Physical Activity at School - Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU)

Equipment:

Assume the equipment is for a class of 24 students.

• 2 large foam balls
• 4 tees
• 4 soft bats
• 24 small soft nerf balls
• 1 sponge ball
• 4 pylons or 4 bases

Instructions:

Warm-up: Operation Catch and Throw (Involves catching and throwing)

1. Choose 4 people who will be the "Catchers and Throwers" team. They will be designated as "it". They will have 2 large foam balls to share.
2. Decide what your boundaries will be.
3. All other students will be running in this designated space away from the catchers and throwers attempting not to be tagged by the foam ball.
4. If a part of their body is on any part of the "out" line, then they are considered "out" and part of the catchers/throwers team.
5. Students who are tagged join the team of catchers and throwers.
6. Catchers/Throwers must not walk or run with the ball. They can only pivot to reach and touch (not throw at) another player with the ball.
7. The game continues until all students have been tagged.

• Objective: To use communication with team members to tag students without taking steps.
• Progression:
  • Add in another ball.
  • Increase the designated running space to increase the difficulty and the amount of physical activity.
• Safety: Boundaries should be a minimum of 2 metres from the wall. Ensure no obstacles are on the gym floor (ex. benches or backpacks)

Questions:

Q. What must you do to be successful at tagging someone?
Q. What strategies did you come up with?
Q. As the running space allowed increased, did you have to change your strategies? Why or why not?

Activities/Drills:

T-ball to the Wall (Involves hitting and fielding)

1. Divide students into 4 groups of 6. Each group will get 1 soft bat and 6 small soft nerf balls.
2. Set up 1 tee in each of the 4 corners of the gymnasium.
3. One student will bat INTO the corner wall while the remaining 5 will field the balls.
4. Each student will have 4 chances to bat.
5. Place 3 different tape markings on the wall that you will want students to hit.

• Objective: Students will attempt to hit the ball off the tee and hit the markings on the wall (can hit the same mark more than once) as well as attempt to hit a ground ball.
• Progression: Students to attempt to hit each of the 3 markings on the wall and hit a ground ball.
• Safety: No one must stand in front of the batter. Students are to stand a minimum of 5 feet away from the batter's swinging area.

Questions:

Q. How can you increase your accuracy in making contact with the ball? (Possible answer: keep your eye on the ball)
Q. How can you increase the distance of your hit? (Possible answer: extend arms, speed up swing)