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Name of Activity: Get your move on
Purpose of Activity: To improve cardiovascular endurance as well as cooperation.
Suggested Grade Level: 6-8
Materials Needed: 4 buckets, 3 sets of team pinnies, 500 or so coins or popsicle sticks. (anything else that is small and light can be substituted)
Description of Idea Divide your class into 4 equal teams. Give 3 teams different color pinnies and the other is just the color of their PE uniform. Each team has a bucket that is marked with their team's name on it. The buckets remain stationary on the gym floor. On the teacher's command or whistle, all students run, jog, or walk down to the other end of the gym and pick up one item (lets say we are using play coins) and hustle it back as quick as they can to the other side of the gym where the buckets are. They drop their coin in any teams bucket except their own. The team with the fewest amount of coins at the end of the time are the winners. Once they drop their coin off in a bucket they get right back down the court and go after another. The faster they run, the more they help their team. Students will be running at all different speeds and levels. They must use strategy as well to recognize what team is ahead and then try to fill their bucket. The teacher can watch to make sure no student is taking more than one coin each time, play music during this activity, or even participate with the students.
Assessment Ideas: Simply questioning the students afterwards can be helpful. Such as: how did you encourage your teammates during this activiy? What was a strategy you used to keep your endurance high? How can you improve for next time we do this? How can a healthy diet help you perform? Why is spatial awareness so important? How can we apply spatial awareness to other sports?
Teaching Suggestions: This game would be perfect for a short class or used as a warm-up game. It promotes teamwork, effort, and strategy. Students may become motivated because it's a competition. You can keep a scoreboard in the gym if you play it in the future and even use it as a whole class challenge to get a certain amount with a time limit so everyone is working together. Don't forget to encourage students as they are running, jogging or walking.
Adaptations for Students with Disabilities: If in a wheelchair, have a table set up with the coins on it so they can reach them. Have another student help push that student in the wheel chair. In general, you can always pair up a student with special needs with another student to help grasp the concept. Maybe create an desginated area that only that student is allowed to run, jog or walk so he or she wouldn't collide with anyone.
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