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Week 27: March 17-21, 1997
IA Name: Paper or Plastic?
Grade Level: 4th and Up
Equipment: Cones for general space, plastic grocery bags
Directions:
Have each child get a plastic grocery bag as they enter your class. Then have them find a partner and a safe space in the playing area. They are to stand facing their partner approximately 4 feet away from each other.
On the teachers signal, both partners toss their bag into the air by throwing the bags into the air using both handles (thereby causing the bag to fill with air and float to the ground). Their job is to move in a predetermined way by their teacher (i.e., walking, galloping, skipping, etc.) and catch each others bag before it hits the ground.
If they are successful then they start again but this time they must each take a step back from where they originally started (may want to have them mark on the floor or ground where they first started from). The challenge is to see how far apart the students can get and still be able to run and catch each others bags before they touch the ground. If you have odd numbers groups of three will work fine. Please follow the Safety Tips below for successful playing of this activity!
Safety Tips
DO NOT allow students to put the bags over their heads!
Tell your students to keep their eyes up while they are moving towards the bag. If they don't you may have students run into each other.
Have both students toss the bag up on either their right or left sides of their bodies (i.e., I would toss mine up on the left side and so would my partner). This should make a clearer path to catch the bag.
Encourage students to stay on their feet at all times (i.e., no diving).
Submitted by Ken Bell who is a Doctoral student in the Health and PE Program at Virginia Tech. Thanks for contributing to PE Central!
[1996-97 Instant Activity Archives]