Rationale
This collection has been put together as a resource, building towards a Unit Plan for my upcoming practicum. My experience thus far in P.E. is that my students are highly competitive and do not work well as a team. In team games, students prefer to be on teams with students of similar ability in order to dominate the game. While this is acceptable when teaching skills, such as the development of movement skills associated with volleyball, in whole class games, it can become a problem. For my practicum, I have decided to teach a unit on co-operative and team building games in order to encourage students to work together and identify the strengths of their classmates.
When looking for resources for this unit, I came to the conclusion that, while some very good, not all of them were practical or what I would consider to be a game that would promote positive behaviour and interaction. Some resources, for example, suggested that dodgeball was a “co-operative game.” My argument to this is that not all games in which students are divided into “teams” should be considered team games with the spirit of truly working together.
It was my goal, therefore, to examine a selection of co-operative games and evaluate them for the specific use of incorporating them into my unit. I came to the conclusion that this would be a valuable resource to be used in my practicum class, but also in my future teaching endeavors. The collection that follows consists of team building exercises and co-operative games that I feel have value and merit.
Each game in this collection provides a detailed description that includes the rationale for that specific game, the necessary equipment, safety notes, and rules and instructions. Of particular importance for my practicum is the inclusion of adaptations and considerations specific to my practicum class. This collection will be shared with the cohort and they can fill this section in with their own comments and concerns about the activity and their individual class. This will also be helpful for me as I continue in my own teaching.
Unit Plan
Title: Blob Tag / Type of Game:Whole Class
Time Required:10-20 minutes
Rationale
“Blob Tag” is a twist on the traditional game of tag. Students are not separated by who is it and who is not because students work co-operatively as a group. This game is a great way to get students warmed up and moving.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
A space at least 20’ by 20’ / -Students need to be careful of their pace and recognize that they are all linked.
-Specified space limits.
Description
1. Choose someone as “IT”
2. IT starts the game as regular tag, but when he catches someone, they must join hands with IT to create a large Blob
3. Once the Blob has 6 people, it can split into groups of three only, and may split into groups of three any time thereafter
4. The person left without being tagged, is IT and the game starts again
Adaptation and Application
Several students in my class may not like to be touched. Think of ways that the “blob” can move without joining hands (i.e. linking arms). Reinforce the idea of co-operation. Pace is extremely important to the blob, they must work together!
Source:
Lesson Plan #2
Title: Turn & Rotate / Type of Game: Small Groups (of 3-4)
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Rationale
This is a great warm up game that gets students moving and focuses on a variety of movement skills. The co-operative nature of this game is founded on the principle that no student is ever “out” and all students may continue the game. Students also work in groups to act out the commands.No penalty for mess-ups, there will be plenty, just keep encouraging and positive feedback.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Music (good beat to walk to)
Space to move freely / Students should be grouped with people they are comfortable with in order to support individuals who may not wish to come into physical contact with others.
Description
As music is playing students are walking single file in groups or 3-4. Teacher calls out commands and the groups must keep moving while completing the challenge.
Turn= turn and go the opposite direction.
Rotate= back person speeds up and walks to front of line, all keep walking.
Scramble= leave your group and walk around gym.
Fall In= find your group, get in line and continue walking.
Dive= front person goes to back.
Backwards= everyone walks backwards.
Under the Bridge= first two people make bridge (hands up facing each other) and the rest continuously pass through.
Round and Round= join hands and circle around.
Forward= everyone walks forward.
Twist and Turn= walk, turn around one time, continue walking.
Change Up= change line order while walking.
Find a new friend= introduce yourself to someone new while scrambling.
Your creation= give group 1-2 minutes to create a new challenge, perform it when teacher calls out “your creation”.
Adaptation and Application
I have actually removed some of the commands to suit my class better. More may be added or removed. I would probably start with 3 or 4 commands and build up to this many commands, also taking suggestions from the students.
Source:
Lesson Plan #3
Title: Sharks & Minnows / Type of Game: Whole Class (2 teams)
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Rationale
This game is another adaptation of tag that allows students to work together. Like Blob Tag, the person who is it gains help from the people he or she tags. They then work together as a team to “catch” all the “minnows.”
