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Balance and Stability

Second graders explore how the body stays steady, from freezing like a statue to balancing on the move, and discover the simple tricks, a wide base and a low body, that make balance easier.

Grade 2Balance and Stability45 minutes1 class periodSHAPEExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know balance as staying steady.
  • ✓Use a wide base.
  • ✓Balance still and moving.
  • ✓Try balance activities.
Essential Question

Stand on one foot and freeze, now close your eyes. Balance keeps your body steady, and a few tricks make it easier. What helps you stay steady, still and on the move?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore Balance · Interactive

Explore Balance

Project this and open each card to explore balance, the tricks that make it easier, and ways to practice it.

🧍 Explore how your body keeps its balanceTry it

The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Steady as a Statue

5 min

Stand on one foot and freeze. Now try it with your eyes closed, harder! Balance is keeping your body steady, and a few tricks make it easier. What helps you not tip over?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a one-foot freeze.
  • Ask what helped.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Try.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Explore Balance

12 min

Students explore how balance works.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Explore Balance.
  • Open each card.
  • Note the ideas.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explore.
  • Read.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Make It Steady

13 min

Students adjust to balance better.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a wobbly pose.
  • Widen your base or lower your body.
  • Say what got steadier.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Try.
  • Adjust.
  • Say.
4

Create — My Balance Challenge

15 min

Students design a balance activity.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a balance to try.
  • Make it a little harder.
  • Teach it to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Make.
  • Teach.
5

Reflect — Staying Steady

5 min

Students reflect on balance.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What helps you keep your balance?
  • What is the difference between still and moving balance?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the SHAPE America National Standards for Health Education and Physical Education.

SHAPE
PE.1

Demonstrate balance and stability while still and while moving.

SHAPE
PE.2

Apply movement concepts of base of support and center of gravity.

SHAPE
PE.3

Practice to improve a movement skill over time.

SHAPE
PE.5

Show focus and body control during balance tasks.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Balance picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I stay steady by ___ .”
  • Explore one card at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with a two-foot freeze.
  • Try one pose together.
  • Explore one idea before the next.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add balancing on a line or low beam.
  • Balance while passing a beanbag.
  • Explain why a wide base helps.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 👟A floor line or low beam
  • 💻Explore Balance
  • 🧸Beanbags to balance
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

balancekeeping your body steady so you do not tip or fallstabilityhow steady and hard to tip over you arestatic balancestaying steady while holding stilldynamic balancestaying steady while movingbase of supportwhere your body touches the groundcenter of gravitythe middle of your weight, lower is steadieradjustto make small changes to stay steadycontrolmoving your body the way you mean to
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What helps you keep your balance?
A wider base (feet farther apart) and a lower body (bent knees) make you steadier, plus small muscle adjustments.
QUESTION 2
What is the difference between still and moving balance?
Static balance is holding steady without moving; dynamic balance is staying steady while you move, like walking a line.
QUESTION 3
Why do athletes crouch low in some sports?
A lower body means a lower center of gravity, which makes them harder to knock off balance.

Create: my balance challenge.

Have students pick a balance to try, make it a little harder, and teach it to a partner, so balance becomes active practice. A printable balance worksheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Balance and StabilityFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Balance and StabilityQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Balance and StabilityPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: adjust, balance, base of support, center of gravity, control, dynamic balance, stability, static balance
  1. staying steady while moving
  2. where your body touches the ground
  3. to make small changes to stay steady
  4. moving your body the way you mean to
  5. staying steady while holding still
  6. the middle of your weight, lower is steadier
  7. keeping your body steady so you do not tip or fall
  8. how steady and hard to tip over you are

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What helps you keep your balance?
  2. What is the difference between still and moving balance?
  3. Why do athletes crouch low in some sports?
Answer key — Part A: 1) dynamic balance · 2) base of support · 3) adjust · 4) control · 5) static balance · 6) center of gravity · 7) balance · 8) stability
Part B: 1) A wider base (feet farther apart) and a lower body (bent knees) make you steadier, plus small muscle adjustments. 2) Static balance is holding steady without moving; dynamic balance is staying steady while you move, like walking a line. 3) A lower body means a lower center of gravity, which makes them harder to knock off balance.