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Name of Activity: Turkey Hunt
Purpose of Activity: This fun holiday activity will teach students how to lead a moving target during an overhand throw.
Prerequisites: Students should understand proper technique for the overhand throw, stepping forward with the opposite foot and reaching back with the throwing arm.
Suggested Grade Level: 2-4
Materials Needed: 20-25 small or medium sized gator skin balls (enough for each student to have one), 2 scooter boards, 2 cones, 2 pictures of turkeys, 2 long jump ropes or other ropes to attach to the scooter boards for pulling, 2-4 gym mats.
Description of Idea Set-up: Tape the turkey pictures to the cones, place a cone on each scooter board, and attach a rope to each for pulling. The rope needs to be the length of the gym. Set the mats upright at each end of the gym, one to two mats for the pullers to stand behind as a shield from the thrown balls and one to two mats for the turkeys to start from. Instruction: Explain to the students that they are going on a turkey hunt. The turkeys will be moving, so they need to learn how to "lead the target". Demonstrate to the students how to estimate the length of the lead necessary to hit the target. Students will stand on one side of the gym with a gator ball waiting for the turkeys to appear from behind the mat. The turkey pullers will be behind the standing mats on one end of the gym and on the teacher's signal will begin pulling the turkeys across the gym. The students with the gator balls have to try to knock the turkeys off of the scooter boards by hitting them with the gator balls. When a turkey gets knocked off the scooter, the teacher will set it up again. When the turkeys have been pulled the length of the gym and everyone has thrown a ball, the balls are retrieved and two new pullers are selected. Repeat until all students have gotten a turn at being pullers or until class time is over. Closure: At the end of class, ask students questions about leading the target and proper throwing form.
Assessment Ideas: Using a checklist, assess proper throwing form. Watch to make sure they are stepping forward with the opposite foot. Check for the ability to lead the target.
Teaching Suggestions: Emphasize that this is NOT dodgeball and students should never try to hit the Turkey Pullers with the ball.
Adaptations for Students with Disabilities: Use a ramp that students with disabilities can use to roll the ball towards the turkeys.
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