Partner Yoga

Lesson Plan

Grade(s): 4 Unit: Yoga

Lesson: 4 of 5

H&PE Curriculum Expectations

2015 H&PE Curriculum Expectations: 1.1, A1.1, A2.3, A2.4, A2.2, A3.1, B1.3, B1.1

2019 H&PE Curriculum Expectations: B1.1, B2.3, B2.4, B2.2, B3.1, C1.3, C1.1

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

use self-awareness and self-monitoring skills to assess their level of exertion as they participate in
yoga games

perform a variety of controlled static balances as they perform different combinations of locomotor
movements

develop and act on personal fitness goals as they participate actively and safely in wide variety of
fitness activities to the best of their ability

identify how different physical activities affect the body.

Safety Requirements

Refer to the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education .

Equipment List
20 – 30 mats (1 per student)

Teacher Resource: Anecdotal Recording Chart

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 Teacher Resource: Checklist

Student Resource 8: Partner Yoga Poses

Student Resource 9: Goal Setting Exit Card

Warm-Up

Students will gradually increase their heart rate by participating in the following activity.

Wall/Partner Breathing

Have students find a place sitting against the wall with their back touching the wall.

Have students imagine that their back is covered in paint and as they breathe they want to cover the
wall with as much paint as possible, from the tops of their shoulders to the small of their back.

Have students reflect on the parts of their back that are touching the wall as they inhale or as they
exhale.

Have students sit breathing for 5 – 10 inhalations.

Allow students to close their eyes as they breathe.

Have students find a partner and repeat this activity sitting back to back with their partner.

Have students reflect on what areas of their back are touching as they inhale and exhale

With their eyes closed students sit breathing for 5 – 10 inhalations.

Minds On

Share and clarify the lesson Learning Goals. Have students work in small groups to re-word Learning Goals
using their own language. Have students share newly worded Learning Goals orally.

Have students find their own place on their mat in the activity area.

Have students assume either Savasana or Easy Pose (see Lesson 3 Notes to Teacher).

Have students lie or sit silently in their selected pose.

Have students reflect on how different physical activities affect the body and contribute to physical
fitness and good health.

Have students reflect on how yoga benefits the body.

Have students reflect on their favourite physical activity and how it affects good health.

As a large class, have students share their responses.

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A&E - Minds On

Teacher observation with verbal feedback of students’ knowledge related to how different physical activities
affect the body through group discussion

Action
Setting Intention

Prior to the start of the Action, have students stand in Mountain Pose, or be seated in Easy Pose and
reflect on their intention for the lesson’s practice (what are their personal goals?)

Have students close their eyes and reflect silently on the following statements:

Teacher prompt: “We are going to start practicing by setting our intention for the lesson. Your intention
is personal and should reflect your goal for the lesson. It could be that you want be calm or relaxed, to
focus on slow breaths or to focus on improving your balance and or flexibility. Once you have set your
intention open your eyes.”

Partner Poses

Working in pairs, students receive Student Resource 8: Partner Yoga Poses.

Have students work with their partner to experiment with their postures turning them from one person
postures to postures that can be completed with a partner.

Have students illustrate their postures and then select six of the 10 postures and perform them in a
yoga sequence with their partner.

Circulate, observe, adjust and demonstrate movements as needed.

As students hold postures, encourage them to be aware of changes with their body (e.g., increased
heart rate, increased breathing rate, engaged muscles).

A&E - Action

Teacher observation with anecdotal writing of students’ demonstration of active and safe participation using
Teacher Resource: Anecdotal Recording Chart (from Lesson 1)

Teacher observation with feedback of students’ demonstration of smooth transfers of weight involving static
balances using Teacher Resource: Checklist

Cool-Down
Savasana: A Place of Peace

Play calm and relaxing music (optional).

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 Have students lie down on their own mat away from other students and possible distractions.

Students should be positioned in Savasana (see Lesson 3 Notes to Teacher).

Have students perform a variety of movements but return to this relaxed position.

Guide students through the following movements, visualizing their body being heavy and relaxed into
the floor:

Direct students to let their thoughts go down to their feet.

Encourage students to feel how heavy their feet are and how their feet are supported by the
floor.

Move from the feet up over every body part. Describe how heavy and relaxed that body part
feels.

Teacher prompt: “Let your thoughts go to your feet. Focus on how relaxed and heavy your feet
feel. Feel your feet sinking into the floor, relaxing into the floor, and being supported by the floor”

After you have addressed the head, allow students to lie in Savasana for a few minutes.

Guide students through the following meditation.

Before you begin, let students know that they may choose to not engage in the following meditation,
and if that is the case, they are asked to lie silently and quietly and not to interrupt others who are
active in their meditation practice.

Teacher prompt: “Close your eyes and let your worries drift away. Today’s relaxation is going to take you to a
place where you feel peace, a place where you feel calm, a place where you feel your heart centre overflow
with love. Imagine you are in your restful place. Picture this place as vividly as you can. Imagine with detail
everything you can see, hear, smell and feel. What is the temperature in this place? Is it a warm beach? Is it
wooded place outdoors? You feel safe in this place, you feel loved, and you feel at home. As you lie down in
your relaxing place you feel the sun begin to rise, you feel the warmth on your skin and you begin to relax
even further. The sun shines on your toes and they relax. The sun shines on your shins and your legs and
they relax. The sun shines on your stomach and your chest and they relax. The sun shines on your hands
and arms and they relax. The sun shines on your face, you can feel the warmth, and your face relaxes.”

Students remain in this relaxed pose for up to five minutes (or appropriate time).

Have students wiggle their fingers and toes, and then stretch their body from head to toe.

Direct students to roll over onto their side and using their arm as a pillow, take several slow and
calming breaths.

Encourage students that when they’re ready, to slowly sit up into Easy Pose.

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 The closing of a yoga practice is to place palms open on the knees, or palms together in prayer
position and chant together saying “Namaste” which means, “The goodness in me bows to the
goodness in you.” Remind students that we all have goodness inside of us and it’s important to
recognize and show that goodness.

Consolidation

Using the Inner/Outer Circle Strategy, students discuss how yoga has affected their body and has
contributed to their physical fitness and good health.

Teacher prompt: “Share with your partner how yoga has affected your body and has contributed to your
physical fitness and good health”

Student response: “Yoga helps me to develop muscular strength and flexibility. It helps me to be more
focused and calm. Yoga today has helped me to relax before my science quiz.”

Have students complete Student Resource 9: Goal Setting Exit Card using the information reflected on
during Consolidation.

A&E - Consolidation

Teacher observation with verbal feedback of students’ knowledge of active living skills (self-awareness and
goal setting) through conferencing

Ideas for Extension

Have pairs develop their own partner poses and demonstrate them for another pair.

Next Steps

Students further develop their ability to assess their level of physical exertion and the intrinsic and extrinsic
factors that affect performance as they participate actively and safely in fitness activities. Students also begin
to identify how different physical activities affect the body and contribute to physical fitness and good health.

Notes to Teacher
Remind students that yoga poses are personal and students should not compare their level of flexibility
to those of other students or to the perfectly performed poses illustrated in books or on the Internet.

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