September 15, 2016

Grade 4 - 6

 Today students continued to work together in cooperative games. They were asked to make connections as to where they could use team work outside of a school setting as well as how strong cooperation and communication skills could benefit them in life. Throughout both activities today students were required to communicate to assign responsibilities and create strategies. The descriptions of the activities are listed below.

Back to Back

Back-to-Back is a relationship building and trust related game. Partners stood back-to-back and worked together to try to get into a seated position without using their hands. Once seated, students tried to stand up. Students started in pairings, which later grew into larger groups of 4 and 8. Watch all of the fun below:

Balance wars:

-Students worked in a group of 4-5

- students began the activity behind a pylon placed in a corner of the gymnasium area

- directly beside each pylon I placed a:

a)a gym mat/puzzle mat

b)one extra pylon

c)one dodgeball

d)one tennis ball

e) one football

-Students were required to pick up their gym mat and ensure that each person from their team held on to the mat with one hand without letting go until completion of the race.

- Students began the race with one object on their mat while they attmpted to round the gym in a clockwise direction.

-Each time they returned to their original pylon they added one item to their gym mat until they had collected all items and successfully returned to their pylon.

-If at any point during the race a group lost an object, they assigned a 'garbage collector' to collect that object and return it to its place on the mat.

Grade 10

Today students began class with a warm up activity entitled 'Partner Tail Chase' that allowed students to refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions. They continued by learning how to apply their skills and awareness in a larger group activity of 'Battle Royale' and 'Bull in the Ring'.  Description of the activities follow:

Warm up

Partner tail chase 1vs 1 and 2 v 2:

•   At the signal, each participant tries to grab the tail of his or her partner without having his or her own tail taken.(flags = tails)

•   When a participant’s tail is removed, it is returned and the participant puts his or her tail back, and the participants play again.

•   Have participants count how many times they can remove their partner’s tails in the allotted time.

 “BATTLE ROYALE 

Objective : To collect as many flags or pinnies as possible

• Each person gets 2 objects(flags)
• The battle begins as each person must grab the flag(s) from the other players
• Also, a player may have more than 2 objects/flags throughout the game. If so, they must always have two flags at their waist and the rest in their hand
• For example, students may have 3 objects,  2 of them in their hand and 1 of them on their waist.
• Each person plays for themselves but must use various tactics to adapt to constantly changing environments

 These activities were followed by a review of the 'Phases of Movement' while throwing the football and students were given an opportunity to refine throwing skills during a specific throwing drill.

Grade 11

Today students began class with a warm up activity entitled 'Partner Tail Chase' that allowed students to also refine their movement strategies and focused on the use of communication skills during the 2vs 2 segment. They continued by learning how to apply their skills and awareness in a larger group activity of 'Battle Royale' and 'Bull in the Ring'.  Description of the activities follow:

Warm up

Partner tail chase 1vs 1 and 2 v 2:

•   At the signal, each participant tries to grab the tail of his or her partner without having his or her own tail taken.(flags = tails)

•   When a participant’s tail is removed, it is returned and the participant puts his or her tail back, and the participants play again.

•   Have participants count how many times they can remove their partner’s tails in the allotted time.

 “BATTLE ROYALE 

Objective : To collect as many flags or pinnies as possible

• Each person gets 2 objects(flags)
• The battle begins as each person must grab the flag(s) from the other players
• Also, a player may have more than 2 objects/flags throughout the game. If so, they must always have two objects on their waist and the rest in their hand
• For example, students may have 3 objects,  2 of them in their hand and 1 of them on their waist.
• Each person plays for themselves but must use various tactics to adapt to constantly changing environments

Bull in the Ring

All players formed a circle which represented the ring, then one volunteered to stand in the middle. The game began when I threw the football to a specific student in the ring and that player then tried to run the ball across the circle. At the same time, the player in the middle, the "bull," attempted to stop the runner by grabbing one of their flags. If the runner made it across, the bull remained in the center for another turn. If the snag is successful, the bull then joins the ring and the runner takes the center spot

 These activities were followed by a review of the 'Phases of Movement' while throwing the football and students were given an opportunity to refine throwing skills during a specific throwing drill.