1. Lessons
2. Grades 6-8
3. Team and Cooperative Games
4. Lesson 1
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Grades 6-8

Team and Cooperative Games

Lesson 1

WARM UP: Sportsmanship Expectations & Get-to-Know with Toss-a-Flo'

• SPORTSMANSHIP EXPECTATIONS

• Talk about respect, teamwork, cooperation, honesty, fair play.

• Put-ups (compliments to team members). No put-downs allowed.

• Divide class into groups of 6-8 players.

• Groups get into circles.

• Each student steps in the circle and says his/her name and students repeat name in unison.

• Add a Fluffilo to toss to one another.

• When someone tosses the Fluffilo say, "here you go student's name."

• The receiver says, "thank you, student's name."

• Keep playing until everyone knows each other's names.

• Add more Fluffilos to make it interesting.

• After names in that first group are mastered, have every other person in the group take one step back and rotate (in clockwise fashion) to the next group over.

• Repeat play.

Fluffilo Juggling

• Students return to "home" groups, or play in current groups.

• One Fluffilo per student on the team.

• Each team should have the same number of players (or as close as possible).

• With the group in a circle, the captain of the round will begin with a basket/bucket of Fluffilos (Fl'os) at his/her feet.

• Captain will toss the Fl'o to another player, who will in turn toss it to someone else and so on, until each player has caught and tossed the ball ONE time each.

• Encourage students to remember who they are catching it from, and who they are tossing it to. It will be the same for each Fluffilo in that round.

• The last player to catch the Fl'o will toss it back to the captain.

• Repeat, following the exact same sequence of tossing and catching with each consecutive Fl'o.

• The captain adds Fluffilos more and more quickly.

• On whistle blow, change captains and the order of tosses, and repeat the game.

• Continue play as time and interest permits, or until each player has had a chance to be captain.

Fluffilo Frenzy!

• In the same groups, it's time to add a little competition!

• The object: to get through an entire "round" of Fluffilos first.

• Team captain starts with a pile of Fluffilos at his/her feet. (front? in a bucket? You decide.)

• Establish a different place to put the Fluffilos as they come back to the captain. (behind? out of the bucket?)

• Establish a pattern by throwing a Fluffilo in any order as long as it starts and ends with the same player.

• Fluffilos must continue to follow the same pattern around the group.

• One round is completed when all of the Fluffilos (one per member of the group) have made it through the cycle of players.

• If your teams do not have the same number of players, "handicap" the smaller groups by adding two extra Fluffilos per missing person (or have a different "extra" player help you determine the winner for each round).

• Variation: groups perform a given action when they have completed the drill. For example, in order to win, all of the students in the group must sit down criss-cross, with their hands on top of their heads. Create a different ending action for each round. Be sure to demonstrate each ending challenge prior to play. ***Let the team that finishes last come up with the new challenge, OR give ALL of the teams some time to come up with an ending challenge.

• Variation: After each round, have the teams take one giant step back, testing their ability to still throw the ball accurately, but from a distance.

• Change the final movement with each round. (You are teaching teamwork, throwing and catching skills, focus & concentration, and measuring the groups ability to follow instructions! WOW!)

Just Passing Through

• Set up by scattering many hoops throughout a large playing area.

• Students in pairs with a Fluffilo.

• Designate two end lines - all players begin on one end line.

• The goal is to cross back and forth across the field as many times as possible.

• Players must be standing inside a hoop in order to throw or catch the Fluffilo.

• Player one will begin with the Fluffilo behind the starting line.

• Player two can get inside any hoop and prepare to catch the Fluffilo.

• Once the Fluffilo is caught, player one can advance to any available hoop.

• If a player drops a pass, the pass must be repeated with the passer remaining in the same hoop (the receiver can move to a closer hoop).

• After crossing the opposite end line, players turn around and come back across the field.

• Pairs get one point for each time they cross the playing field.

• The pair with the highest score when time is called wins!

• This game improves accuracy in throwing short, medium, and long distances and combines nonlocomotor (standing in hoops/catching Fluffilo), locomotor (running to find a hoop), and manipulative skills (throwing and catching the Fluffilo).

Five to Score!

• 5 players per team.

• Multiple games can be played simultaneously.

• One team should wear flags, wristbands, bandanas (scarves), or jerseys to distinguish between the two.

• A marked off playing area that is about 30 feet by 50 feet is ideal.

• The objective is for a team to make five consecutive passes to all five players without dropping the ball or having it intercepted. There is no "goal" on the field.

• One point is scored every time 5 passes (to all five players on the team) are completed.

• After each score, the opposite team has possession.

• To begin, have the players scatter throughout the playing field.

• Each player is assigned to guard one player on the opposing team.

• Player with the ball cannot take more than three steps when attempting to throw to a teammate, nor can he hold the ball for more than three seconds.

• Defenders must stay 3 feet away from the person holding the ball to allow for passing.

• Violations or the three step rule, or the 3 second rule result in opposing team gaining possession of ball.

• Violation of the 3 foot defender rule (in-your-face guarding) results in a free pass for offensive team.

• VARIATION: play the game with OFFENSE only. Give every team of 5 a ball, and have them work on their offensive drills. (Goal is to complete 5 passes, with the last pass in the end zone, without dropping the ball.) See how many goals can be scored before time is called.

COOL DOWN: Stretch and Discuss - Manners, Put-ups, Differences

• Seated Stretches

• Ask students to state something positive they liked about what a team member did.

• Point out that sometimes we tend to forget to use good manners. Let's try to always use good manners in and outside of this class.

• Ask students to think of a goal they want to accomplish by the end of the week (ex: know each person's name, increase participation, etc.)

• Discuss how each individual's development is influenced by heredity, hormones, nutrition, exercise, cultural expectations, and gender differences and how important it is to accept these individual differences. Ask the students to give examples of how an individuals difference can influence development (good/poor nutrition can increase/decrease performance, etc.)