How Your Body Moves: Muscles and Joints

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Health and Physical Education · Physical Education
SP-PE-006 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
How Your Body Moves: Muscles and Joints
Health and Physical Education · Physical Education · Grades 7-9 · 45 minutes
Time needed
45 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student).
Technology
None.
Student
independence
High. Students read and write on their own, with a quiet seated or standing feel-it activity.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet
Goal for today: Students will name major muscle groups and joint types and match common movements to the
muscle that contracts.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ Pick your movement option: CLASSROOM (students stay seated for the feel-it activity) or GYM/OUTDOOR
(students stand with an arm’s length of space, on a clear floor or marked outdoor area your school allows).
☐ On the board, write: Muscles PULL. They get shorter (contract) to move a bone.
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk.
Say this to start
Good morning! Today we are looking at how the body moves. Every step, throw and wave uses muscles pulling on
bones across joints. You will learn some muscle and joint names, try three tiny, slow movements and feel the muscles
work, and then match actions to muscles. Keep every movement slow and small, and stop right away if anything hurts.

SubstitutePlans.com
Health and Physical Education · Physical Education
SP-PE-006 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 3
Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance. Hand out the worksheet. Read the safety
rules aloud: move slowly, keep an arm’s length of space
from everyone, stop right away if anything hurts or feels
wrong, and tell the sub. Moving is always optional; any
student may sit out and do the written work instead, and
does not need to give a reason.
Listen to the rules and scan the word bank.
5–12
Read the passage aloud. Point to the board: Muscles PULL.
Follow along and circle each muscle name.
12–22
FEEL-IT ACTIVITY (optional). Read each step slowly. 1) Put
one hand on the front of your upper arm. Slowly bend your
elbow with no weight and feel the biceps firm up. 2) Put
one hand on the front of your thigh. Slowly straighten your
knee in a small, gentle motion and feel the quadriceps. 3)
Put one hand on the back of your lower leg and slowly lift
your heel while the toes stay down, then lower it.
CLASSROOM OPTION: do it seated. GYM/OUTDOOR OPTION:
do it standing with space around. Students must not kick,
swing limbs, hold weight, or touch others.
Try the slow movements and notice which
muscle tightens. Stop if anything hurts.
22–40
Tell students to complete items 1–14 and the Name That
Movement table.
Answer the fill-in, matching, table,
true/false and short-answer questions.
40–45
Collect all worksheets.
Hand in the worksheet.
If things go wrong
• If a student feels pain during the feel-it activity, tell them to stop and sit down, and skip the rest. The
worksheet does not require the movement.
• If students mix up biceps and triceps, tell them biceps are on the front of the upper arm and triceps are on the
back.
• If students get silly with the movements, have everyone sit and finish the written work.
• If a student finishes early, point them to the early finisher list.
Early finishers
• Pick an everyday action, such as standing up from a chair, and describe which joints bend.
• Make a mnemonic (memory trick) to remember biceps versus triceps.
Support and challenge
• Support: Students may complete only items 1–10 and the first three rows of the table.
• Challenge: Students explain why every joint action needs at least two muscles working as a team.

SubstitutePlans.com
Health and Physical Education · Physical Education
SP-PE-006 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 4
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:
Anything the teacher should know: