INTRODUCTION: This unit focuses on teaching students the skills and knowledge they need to be able to fully utilise the new playground markings both during lesson time and in break times.It is essential that all students are taught a consistent set of rules for all of the playground games in order to reduce potential for conflict. Children’s ability to solve problems contributes to the success or frustrations of a child’s play experience. Peaceful Playgrounds believe that the majority of students have the ability to solve most playground problems if they have been taught specific strategies for dealing with them.
Curriculum links:
Skills outcomes / COS1.1 Communicates appropriately in a variety of ways. / INS1.3 Develops positive relationships with peers and other people. / PSS1.5 Draws on past experiences to solve familiar problems.
Knowledge and understanding outcomes / ALS1.6 Participates in physical activity, recognising that it can be both enjoyable and important for health. / GSS1.8 Performs fundamental movement skills with equipment in minor games. / IRS1.11 Identifies the ways in which they communicate, cooperate and care for others.
Movement based lessons / Markings and equipment
Multi-use circle activities
Activity 1: Hit the bucket
Players need a beanbag or small ball and bucket or container per group. Each player in turn tries to throw the ball into the bucket from outside of the circle. If they are successful they get one point. Have one or more players in the centre of the circle retrieving the thrown beanbags/balls.
Balance beam snake
- Walk forward on the snake in heel-toe fashion
- Walk sideways on the snake
- Walk backwards heel-toe fashion
- Place beanbags on the snake and walk forwards, sideways and backwards stepping over the beanbags.
- Walk forward bouncing a ball on each side of the snake using a two-handed drop-and-catch sequence
- Walk pattern forward beginning with the left foot and followed by the right foot “crossing over” the midline on the grid.
- Walk pattern forward and backwards crossing the midline firstly looking at feet placement and secondly looking up and ahead (place beanbag on head to keep head steady).
- See Activity guides for procedures
- Start at the narrow end and jump across the “river” with a one-foot take off.
- Move down the length of the “river” requiring a longer jump with each crossing.
- See Activity guide for procedures
Classroom-based activities / Resources
- Explain that a conflict is when two or more people cannot agree on something. Ask for volunteers to give examples of when they didn't agree with someone.
- Explain the benefits of settling conflicts quickly and fairly: "From time to time we all have conflicts. We can't always be the first one in line, play our first choice of game, or watch a certain program on TV if someone else wants to watch a different show. Sometimes so much time is spent fighting that none of us are able to do what we want."
- Ask, "When the conflict is settled in a way that isn't fair, how do people feel?" Discuss the fact that one person may feel pretty good, while the other may feel pretty bad.
- Explain to students that this is one of the reasons that we have the rule “YOU CAN’T SAY YOU CAN’T PLAY” because it makes the other person feel left out.
- Discuss the concept from the Peaceful Playgrounds Creed of FAIR PLAY and what it looks like in terms of using the playground markings.
- Explain that they are going to practice some ways to settle conflicts fairly. "When you and your friend both want to play on the same playground marking, how can you solve this conflict fairly?" Write down their ideas and discuss the fairness of each. Ask students to decide whether each of the suggestions is fair for all parties or do some favour one person over another. Discuss how the person who is not favoured might feel.
- Discuss and demonstrate the following methods if they weren’t included in the initial list.
- Taking turns - "Suppose you and your friend want to play with the same playground game. To solve the conflict fairly, your friend could play first and then you could play afterwards." Tell children that they can use a timer to be fair.
- Sharing - Explain what sharing is and have the children give examples of times a conflict could be solved by sharing.
- Talking through the problem – If you disagree with a ruling or what someone is doing you can talk to them about what you think is not right or OK. When talking it through you need to be clear in how you communicate what is not working for you.
- Apologising – If you do something by mistake or wrong but it wasn’t on purpose, such as accidentally bumping into another child or taking a turn when it wasn’t your go, then thissort of conflict can be easily solved by saying, 'I'm sorry.”
- Sometimes two people will have two different opinions about a situation and they can’t talk through a solution. For these types of conflicts and easy way to find a solution is to leave it to chance. To solve these types of conflict, you can play the 'ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS' game. Demonstrate how to play this game and have children practice.
problem? Draw your own middle and end to the story. Be sure to include what the characters are saying.
(Teacher note: Emphasise it’s OK to show a problem or fight. Sometimes that happens. But it’s important to think about what could happen next to make things better.)
Come together as a class and listen to the different endings to this story. Was there a problem? How was it solved? Are there any other ways that you can think of that could help solve it? Remind students of the ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS GAME. / Peaceful Playgrounds poster
What might happen next? handout