Teamwork has to improve. The teams were pretty evenly matched and both improved after playing several times.

The teacher made suggestions when she saw that changes had to be made; the students were asked to talk together and develop strategies once they understood how the game worked.

Some children were more aggressive than others. As often happens, some students are more competitive.

LESSON PLAN (See blue for my changes to game)

MOVING TARGET

Goal: Students throw balls to hit a moving target over their goal line.

Instructional Objectives:

Students must 1) Follow directions; 2) Play with other team members together defining and accomplishing a joint strategy; 3) Improving aiming of ball toward target; and 4) Gaining a strong aerobic workout.

Materials:

Small rubber balls

Large plastic crate

Lesson:

The game is played in the indoor gym. There is a goal line set up at each end of the gym. For younger children, the plastic...

Students are divided into two teams and each team is placed at opposite ends of the gym. Each team faces its goal across the gym floor.
The crate is placed in the center of the gym and each player gets a ball. When the children hear the words "hit target," they all throw their balls at the crate. The idea is for students to use the force of the thrown balls to move the crate over their goal-line. After a child throws a ball, he/she may go anywhere to retrieve another one that has been thrown. It does not need not be the ball the child threw. The team receives a point each time it gets the crate into its goal area.

Strategy

Student strategy: In order to move the crate forward in the same direction, the players have to work together. They also have to hurry to get a ball after each throw, or fall way behind the other team. This will not help their team. Standing around watching teammates or the crate moving away will not help either. In order to make sure that all students play and one is not more competitive than another, all students on the same team have to throw their balls at the same time. They all pick up the balls and throw them together again. This way, they have to work together and strategize together.

Observation:

All students should continually throw and retrieve balls. The crate should move back and forth toward one goal and then another if both teams are working together.