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Planning a HPE Lesson

Teaching Games for Understanding

 

 

Teaching games for understanding (TGFU) is a relatively new teaching strategy which taps into our natural desire to play. With TGFU, students not only understand what they need to know to be successful in games, but when and why to make certain decisions in diverse game contexts. The TGFU model is meant to develop better and more knowledgeable game players, and motivate students to take part in a variety of games. There are 4 categories teachers use to TGFU, each of these categories is explored below.

 

 

~Teach Kids Games by Playing Games~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Target (ex. curling, bowling, golf)

 

In target-type games, players score by avoiding obstacles to get their objects closer than their opponent's objects to the target. Tactical solutions learned in one game can be adapted and applied to tactical  problems in other target games. By playing these games, participants will learn the key skills and strategies for games such as croquet, golf, archery, curling, and bowling

 

 

 

Lesson Examples for teaching Target-type Games

 2. Striking/Fielding (ex. cricket, baseball)

 

 

Body Management Skills: running, sliding, jumping, leaping, starting, stopping, ready position, bending, reaching

 

Manipulative Skills:

a) Sending skills: throwing, striking

b) Receiving skills: catching

c) Retaining skills: fielders running with ball

 

Striking/fielding games are activities in which players score points by striking an object and running to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving the object and returning it to stop the play. By playing these games, participants will learn the key skills and tactics for games such as basketball, cricket, and softball

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson Examples for Teaching Striking/Fielding Games

 

3. Net/Wall Games (ex. Volleyball, tennis)

 

Players send an object towards a court or target area that an opponent is defending. The aim is to cause the object to land in the target area while making it difficult for the opponent to return the object. By playing these games, participants will learn the key skills and tactics in games such as volleyball, tennis, badminton, squash, racquet ball, volleyball

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson Examples for Net/Wall Games

4. Invasion/Territorial Games (ex. soccer, basketball)

 

Territory games are activities that involve controlling an object, keeping it away from opponents and moving it into position to score. Both offensive and defensive players share the same playing area as they work to prevent the other team from scoring. By playing these games, participants will learn the key skills and tactics for games such as soccer, handball, ultimate Frisbee, football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse.

 

 

 

 

Lesson Examples for Invasion/Territorial Games

Don't Forget to Consult the Curriculum when Designing your Games!

Strand A: Active Living (active participation; physical fitness; safety)

 

- The Active Living strand helps students develop the skills and knowledge needed to participate regularly and safely in physical activity, learn to enjoy it, and learn how to develop and enhance their own physical fitness.

 

- DPA is the most important component of this strand

 

Daily Physical Activity, which must:

  • Consist of at least 20 minutes of sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity every school day

 

  • Be scheduled during instructional time every school day

 

  • Be planned and adapted, as appropriate, to ensure that students with special needs can participate

 

  • Include a warm-up and cool-down

 

  • Be only one component of health and physical education, and must not repace the teaching of the health and physical education curriculum

 

Click here for a list of DPA activities to use in your classroom!

 

 

Activity Ideas

 

Rhythm Challenge

 

Pairs of students sit on the floor one meter apart and facing each other. Place a bean bag or other small object between each pair. Each student will move accordingly to the beat of the music, and try to grab the bean bag before their partner when the music stops. Change partners after each challenge. Students might move to the best of the music by tapping their hands on their shoulders, knees or thighs, clapping their hands, or stomping their feed. Challenge students to create a move with a partner and perform the move to the beat of the music. Complete the beat challenge by joining two pairs together to make groups of 4 (or 6). Each group will teach the other their moves and complete the entire sequence to the beat of the music.

 

Jolly Jumping

 

Elastic bands can be purchased from dollar stores and are great for jolly jumping. Tie the ends of the elastic together to form one large loop. Two students stand 2-3 meters apart with the elastic  band stretched around their ankles. The first student creates a pattern and other students try to repeat it. Try having three students each hold the band with one foot in the shape of a triangle. Students are still challenged to create a jumping sequence and have others repeat it. Always have students start with the elastic around their ankles, but as they become more proficient, increase the challenge by raising the elastic to mid-calf and around the knee. Challenge students to create a jumping course throughout the room by placing elastics around the legs of tables and desks at various heights. Jump through with two feet together, on one foot, alternating feet, or jumping sideways!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson Examples for Teaching FMS

The Four Phases of Movement

1. Preparation (ex. the backwing of the racquet or club -- use all joints that can be used in as great a range of motion as is naturally possible)

2. Force production (ex. swing the racquet or club toward the ball -- the faster the swing, the more force is produced)

3. Critical instant (ex. the instant the racquet or club connects with the ball and the ball is released -- this determines where the ball will go [repercussions of hitting ball too high, too low, too soon, too late, etc.])

4. Recovery/Follow-through: the continued movement of the racquet or club in the direction you want the ball to go

Preperation              Force Production          Critical Instant                        Recovery/Follow-through              

Throwing - Knock-down Ginger

- Have kids in groups of 3, with several bean bags or balls and several pins or empty 2-litre soft-drink bottles

- Put the pins or soft-drink bottles in a circle one or two metres away from the play area

- One child has the bean bags or balls and throws them at the pins or soft-drink bottles, one retrieves the bean bags or balls, and the third puts back up all the pins or bottles that are knocked down

- The aim of the game is for the thrower to knock down all the pins or soft-drink bottles -- and to eventually knock down all the pins or bottles with one bean bag or ball

 

Running - Follow the Leader

- One of the children (or the teacher) is the leader, and the other children follow his/her lead as he/she starts, stops, and changes direction. Change leaders frequently so that one person does not lead for too long

 

Kicking- Kick Baseball

- Instead of striking the ball with a bat, the batter takes up to three steps to kick a larger ball that is rolled toward him/her. Fielders can kick the ball only to get it to teammates on bases. Keep the playing area small for best results.

