Target Games - Week 4
Early Stage 1
Equipment
Marker cones
1 ball per pair of students
Objects to throw
A variety of targets
Obstacles to create barriers
Download the Target Games - Week 4 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
FMS focus: Static balance
Learning intention
Students are developing proficiency in the static balance.
Success criteria.
Student has:
Support leg still, foot flat on the ground.
Non-support leg bent, not touching the support leg.
Head stable, eyes focused forward.
Trunk stable and upright.
No excessive arm movements.
Explicit teaching of the static balance
About the skill
Balance is an essential prerequisite of almost all movement skills. A static balance is defined as being able to maintain a stationary position throughout the movement. The static balance on one foot is an important non locomotor skill that is used in gymnastics, dance, diving and many team sports.
View 'The Get Skilled Get Active - Static balance video' to support the explicit teaching of the static balance.
Model the skill
Model the static balance to students while explaining the components needed to effectively balance.
Say to the students:
Stand still with your foot flat on the ground.
Hold your bent leg away from your other leg.
Look at something in front of you.
Stand up tall when you balance.
Relax your arms.
Guided practice
Ask students to talk about what is needed for good balance. Discussion should centre around the components of the balance.
In small groups students stand behind a leader on a line and complete the following activities.
Students walk forwards, backwards, sidewards along a line with arms out to the side and head held up.
As a variation, students repeat the movements balancing a beanbag on their head.
Students walk forwards along the line heel to toe, then backwards toe to heel, with arms out to the side and head up. As a variation, students repeat the movements balancing a beanbag on their head.
Mark a number of zig-zag patterns along the ground with markers. Students stand behind a leader and walk heel to toe, toe to heel with arms out. As a variation, students walk in pairs heel to toe, toe to heel, holding hands and facing sideways. This can form a train, caterpillar etc.
Skill development games
FMS focus activity - Leader balance
FMS focus: Static balance
Equipment: Marker cones for playing area
How to play: Students follow a leader around a designated playing area. On the teacher's signal the leader performs a static balance that students replicate.
Teacher selects a locomotor movement.
Students follow their selected leader while performing the movement.
On the teacher's signal the leader stops to perform different static balances (for example, one foot, two feet and knee balances).
All students attempt to replicate this balance.
Once the leader has performed a balance they move to the back to allow for a new leader.
FMS consolidation activity - Hit the target
Skill focus: Overarm throw
Equipment: A variety of targets (such as 2-litre (or larger) plastic bottles with a little sand in the bottom, cricket wickets or buckets) and objects to throw (softballs, beanbags, tennis balls, soccer balls – 2 per player)
How to play: Targets are set up away from a throwing line. Players score points by throwing, kicking or rolling a ball at the targets.
Players throw, roll or kick a ball to hit or land in targets.
Each player has a set number of throws (e.g. 2).
Play is stopped to re-position targets that have been knocked over.
Modified small-sided games
It's game time!
Teams play each other in the game outlined below.
Throlf
Equipment:
A range of 5–6 targets, set up at different heights over a course (indoor or outdoor)
Small bean bags or hacky sacks, one per player, or any other suitable object that ‘stops where it drops’ (scrunched-up paper and tape makes a useful ‘ball’)
Objects to create obstacles and barriers, such as towels, gym mats or benches
A numbered flag or card for each ‘hole’
How to play: As in golf, a course with ‘holes’ is established. Players move around the course attempting to reach the target in the least number of throws.
Establish the course and spread the players out on it.
Players throw from a start line (‘tee’) next to each target.
The next shot is taken from where their bean bag (or similar) lands.
Encourgae students to move from target to target on the 'throlf' course using the hop.
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.