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Space, preferably with marked lines / -Students must respect boundaries and personal space.
-Students are ONLY allowed to use their hands to tag others, particularly the helpers who are not allowed to trip someone.
-Because the helpers will not be moving, they must be careful of their surroundings and not knock someone running over (and vice versa).
Description
Choose a volunteer from the group to be a shark.Then split the rest of the group into two sections.One group lined across the width of the gym, also lined up.The groups should be facing one another and the shark should be in the middle. You should also set up sideline boundaries to prevent cheating.When the sharks says swim both groups run across to the other side trying not to get tagged by the shark.If a person is tagged then he/she stops where he/she is and stands still.Now they become the shark’s helpers.They cannot move their feet, but they can reach with their arms to try and tag the other minnows (the people running across).Once everybody is either across to the other side or tagged, then the shark says swim again.The shark and his helpers tag more people.This continues until there is one person left.This person becomes the new shark.
Adaptation and Application
This game connects to the Rock, Paper, Scissors scrimmage game. I might teach both games in the same lesson or use these as warm-up activities. As the safety notes point out, rules would need to be established re: tagging (where can someone be tagged, how, etc.).
Source:
Lesson Plan #4
Title: Travelling Train / Type of Game:Whole Class (or small groups)
Time Required:10-20 minutes
Rationale
This is a co-operative exercise in which students work as a class (or in small groups) to manipulative themselves. It also focuses on locomotor skills such as walking and running at varied paces. Students must contribute to group success. This game is a good way to warm up and get students moving.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Drum (or music)
Space / -Because students are moving as a group, they need to be aware of how they are connected and how their individual movements affect the group.
-Appropriate space is needed so students can move freely
Description
Have each child hold on to the waist of the person in front of them, forming a train.
Beat a drum to set various train speeds.
Have the train move forward slowly, then faster.
Stop the train, then have it slowly back up.
The goal is for the train to stay in one piece and avoid crashes.
Adaptation and Application
Do students have to put their hands on someone’s waist? An alternative could be to touch the person’s shoulder. As the teacher, set the music as to avoid collisions or crashes. I would probably have several small groups going at the same time (possibly 6-8 students/group).
Source:
Lesson Plan #5
Title: Pass the Ball / Type of Game: Whole Class
Time Required: 10-20 minutes
Rationale
This is a simply ice-breaker game meant to build a team mentality and begin to look at problem solving. For a new class, this would be a great way to get to know students’ names. This game also involves memorization and passing skills.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Small ball (no bigger than a tennis ball) / -The ball will begin by being thrown. All students need to pay attention at all times and be cautious that the ball may come to them.
Description
Begin in a circle with a ball. The teacher should then start the game by throwing the ball to a random student. When the ball is thrown they must say the recipient’s name. That student would then throw to someone else until everyone has had the ball. The ball then gets returned to the leader (or teacher)
No student should receive the ball more than once.
Variations: Reverse order (remember who threw it to you, who you threw to); Pass as quickly as possible (can you beat your time); are there other ways that everyone can touch the ball so that the time can improve (i.e. not throwing, re-arranging group, etc.)
Adaptation and Application
I would definitely consider moving into the variations for an extra challenge. Students could also do this in small groups and compare and contrast how their ideas compared to other groups’.
Source: UBC Ropes Course
Lesson Plan #6
Title: Hula Hoop Game / Type of Game:Whole Class or Small Groups
Time Required:10-20 minutes
Rationale
This game is a good warm-up activity designed to encourage students to work co-operatively and work as a team. Different ideas or suggestions may be tried in order to improve time. All students should have the opportunity to speak.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Timer
Hula Hoop (one per group) / -Because students will be joined, they must be cautious of how their individual movements may affect the group.
-Encourage students to be supportive of others’ ideas.
Description
- Have students hold hands and put a hula- hoop around a person’s arm.
-Try and get the hula-hoop around the circle without letting go of hands.
-Do for time. Set goal and try to meet it.
Adaptation and Application
I would begin in small groups and move towards doing this activity as a whole class. I would only introduce the timing aspect as a way to improve ourselves, not as a competitive element. Considerations would need to be made for size discrepancies as I have a split class.
