Little J dreams of being an acrobat in a circus when he grows up. With the help of Jacko and B-Boy, he practises circus tricks in the backyard after school. Uncle Mick, a search and rescue officer, comes to school to talk about his work. Little J uses his circus skills to demonstrate a search and rescue procedure.

Explain - Practise fundamental movement skills and movement sequences using different body parts and in response to stimuli

Theme - CIRCUS (SAFETY)

As a class, after viewing Little L & Big Cuz, Episode 3 ‘New Tricks’, ask students to identify the different types of safety equipment used in the activities. List the suggestions on the IWB/board. Explore with students the need for safety equipment when circus performers perform.

 

Access the following clips and ask the students to identify and/or list the safety equipment they see the performers using in their circus acts. Ask the students to offer suggestions about why the performers need safety equipment. Explain that Circus Oz BLAKflip is a troupe of Aboriginal performers and/or Torres Strait Islander performers.

• EventVideo – Circus Oz Promotional Video 
• CircusOz 2016 BLAKflip 
• CircusOz 2015: BLAKflip 
• CircusOz BLAKflip Program

Switch the students’ attention from the circus to their everyday life and have students list some of the safety precautions they need to take every day, e.g. bicycle helmet, knee pads, wrist braces, sun glasses, oven gloves, sun cream, running shoes, etc.

Divide the class into smaller groups, and ask each group to develop a list of high risk occupations where workers need to take safety precautions, for example, police, fire brigade, army, rescue officers, ambulance officers, etc. Invite each group to explain to the class what occupations they examined and the types of safety equipment these workers need to do their job.

Ask students to think about the body movements and skills needs to perform a selection of circus acts. Invite the students to select one act/movement and find other members of the class who have elected the same act. Form the class into smaller groups, depending on the acts selected.

As a group, students use a ‘Think, Pair, Share’ activity to identify the equipment they may need to perform their circus trick. Tell students that they must use safety equipment in the performance of their circus act. Ask students to also suggest the safety equipment they need.

Invite students to develop the following skills that circus performers use. Demonstrate the three skills and ask students to practise the following:

• Teaching Kids The Forward Roll 
• How to Juggle Three Balls 
• Hula Hooping Basics | Hula Hooping

Have students note how many times it takes to practise a trick to be able to perform it without a mistake.

As a class, discuss the practice that is needed by circus performers to do the tricks they perform. At the end of the practice period, invite students to describe the kind of movements they will use to perform a circus trick of their own.

In pairs or small groups, students perform their trick for the class or small group (or simply describe what they will do) and together the group thinks of some words to describe what they are doing. The groups then share their thoughts with the class.

Create a Word Wall or list of useful describing words for talking or writing about circus tricks.