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Middle/High
Lesson Ideas

Name of Activity / Task: Over The Line Whiffle Ball

Concept being Taught: Striking with a bat

Purpose of Activity: To provide a safe opportunity for a high amount of practice hitting a whiffle ball with a bat in a game-like situation. This is an old San Diego beach game played yearly and I have developed it using whiffle balls and bats.

Prerequisites: Students should have a basic knowledge of batting and are able to pitch a whiffle ball (under or overhand).

Suggested Grade Level: 6-8

Materials Needed: One ball, one bat, and one field for every four students and cones to mark the fields. This activity requires a lot of space.

Description of the Activity

Mark an inverted pyramid-shaped field for each game with cones (see diagram below). The top of the pyramid is home plate and the sides represent foul lines. Divide the pyramid in half with a line of chalk or more cones (this is the midline). The game is played with two teams of two players. Both defensive players stand in the outfield behind the mid-line. One offensive player pitches to their teammate. Each player gets two pitches and the offensive players take turns batting until their team gets three outs. The defensive players must prevent the ball from going over the mid-line. If the ball is caught in the air, it is an out. Scoring is as follows:

If the ball travels over the mid-line but is stopped before the homerun line, its a double.
If the ball passes both lines, it is a home run.
The players must keep track of where their own base runners are.
There are only DOUBLES and HOME RUNS.
Maximum of five runs per inning, then teams switch.
Players must complete an inning or go back to the last full inning for the final score.

An example of the scoring would be...Rich pitches the ball to his teammate Jennie who hits the ball which lands and is stopped in between the mid-line and the home run line (a double). Jennie then pitches to Rich who hits a fly ball which is caught by their opponent Raelene. This is one out. Jennie hits her next pitch outside of the foul line. This is out 2. Rich then hits a double which scores one run because of the double Jennie hit earlier. Jennie then hits a home run (past the second line) which scores the last double and a home run. Rich and Jennie now have 3 runs. Rich then swings and misses both pitches in a row for out 3. Raelene and her partner now are up to bat.

Assessment:

Have students keep track of their batting average.
Students that are not able to participate in PE during this lesson can use a checklist to analyze classmates swings.
Have students fill out an exit slip describing what type of swing seemed to be most effective (e.g. a level swing, swing up on the ball or chopping down on the ball.)
Use an exit slip showing where the defensive players stood for their "best defensive position".

Adaptations:

Move the mid-line up or back.
Let players decide how many pitches they get.
Players can change the rules so that the ball must go past the line on the fly to count.

Submitted by Jay Craney who teaches at Tennyson High School in Hayward, CA. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 9/8/99.

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Middle/HighLesson Ideas

Middle/High
Lesson Ideas