Source:
Lesson Plan #7
Title: Cross the River / Type of Game:Small Groups (of 6-8)
Time Required:30-45 minutes
Rationale
This is a great game to help develop stability and locomotor skills, but also to encourage students to work as a team and co-operate to solve a common problem. The game asks students to think critically about their decisions before they make them, prompting students to make educated and well-thought out decisions in other aspects of school.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Space to cross (lines of a gym or field)
4 mats per group (depending on size) / -Students may not be comfortable touching others, so students should be briefed on what is acceptable.
-Increase the number of mats or decrease the number of people per group to encourage students to feel comfortable.
Description
Each group has to get their entire team across the river. If anyonetouches the water, the entire group must start again.
Luckily the students have been given four magic lily pads that float only when in contact with a person. If they are let go of they will float down river and it is impossible to get them back.
Everyone needs to get to the other side.
Adaptation and Application
I would probably choose to play either this or Titanic as they are similar. Alternatively one could be an extension of the other. I need to look at my gym in order to determine the exact number of mats needed.
Source: and Team Building Exercise (as cohort) – UBC Ropes Course
Lesson Plan #8
Title: Titanic / Type of Game:Whole Class
Time Required:30-45 minutes
Rationale
This is a variation of the game “Cross the River” (also included in this package). Students must use locomotor skills such as stability, walking, twisting, and bending. It is a co-operative game because the students must work as a team to complete a common goal. Problem solving will play an extremely important role.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
2 benches (“ships”)
Any number of hula hoops (see description) – possibly 2-10 / -Students must be aware of personal space and remember the rules at all time.
-Only one student should be in a “lifeboat” at one time.
Description
Prior to the activity, two objects or places on the floor need to be designated, one as the Titanic and the other as the rescue ship. Suggestion: use 2 or 4 benches for each ship because it allows students to physically be on a “ship,” making the game more realistic.
In the game, students are passengers on the Titanic and just like in real life, the student's Titanic has hit an iceberg and is rapidly sinking. The object of the game is for all the students to escape from the Titanic to the rescue ship, using the lifeboats (hula hoops) to cross the freezing water (the gym floor).
The only way to be in the freezing water is to be inside a lifeboat and once there is someone inside a lifeboat, it cannot be moved. Students are not allowed to touch the freezing water outside of the lifeboats and anyone who does so is sent back to the Titanic to start over again.
This is all the information students should be given. To stimulate problem solving, students should be given the opportunity to discover how to travel from the Titanic to the rescue ship. There is, of course, only one way. Students must travel in the lifeboats in a rotating fashion, therefore needing a minimum of 2 lifeboats to travel. To travel, an empty lifeboat must be placed in front. Without touching the freezing water, students move forward and inside the front lifeboat. The rear lifeboat, that should now be empty, is then picked up, passed, and moved to become the new front lifeboat and the process in repeated.
Depending upon the ages and number of students, there can any number of lifeboats.With fewer lifeboats there is more problem solving as students must decide who will travel to the rescue ship first. However, with enough lifeboats for all the students to fit into there is more cooperation and teamwork when moving forward and passing the rear lifeboat to the front. I recommend trying the game with your students several times, each time using a different number of lifeboats to generate a discussion and reflection of strategy, strengths and weaknesses, and what could have been done differently each time.
Adaptation and Application
I would probably choose to play either this or Cross the River as they are similar. Alternatively one could be an extension of the other. If I was playing with the entire class, they would certainly need more than 2 hula hoops.
Source:
Lesson Plan #9
Title: Popcorn / Type of Game:Whole Class or Small Groups
Time Required:20-30 minutes
Rationale
This would be a good game to introduce the theme of problem solving within co-operative games. Students must practice their passing skills and work together towards a common goal.
Required Supplies / Safety Notes
Bucket of various balls (10-20 balls) / -This game has few “rules” so be prepared to get creative as the game goes on.
-Students should be aware that there are balls that are being moved and that this can be a dangerous situation.
Description
Take a bucket of balls and spread them out.The object is to get all the balls returned back to the bucket, but students can’t move with them. If they have a ball in their hand then you can’t move their feet from the spot.
Time students to see how long it takes to get all the balls back into the bin.