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

Equipment:

• tape
• benches to separate teams
• 24 pylons
• 12 balls (foam volleyballs, tennis balls, sponge/hand
• balls, or bean bags)
• 12 Scooter boards (if possible, one for each student)

Instructions:

Warm-up: "Pylon Down" (Involves throwing and aiming)

1. Instruct students to get 1 pylon each.
2. Divide students into pairs and have them face each other approximately 5 metres apart.
3. Have students place the pylon directly in front of them.
4. Students will share the ball, beanbag, etc.

• Objective: To learn the force needed to throw or roll (like bowling) a foam volleyball, beanbag, etc at their partner's pylon.

Demonstrate proper delivery/curling stance. If you are right handed, the ball, etc. should be in your right hand, push off with your right foot and do a left leg lunge as you push (or throw) and release the ball. Have students practice this. Demonstrate the opposite for those who are left-handed.

After one student tries to hit the pylon, the other student will retrieve the ball and try to hit their partner's pylon.

• Progression: Increase the distance between the partners to 10 metres and then to 15 metres.
• Safety: Set up pairs so that all pairs are in an N-S or E-W direction. This is to ensure that when students chase after their balls, other students will be aware that they are doing so.

Questions:

Q. What kind of game is bowling?
Q. What other target games are there?
Q. In what ways are curling and bowling similar? Dissimilar?

Activities/Drills:

Weigh-a-lot? (Involves pushing and aiming)

1. In the same pairs as the warm-up, each student will face each other but will stand on opposite ends of the gym.
2. Have students place their pylon in front of them. This pylon will serve as their partner's target.
3. Each pair will share a scooter board.
4. The partner with the scooter will try to push the scooter with the right amount of force to reach their partner's pylon. Students are to try to aim for the target and not exceed it or come up too short (in front of it).
5. Their partner will then retrieve the scooter and do the same thing.

• Objective: To let students realize how much force is needed to push the scooter towards the target and that this force changes as the location and distance of the target changes. It also helps students realize that the force required will also be dependent on what tactics/strategies the team is trying to implement.
• Progression: Once each partner has completed this task 3 times, they are to move their pylons three steps forward and repeat the task. Try to have students complete this task from 3 different distances.
• Safety: Do not stand on scooter board. Be aware of stray scooter boards. Stop scooter board with two hands, do not trap with feet.

Questions:

Q. Why would you want to transfer your weight from one foot to the other?
Q. How did pushing the scooter board compare to throwing the ball? Did you have to do anything differently? (regarding the differences in weight between the board and the balls)
Q. What are some reasons you may need to adjust the weight of your scooter board? (ice conditions, setting up guards, creating enough force to knock out opponents scooter board)