This is my nose”.
Visual 2. (Clue) You touch a body and the students say (say Elbow) this is my
elbow.
Second stage. This is my Right Elbow if the teacher touches his Right elbow.
Audio 3. (clue) You touch your ears (both) and say “my ears” they touch their
ears and say I hear with my ears.
Similarly visual clues, e.g. they say I walk on my leg/feet etc.
Thus, cover all parts and their functions. They plug both ears and react to your
announcement by Lip reading etc.
Audio (clue) You say my right leg is from groin (touching with both visual
palms) and moving (towards the knee) is my Thigh. Similar exercises for Knee,
Shins, Ankle and Feet.
Awareness of Shape. Toes, Big toe, 2nd toe, 3rd toe (middle toe), 4th toe, little toe
(5th toe) etc. My thigh is thick at groin and thin at knee. How do you feel the
thigh. Soft/Tough/Strong etc.
Put weight on leg and feel, shift weight off and feel. Elicit function of thigh/
thighs. Use of “Laps”: Child sleeps on another’s laps, etc.
You as teacher must ask searching questions such as which in the strongest/
stoutest/thinnest/softest etc. part of your body? What do you do with the part?
Action: Walk very softly, slowly, quickly, very tall, very short, very fat.
Discuss the parts used for the above.
Touch Games. You must conduct these classes — particularly with many
revisions through games. Black colour, white colour. Roughest part of body.
Longest, shortest, etc.
Group Vs Group. One wing of class with another
Quick Reaction. Silently (visual) Later only Audio — you only say the part who
will touch say Ear first? A competition.
Don’t announce who is the quickest but note down mentally who is the slowest.
Offer help after the class to that student.
Introduce these games and let everyone conduct this game to the group in the
whole class.
Compare body parts. Similarity or the corresponding part of limbs
Thigh — Upper arm
Knee — Elbow
Shine — Fore arm
Ankle — Wrist
Feet — Hands
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Walk like a cow. Name a body part and ask. What part of your body corresponds Awareness of Our Body and
with that of a cow? What function/s can these parts do for the cow/monkey/ Learning
other animals. Compare with Birds. How do they adopt their corresponding
part?
Awareness of transfer. Activity (1) Match body part with those of bilateral
partners, opponents. Facing each other. Facing the same direction, Facing a
mirror if possible or reflection in water of a tree or house etc. This should bring
out bilateral recognition in students.

Match your/foot on Palm/foot/prints on Black Board/Floor and on ceiling if

possible.
Making Shapes. Activity- 1) Make a circle with your whole body, your both
arms, fingers, leg, etc. By motion and being still 2) Make a letter of alphabets T.
V. W. N. R. C. etc. Use a rope to form shapes/alphabets and make that shape
with body parts.

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Physical Education A group of 5 or 6 students to form a shape together e.g. A train, A boat-rowing,
A Car, A Pyramid. A living triangle, Square, Rectangle, A Road Roller, Bus, etc.
Form Shapes in Motion. Activity– e.g. write to a person (facing him) as he sees
the letter C. X. R. W. O. etc. One-arm-movement describe a square, a circle etc.
Form shape of wind mill or Aeroplane, A broad tree, etc.
Activity – Two hold a rope about 15 cms above the floor. Each must creep
under it without touching the rope. They jump over the rope in many styles.
Walk like as cow to cross the rope etc.

Expressive Creative Activity – Walk like a person who is very pleased, angry,
sad. How did the expression change? What body movement part indicates the
emotion? Discuss.
Pantomine act like a traffic police, a painter, a singer – (street) on stage, etc.
Choice of body parts. a) To climb on the table, others must use other body parts.
b) To move from one spot to another.
c) Read a poem (known to them) and a student/a group. Must act, the poem
e.g. Jack and Jill went up the hill.
d) Act an emotion and your opponent acts the opposite. (and name it)
Awareness of Tension. Activity – a) Press your thigh at various spots with your
left palm and gradually press with maximum force. Similarly use your right
palm then both palms. Which part of the thigh can take the maximum force?
Touch that part which created the force or pressure and the part that received
the force (or pressure).
b) Press with your fore finger-tip the other palm gradually press more and
more; press with the knuckle of the same fore finger and do the same.
Analyse and reason your experience.
c) Use all the knuckles, with clenched first to punch on a pillow, (a sack of
rice or saw dust if available) use the other fist. Where did the force give you
back a jerk? Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Shoulder. Use all body segments, one
at a time to pull or push e.g. use your head to push a heavy object. (keep a
towel on your head) Elbow, Grip of two hands, to pull etc. which part creates
tension?

