Evaluating sprinting: personal bests
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate my own and others sprinting technique and make suggestions as to how we can improve our performance throughout the race.
Key learning points
- Move: applying the correct technique at different stages of a race can help us to sprint faster.
- Move: changing our stride length in different stages of the race can help improve acceleration and maintain speed.
- Think: if we slow down before the end of a sprinting race and don't dip at the line we are likely to be overtaken.
- Feel: staying positive if we don't beat our personal best shows good control of our emotions.
- Connect: providing others with constructive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses can help improve technique.
Keywords
Race - a competition where runners compete to see who can run the fastest over a certain distance.
Technique - the method we use to perform a task
Speed - a measure of how quickly we move from one point to another
Common misconception
Pupils sometimes think that holding their breath or shallow breathing helps them focus or exert more power.
Ensure pupils stay relaxed when sprinting and understand that deep rhythmic breaths will help their muscles recieve more oxygen to generate energy.
Teacher tip
Sprinting involves accelerating at the start of a race, maintaining speed in the middle and dipping the body forwards at the end.
Equipment
30+ cones, worksheet: personal bests, stopwatches
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which word is a measure of how quickly you move from one point to another?
Q2.What should runners do as they approach the finish line?
Q3.What can help you to sprint fast for the whole short distance race?
Q4.How can you help others to improve?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which word describes the method you use to perform a task?
Q2.Why is it necessary to lengthen your stride length after accelerating?
Q3.What can help you to maintain energy in a sprint race?
Q4.How should you react if you don’t win your race?
To help you plan your 5 physical education lesson on: Evaluating sprinting: personal bests, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 physical education lesson on: Evaluating sprinting: personal bests, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 2 physical education lessons from the Athletics: enhanced athletic challenges unit, dive into the full primary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.