 

5 Core Competencies to be an Effective Physical Education Teacher

 

1. Problem-solving: identifying different ways to improve fundamental movement skills

2. Valuing: providing feedback in a meaningful and respectful manner

3. Critical Thinking: identifying the different stages of skill development

4. Leading: appreciating the effect that effective demonstration and clear

explanations have on others and their learning

5. Interacting: sharing your solutions with your colleagues

Safety

 

- Physical and emotional safety is an integral part of the health and physical education curriculum

 

- Although teachers have responsibility for following safety guidelines related to supervision, clothing and footwear, equipment, facilities, and applying special rules and instruction, students must begin to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them at school, home, and in their community

 

- Following procedures, using equipment as instructed, wearing appropriate attire, and using thinking skills to assess risk and take precautions are ways the student can contribute to their own safety

 

Learning to Teach Movement Skills

 

- Knowing where to observe students from is an important skill: when observing a student who is throwing, a teacher should observe from the throwing-arm side of the thrower, slightly ahead of the thrower because you need to see the throwing arm, but you also want to be out of the way so you don't (mistakenly) get hit by a ball

 

- Get eye-to-eye with students

 

- Tell them what they need to do to improve their skill 

 

- Ask students to tell you in their own words what they are going to try to do to improve

 

- Remember that your body language says more about your attitude than your words

 

- Remember that we go through 'stages' in learning fundamental movement skills

 

- We are not teaching students FMS through explicit instruction (all of the time), we are incorporating games into our lessons that teach those skills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strand B: Movement Competence Skills, Concepts, Strategies (movement skills and concepts; movement strategies)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers can break down the skills they want students to learn into key components to help students learn and understand. Just as we teach literature in steps, the teaching of Fundamental Movement Skills guides students in learning in learning to by physicall literate. When a student is confident and able to use FMS, they can then begin to develop sport-specific and complex movement skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Ideas

- Use all the body parts (joints) that can be used

- Use them through as great a range of motion as is naturally possible

- Critical instant is the moment of release

- Follow through in the direction you want the 'force' to go

 

 

Check out my examples for teaching FMS in your gym class! If you need more ideas, click on the buttons to visit websites that offer hundreds of resources.

Strand C: Healthy Living (understanding health concepts; making healthy choices; making connections for healthy living)

 

The Healthy Living strand helps students develop an understanding of the factors that contribute to healthy development, a sense of personal responsibility for lifelong health, and a respect for their own health

 

Living Skills are also linked to this strand because students in elementary school are still developing their sense of self, cooperating with others, and thinking about the global world, they need to learn strategies for coping, adapting, and managing, and for communicating and relating to others, for thinking critically about life choices and responding to the world around them

 

Some topics within the Healthy Living strand need to be approached with sensitivity because of their personal nature and connection to family values, religious beliefs, and social/cultural norms. These topics include human development and sexual health, mental health, body image, substance abuse, addictions, violence, harassment, child abuse, gender identity, sexual orientation, illness, and poverty

 

Tips for Creating Games for Kids...

 

  • Keep it simple

  • Games should have few rules

  • Safety first

  • Make sure games are appropriate for the stage of development

  • Any game will work; your cue words to improve FMS are what is key

  • Cue words may include phrases like step with your left foot, use your hips, and release the ball a little later. Those combined with positive reinforcement, will help improve FMS

  •  Use the 80% rule: if 80% of students are engaged and know what they are doing, don't stop the group. Go and individually help the 20% having trouble after the game

  • Don't focus on rules of the game; instead, concentrate on watching the FMS

  • Teach the game the same to everyone, then adapt, depending on abilities and disabilities

  • Maximum participation is always the goal. Avoid elimination games, and keep all players playing for as long as possible

  • Use as much equipment as possible to avoid line-ups where children are standing, not playing

  • Groups of 3 work really well

 


Physical education is an avenue for students to develop competencies and beliefs that lead to healthy, active lives now and in the future. In physical education, students learn the fundamental movement skills they need to participate in games, activities, and sports. The development of FMS and knowledge begins in the primary education, when students benefit physically and intellectually from instruction, and are highly motivated and enthusiastic about participating and learning. As students grow and develop, instruction must change as well so it is developmentally appropriate to their current abilities. The FMS students learn in the primary grades are critical for later learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fundamental Equipment for any Physical Education Class

  • Balloons

  • Pool noodles

  • Yarn balls

  • Frisbees

  • Plastic bottles

  • Bean bags

  • Skipping ropes

  • Bowling pins

  • Plastic animals

  • Hula hoops

  • Pylons

  • Buckets

  • Soft Balls

  • Pinnies

References

 

Government of British Colombia. Daily Physical Activity Catalogue of Activities. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dpa/pdfs/k-9_physical_activities.pdf

 

Mueller, Course Notes, 2015

 

NCCP Fundamental Movement Skills: Improving Chidlren's Lives through Physical Literacy. (2011)

 

Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical
Education, Interim Edition, 2010 (revised). ON: Queen’s Printer.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html

 

Ophea https://www.ophea.net/

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