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Every activity has to be analysed. Students must infer individually and exchange Awareness of Our Body and
inference with others. You must encourage students to suggest activities. First Learning
you conduct it, later let them conduct them as if they are experiments.
Awareness of Collapse (as if a balloon is burst)
Relaxation. Collapse and fall on ground from sitting position. Activity – Tell
them that they should land on their padded parts, upper arm, bent, tucked in
head, hips, thighs etc, they must “Give in” and not offer rigid body part at the
point of contact. Stand and collapse and make a hissing sound as though the air
in a balloon in gone. Let loose all muscles, while sitting, lieing down and in any
position. At your signal, to brace up and become firm and in control of all
muscles. Again Relax at your signal.
In organizing each activity – You must study the following (6) modes, plan or
invent activities to achieve them.
1) Names, location, identification of body parts of self and of others.
2) Shapes of all body parts, (may be as a part of art lesson)
3) All possible movements of all body parts, Head to toes
4) Acquire name/s and terminologies, verbs to act or move precisely, e.g. nod
your head. Wriggle your nose, raise eye brows.
5) Locate body parts and combination of body parts to create force and to
reduce force.
6) Use body parts to communicate and to identify, predict/read other’s intentions
by their movements.
After conducting activities also conduct tests to evaluate them. You may involve
students to test these activities, themselves.
Activity – Make a list of all the terms/verbs they have used such as Bend, Lift,
Twist, Turn, Rotate etc. Students must be encouraged to use them and conduct
activities for their group. Encourage everyone to become a group leader and
use these terms/verbs and to invent their game/activity/movements.
Activity – a) One student lies down on floor with arms stretched to the sides.
Two students mark with a piece of chalk the outline of the body to indicate the
space that the student occupies. b) Another student lies down on the same spot,
similarly his/her out line is drawn with a colour chalk she/he stands up and all
compare the space both occupy — both while standing and on ground while
lying down.
In brief: You have learnt the names of most of your own body parts, their location,
functions, shape and how they are related to each other and to other’s body
parts.
Check Your Progress
Notes: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
1. Name all body segments. Top to bottom. (Head to toe)
i) Name two parts from each body segments
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ii) Name the function or functions of parts you have named.
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Physical Education
6.4 THE SIGNALS FROM OUR SENSORY
ORGANS AND ITS USE FOR
MOVEMENT
You know that we react with the environment through out organs of senses. The
organs are Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue and Skin.

Sensory stimuli. How do we react? For example, Eyes direct you to see a Bull.
You may not be able to see it in darkness!
The light rays may be from the sun, fall on the bull and are reflected. These
reflected rays reach your eyes. They are processed and sent to the brain. These
are called signals. In this case the visual signals are through your ears. Similarly
these audio signals too are coded and stored in the brain. These signals and
other signals through your ears. Similarly these audio signals too are coded and
stored in the brain. These signals and other signals from the organs of senses
are called sensory stimuli (singular stimulus). Here, in the case of the bull, your
experience, perhaps its horns, strong body and its aggressive posture, also will
be stored in the brain.
When you see or recall the scene of the bull your brain converts those stored
codes (it is called decoding) the bull comes to your mind along with the
aggression, strength, etc. You recall not only the bull but also your experience
of its possible aggression or violence. This is called perception. Your ability to
see minutely all the details of the bull and store those details, along with your
experience the sum total of these have been firmly fixed in your brain and also
you have the ability to recall i.e. decoding the total experience to make a decision.
Perhaps you want to keep away from it. This ability is called Perceptual Ability.
Similarly we use these signals i.e. make a decision, to run away, or chase the
bull away etc. Such a decision is directly communicated to your concerned
muscles of the body segments, and perform the required (decided) movements.
This is called Perceptual Motor Ability or Motor Skill.
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Here is a model of Motor Skill learning. Please go through it. Awareness of Our Body and
Learning
A B C
Sensory organs Decision Output
give stimuli Making Motor Act, also
or sensory cue called Motor Response

