Grades 3-5

Locomotor & Manipulative Games

Lesson 8


Equipment: Bandanas (scarves) for half the class and Fluffilos.

Focus Standard for the Day:

Recognize fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities (NASPE Benchmark for fourth grade). Recommended Activity: Bears, Crabs, and Kangaroos! (see below)
  1. Unpack:
    • What is the verb: Recognize
    • What is the skill or content: Fundamental components and strategies for games
  2. Evidence of learning:
    • The student can recognize fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities.
  3. Assessment tool/task:
    • Structured observation: The student will recognize fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities.
  4. Criteria for competence:
    • Fundamental components: The things that are necessary to complete the games and activities.
      • A goal or objective - something that determines successful completion of the activity or the winner of the game.
      • Mode of movement - running, dodging, jumping, skipping, hopping, etc.
      • Game: offense and defense.
      • Equipment needs for games - ball, goal, boundaries, people. Games and Activities: Rules!
      • Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Integrity, Cooperation and Kindness!
    • Strategies: A plan, method, or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result.
      • Will you run fast or slow? Will you stay high or crouch down low? Are you going to curve around or zig-zag through your opponents?
      • Are you able to find open space (get open)? Evade your opponents with dodging?
      • Are you going to work together or separately? Can you come up with a group plan for the team?
      • Can you identify one or more methods for improving your individual or team performance?
  5. Levels of quality for recognizing fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities (5-point rubric):

    0 points: Student refused attempt. Student absence = BLANK score.
    1 point: Student is unable to recognize components and strategies used in simple games and activities.
    2 points: Student recognizes some components or strategies used in simple games and activities.
    3 points: Student recognizes most components and strategies used in simple games and activities.
    4 points: Student recognizes the fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities.
    5 points: Student recognizes the fundamental components and strategies used in simple games and activities, and uses this knowledge in game and activity settings.

WARM UP: Push-Up Wave

  • Class forms a large circle.
  • All students get in the push-up starting position with their head towards the center. Start with tummies on the ground.
  • Designate one student to start. When he/she pushes up, the wave moves to the right. So as soon as you see the student next to you go… you go as quickly as you can to keep the wave going.
  • The next time the wave comes to you, you will go back down.... then back up... then back down..... etc.

Bears, Crabs, and Kangaroos! (great for building upper and lower body strength and endurance!)

  • Divide the class into three or four teams.
  • Each team has a hoop of yarn balls (food) with an equal number in each hoop.
  • Place the hoops at opposite ends of the playing area, or at the four (or three) corners.
  • Objective: to have the highest number of yarn balls (have the most food) in your hoop when the teacher calls time.
  • Have all teams start as the same animal - bears, crabs, or kangaroos.
  • Crabs move in crab-walk position (on all fours-tummy up) and carry one yarn ball at a time under the chin or on tummy; bears move in bear-crawl position (on all fours-tummy down) and carry one yarn ball at a time under the chin or tucked into shirt; kangaroos travel by jumping with the feet together and holding only one yarn ball at a time.
  • On "GO!" signal, players travel to the other team's hoops to retrieve yarn balls (food) and carry them back to their own hoops.
  • Guarding hoops is not allowed. This is an offense-only game.
  • When time is called, count up the "food" in the hoops. Highest number wins!
  • To keep students from getting fatigued too quickly, change from bears to crabs on your whistle blow (nothing changes EXCEPT the way they move). Blow the whistle to change positions frequently.
  • Play a number of short, fun rounds to give each team more opportunities to win!
  • Encourage teamwork and strategy. Can you come up with a strategy that might improve your teams' chances for winning?

PLANKton Tag

  • Plankton is the guy in Sponge-Bob Square-Pants who is always trying to steal the recipe for the "Crabby Pattie".
  • Before beginning play, Teacher says "Are you ready kids?" Kids respond "Aye-Aye, Captain!" Teacher says "I can't HEAR you!" Kids reply louder: "AYE-AYE CAPTAIN!"
  • In this game, Fluffilos represent the Crabby Patties (CP), and 20% of students have one.
  • The students with the CP's are the Sponge-Bobs, who are trying to keep them away from the Planktons (the players without a CP).
  • Sponge Bobs attempt to tag Planktons with their CPs by tossing them at their feet. If tagged, Planktons must get into any PLANK position and hold it for a count of 30.
  • A plank position is one in which the feet and the hands are on the ground, but the body is held in a straight, plank (flat as a board - hips down, but no sagging!) position. This position can be face up or face down, or even side planks are OK. Great exercise for improving core strength! (your core is your muscles in your trunk: abs, lower back, hips).
  • If Sponge-Bob MISSES, Sponge-Bob must get into the PLANK position for a count of 30, and Plankton gets the Crabby Pattie!!
  • Continuous play.

Tarantula

  • Form groups of 4 players and find some general space.
  • Players go back to back and link elbows, squatting down by leaning back into each other and getting their spider legs out there.
  • Challenge the "tarantulas" to move about the playing area in this position. No need to hurry, just work together and try to move like a giant spider as a group.
  • If desired, create an obstacle course or play Follow the Spider!
  • Do NOT race in this formation. Encourage students to lean back and trust each other to hold them up. This is a TRUST-BUILDING activity, and will not be effective if groups are trying to hurry.
  • CHALLENGE - try to squat all the way to the floor by leaning against your group members, then stand back up without releasing the arms. (good luck!)

Tigers and Zebras (Predator vs. Prey)

  • Form two groups. One with flags or Tandanas and one without.
  • Quick way to form groups: have the students go shoulder to shoulder, one student raises their hand and goes to one side and becomes part of the zebra pack. The other goes to the other side and becomes part of the tiger proud.
  • The zebras start with the Tandanas, and tuck one end of it into their waistband or pocket like a tail.
  • On the teacher's "go" signal, the tigers will try to take the tails (Tandanas) from the zebras.
  • When they get a tail, they immediately take it to the teacher, who keeps a count.
  • Zebras who are missing a tail go directly to the teacher to get a new tail and join back in the game.
  • If you want to add more competition: See how many "tails" the tigers can get in a designated time. Then switch and see which group gets more "tails" when given the same amount of time.
  • Variation: After a complete round (both teams taking a turn), change the locomotor skill.
  • OPTION: Instead of having the players give the "tails" to the teacher, simply switch roles. The predator (tiger) who just stole the tail from the prey (zebra), now tucks his/her tail in, and joins the game as a zebra. No tail-tag-backs! Players cannot take the tail from the same person who just took theirs. Fun, continuous action.

COOL DOWN:

  • While stretching, talk about the importance of nutrition, and making good food choices.
  • Can anyone tell me what we mean when we talk about nutrition? (eating healthy foods)
  • Why is nutrition important? (nutritious foods give us the vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fats, and calories that we need to live.)
  • What is the difference between eating some healthy fruits and vegetables for a snack, and eating a candy bar?
  • There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in fruit that the body can use to stay healthy, prevent disease, keep the body functioning the way that it needs to at the cellular level, and provides a positive energy source.
  • The candy bar is full of fat and sugar. Are fat and sugar healthy for your body? NO! Sugary sweets and fatty snacks are very UNHEALTHY for your body and actually contribute to disease! Is that the choice you want to make for your body?
  • To keep your body running at its best, you need to fuel it with the best fuel!