Sports facts primary resource

Learn about some surprising sports and try out some of your own

This PE primary resource gives children the chance to learn some fascinating facts about lesser known sports. How do skyakers take part in their sport? What sport is no longer part of the Summer Olympics? Which sport was former US President Abraham Lincoln accomplished at?

Pupils will learn some surprising facts about unusual sports in our National Geographic Kids’ Physical Education primary resource sheet.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for discussion about how there are different types of sports for people of different abilities and with varying skills. It could be used as a printed handout for each pupil to review and annotate, or for display on the interactive whiteboard for class discussion.

Activity: Ask children whether they have heard of any of the sports mentioned in the resource. Do any of them compete in any unusual sports themselves outside of school? Pupils could work together in groups to come up with their own sporting tournaments. What is the name of the sport they’ve come up with? What do you have to do to take part in it? Is it a team competition, or do competitors take part as individuals? Challenge pupils to take part in each groups’ sporting activity. Which sport did they enjoy the most? Why?

N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk

This PE primary resource assists with teaching the following Key Stage 1 Physical Education objective from the National Curriculum:

Pupils should be taught to:

master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending

National Curriculum Key Stage 2 Physical Education objective:

Pupils should be taught to:

use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

This Physical Education primary resource assists with teaching the following Health and wellbeing Early level objectives from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

I am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in different kinds of energetic play, both outdoors and indoors.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence First level Health and wellbeing objectives:

Within and beyond my place of learning I am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in physical activities and sport, making use of available indoor and outdoor space.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Second level Health and wellbeing objectives:

I am experiencing enjoyment and achievement on a daily basis by taking part in different kinds of energetic physical activities of my choosing, including sport and opportunities for outdoor learning, available at my place of learning and in the wider community.

I have investigated the role of sport and the opportunities it may offer me. I am able to access opportunities for participation in sport and the development of my performance in my place of learning and beyond.

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Health and wellbeing objectives:

I have investigated the role of sport and the opportunities it may offer me. I am able to access opportunities for participation in sport and the development of my performance in my place of learning and beyond.

I am experiencing enjoyment and achievement on a daily basis by taking part in different kinds of energetic physical activities of my choosing, including sport and opportunities for outdoor learning, available at my place of learning and in the wider community.