Feedback or knowledge of results

The decision making is normally “spontaneous” or “is done at once”. There is
very little time gap between A and B, the time taken for this is called Reaction
Time. The shorter the time better is the act. It is a great advantage to the person,
who has very short reaction time. From stages A and B. You notice that a decision
is influenced by sensory inputs as also past knowledge and experience. New
information (when you see the bull again) helps to reason, predict the
consequences and a response in made i.e. make a motor act. In stage C, the
response, and its result i.e. information how and what the action did in relation
to the goal this information is sent back to both B (Decision making) and also A
(Input of stimuli). These react and interact.
New information helps to reason and results in another reaction (output). The
result is again assessed and this information is stored again. This helps in
predicting the consequence more precisely. This is how practice or repetition
helps a person become perfect i.e. Practice (Good practice) makes (a man) perfect.
You must note here that children, in all likelihood, have not had enough scope
in their preschool days for the acquisition of Perceptual motor ability. So, it is
your responsibility to offer them experiences to acquire as mush as possible
before it is too late. You must be very much concerned about it. In the previous
unit all activities are meant for this purpose you must offer an many stimuli as
possible from all the sensory organs.
You must, also note that perceptual ability enhances motor skills, also motor
skills enhance perceptual ability. They are complimentary to each other.
Activity 1. Keep a few objects in a bag say (a) wooden block (b) a rubber ball
(c) a potato (d) a metal piece (e) a piece of cardboard. Make the students touch
these from outside. If needs be from inside (but not seeing them) and name
them and classify or list according to their weight, size, texture (hard and soft)
or rough or smooth.

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Physical Education Activity 2. Tracking the movement of a ball in a) air, side ward movement from
left to right, later right to left.
Five trials classify the trials – Fastest to slowest and nominate the fastest thrower.
b) Next predict the speed even before the throw is made.
Activity 3. Bean bag Vs Balloon Throwing
a) Predict the direction of throw from the winding (throwing) action and
b) The distance the object covers.
Activity 4. Students sit facing one direction. At the back (rear) of the class, one
person must make three sounds. e.g.
1. Bouncing a volleyball – Twice
2. Tapping a table with a stick – Twice
3. Two claps
Ask the children to name and identify and the source of sounds and order of
sounds. Repeat from other materials and other directions.
Teachers must invent more such games and use them.
Students must be encouraged to conduct them and invent games for sensory
stimuli of smell and taste.
In brief: We interact with the environment by receiving stimuli for all objects.
By practice we can identify all the details of the sources of such stimuli and use
them to make suitable responses. We also become able to predict the
consequences of such stimuli.
The more accurately and minutely we receive the stimuli and more quickly we
react to those stimuli, the superior our performance will be.

Check Your Progress

Notes: a) Write your answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
2. What is a sensory ability?
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3. What is the “reaction time”?
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4. How is perception related to decision making?
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 Awareness of Our Body and
6.5 MOVEMENT EDUCATION — MOTOR LEARNING Learning

You have learnt that all fundamental movements have been classified into
Locomotor, Axial and Manipulative movements.
Here one of the locomotor movements, walking will be described to highlight
to process of learning of a movement.
You demonstrate an ideal walking to the class. (without talking).
Demonstrate a few times from various angles so that students see from various
angles.
Briefly tell the movement to draw their attention or focus on the particular task.
Starting Position. Standing upright in the direction of walk.
1. Shift body weight on to the Right leg.
2. a) Push body with right ball of foot, forward (Body slightly up)
b) Swing left leg at the hip, left-foot pointing forward
c) Place left heel at a convenient distance (about 25 cm)
d) Swing forward right arm at shoulder swing backward left arm at shoulder
3. Shift body weight on left – heel to outer edge and ball of foot.
4. Push body weight up and forward with the ball of left foot.

Follow the sequence of 2,3 etc. but with the swing of opposite arms.
Note: Body upright. Head up. Eyes looking straight. Feet pointing forward.
Foot leaving the ground with push. Develop a rhythm – same time for each
step. 29
Physical Education After they see all the 4 stages, make them say the stages. One stage at a time and
act – do the movement one stage only.

Repeat 1st stage a few times. Go to the 2nd stage – verbalise. Act 2nd stage (a),
(b), (c), & (d).

Repeat Act and say a few times. Go to 3rd stage – verbalise. Act 3rd stage. Act 1st,
2nd, 3rd and 4th stages continuously. Don’t verbalise.

Report 1, 2, 3 and 4th stages.

Repeat and verbalise also. Continue to walk meantally remembering the stages
and feeling the body part as if making movements. Analyse your own movement
and assess yourself if you are walking well.

a) Feet point forward?

b) Arms swing with opposite feet?

c) Place heel first on ground?

d) Transfer weight – heel to edge of foot and to ball of foot?

e) Push off with ball of foot?

f) Direction of walk – is it straight?

g) Head up eyes seeing straight?

Perform before a peer and seek his assessment.

Activity 1: Mark a straight line about 3-4 Mts. Walk in the

Direction of line

Feet as close to the line and parallel, pace (Stride) sevn

Take help of a peer. Repeat

When all have had two trials each on walking on straight line i.e. activity 1
suggest to them to fix a boundary – if needs be place marks. All move in the
area – within the boundary from the work “Go”, walking their best, without
touching or being touched by anyone. As they near the boundary they must
stop, turn and start walking till they are told to “Stop”.

In activity 2: They need not walk straight but may change direction but keep
on walking – must not touch the boundary nor go out of the area. They start on
“Go” and rest on “Stop”.

Activity 3: Children have to walk with force, dig heel as they step forward.
Walk very slowly. Walk very Softly.

Activity 4: Two students walk one beside the other. One behind another. Walk
fast and very fast. Walk with two partner’s arms locked (at elbow). Walk without
swinging arms. Explain how you feel?

Suggest walking side wards – to right and left side stepping. Arms pressed to
the sides of trunk.
The whole class walks. You give direction of walk by your hand. Change
direction as you, as a teacher show the direction.
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 Awareness of Our Body and
Learning

Help children to assess their peers. The points for peers to analyse are:
1. Walking in level. Head at one level
2. Both shoulders facing direction
3. Body upright – Head help up
4. Placement of heel
5. Even pace (stride)
You can also involve children in activities posing as challenge, like
A 1. Who can walk zig zag, on this line marked on floor one each for one
group. All must get two chances from each group.
2. Who can walk from one boundary line to another in 15 steps, in 12
steps, in 16 steps, or you can decide considering the children age and
other local conditions.
3. All try one after another. The whole class must watch as peers perform.
To the Whole class, another activity say B could be:
Who walks gracefully?
Give trial
Anyone who can walk as well?
Give a trial
Any more? Give a trial each.
Let us see what makes a walk Graceful?
1. Even spaced – steps – rhythm
2. Chest-up shoulders level
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Physical Education 3. Upright body – Head erect
4. Arms swing in Rhythm
5. Roll body weight from heel, outer edge of foot to ball of foot and push off.
All try at the same time.
Other activities could be
1. Walk like a sad person
2. Walk like a happy person
3. Walk like a soldier
4. Walk like a man while resting on a pole/stick. (one leg woulded)
5. Walk backward.
In the same way all the movements described in the context.
The activities mentioned in this unit must be practised. You must follow the
Teaching Points mentioned for each activity.
In brief: 1. A motor activity is demonstrated so that students making a correct
mental picture. Provide many demonstrations for an exercise. Explanation should
be precise and correct. The level of demonstration and explanation should be at
children’s level.
2. Break the activity into sequences. You demonstrate all sequences step by
step (many times).
3. You explain 1st sequence.
4. Students do 1st step only verbalise this step.
5. Students act and verbalise 1st step. They repeat this step many times.
6. You demonstrate 2nd step. You verbalise 2nd step.
7. Students verbalise and act 2nd step. Repeat act only 2nd step. Repeat verbalise
only 2nd step.
8. Students act 1st, 2nd step and verbalise.
9. You demonstrate 3rd step and verbalise. Students act 3rd step, verbalise 3rd
step. Repeat 3rd step, act and verbalise, thus cover all steps.
The peers for group-wise assess all students
Walking on a straight line gracefully (criteria given earlier). What makes a walk
graceful?

Check Your Progress

Notes: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answer with those given at the end of the unit.
6. Describe any locomotor movement step by step.
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 Awareness of Our Body and
6.6 LET US SUM UP Learning

Once children become aware of their own body and body parts, they will develop
an image of their physical self. If this awareness about their own body is coupled
with their sensory abilities and experience the various uses of their body parts,
they are prepared and will be willing to acquire new movements. They have to
be guided to experience and experiment making specific movement tasks. While
doing so they must form a specific mental picture of the whole task and the
sequences of movements that constitute the task. Once they get an idea about it
while making movements, they need challenges and frequent group practice. If
they practice and get the feedback the motor skills are learnt and fixed.

6.7 UNIT-END EXERCISES

Organise any two activities.
1. Organise one example each of the locomotor and manipulative movements
in your class. Prepare a report highlighting the steps children have undertaken
in these activities. Also narrate your and their experiences in testing these
activities.
2. Discuss the relationship of Movement Education with that of motor learning
in our body context. Give illustrations.

ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. Please refer section 6.3.
2. Sensory stimuli. The messages or signals receive from the organs of the
senses of the brain are called sensory stimuli.
3. The time gap between sensory organs give sensory cue and output or motor
act, the time taken for this process is called reaction time. (Also refer to
model of Motor skill learning given in section 6.4.)
4. Perception is equated to a decision making act, as it provides us all possible
information and experiences about the present situations. Our decision
making act also depends on all possible answers. We have and then select
the most appropriate one in the present context.
5. Refer section 6.5 and appendix – part II.

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