Physical Education Lesson Plan: Dribbling a Ball

PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSON PLAN: DRIBBLING A BALL

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Physical Education Lesson Plan: Dribbling a Ball

Lesson Information

Research has shown that kindergarten is a good time to teach skills because children at this age, although still developing their motor skills, are more apt to engage in physical activity: they have more competence than skill (LeGear et al., 2012, p. 1). While their confidence makes it easier for new skills to be the introduced, teachers should scaffold activities to help build competence as well as confidence. In other words, young children need help to build competence in a skill. According to Rultenberg et al., “Most complex motor actions that people perform (e.g., driving a car, lacing one’s shoes) consist of a series of simpler movements that are executed in a specific order” (2013, p. 608). The tasks in this lesson plan allow young learners to hone their dribbling skills by helping them understand the process of the action.

This lesson plan is for new learners in kindergarten who are starting to develop their fine motor skills. Their emerging coordination is beginning to develop. The class size for this activity is 26. There is one classroom teacher, one assistant, and one inclusion teacher to assist students who have special needs.

For this lesson, kindergarten students will learn how to dribble a ball. The primary learning objective includes their recognition of the difference between dribbling and bouncing. In addition, they will also recognize and demonstrate the terms ‘near’ and ‘far.’ According to SHAPE America, rather than just bouncing the ball, they are attempting second contact (2013, p. 7). The goal is to have them make contact with the ball several times in quick succession. The Mississippi state standard addressed in the lesson states that students will “Demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns/concepts needed to perform a variety of physical activities (2013, p.14).

Lesson Introduction

During this lesson the students will work with partners as they learn to dribble a ball. There are four tasks that the students must complete prior to the culminating activity. To start, the students will identify the sound of a bounce, which is loud, and the sound of a dribble, which is softer and more rhythmic. In the second task, they will demonstrate the difference between near and far, which are useful terms in understanding that dribbling involves closer proximity to the body. For the third task, the students show that they can bounce the balls, thus again demonstrating the term ‘far.’ For the fourth and final task, the students will practice dribbling, with goal of making second and subsequent contacts with the ball. The overall learning objective is “As a result of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate how to dribble a ball.”

Because it is better to help them understand that the difference between loud and soft and easier for them to collect the balls, the lesson will be given in the gym. The students will work with partners so that they can take turns retrieving the balls and giving each other feedback during the tasks. Each pair of students will have a basketball or other softballs, whichever is available. However, basketballs are preferred as they make the loudest noise and are better to demonstrate loud and soft.

Students will be instructed to listen for the teacher’s instruction. When the teacher wants the students to listen, she will put her hands up. Students who do not listen or continue to talk must put their ball in front of them and face the teacher. This will let the teacher know that the students are listening. Students who are continually disruptive must sit with the teacher’s assistant until it is clear that they are able to listen and follow the rules. Students who follow directions during all of the tasks will earn a basketball sticker as a reward.

During the tasks, each partner in each pair will have a turn with the ball. The teacher will model how to hand the ball to a partner and have the students demonstrate they understand what to do. The teacher will also model for the students what is inappropriate behavior with the help of the assistant and have the students respond to why the behavior would be inappropriate. Once the rules are clear, then the teacher can begin the lesson.

Lesson Procedure

To start the lesson, basic cues and vocabulary must be taught. To begin, say the word ‘near’ and curl her arms into the chest. Then, she must have the students do the same. Next, say the word ‘far’ and extend the arms out as much as possible. Have the students do the same. Discuss with the students how thunder and rain sound, and say that thunder is ‘loud’ and rain is ‘soft.’ Clap loudly and ask the students how that sounds. Next, make a tapping noise on a desk or other surface. Have the students tell you which sound you are making.

For the set induction, say,“Today, we are going to learn about dribbling. First, can anyone show me how to bounce a ball?” Have the students demonstrate their skills. Next, say, “When you bounce, the ball can go really high and it can bounce sometimes far away. Dribbling isn’t really big bounces. It’s the opposite: little bounces.” In addition, review with the students that they should not throw a ball or bounce a ball toward someone else unless they have their attention. Have students discuss why this is important.

For the first task, have students turn around and face opposite of you. Have them put their basketballs between their feet. Then, ask them to listen as you bounce a ball. Have them tell you what it sounds like, and listen for words like ‘thunder,’ ‘clap,’ and ‘boom.’ After that, dribble the ball and have the students tell you what it sounds like, listening for words like ‘pitter-patter’ and ‘tap-tap.’ Have them pick up their balls and turn around to face you. Show them dribbling and then bouncing, differentiating between rain and thunder. Ask them to clap the sound of a bounce, which is thunder and then the sound of a dribble, which is rain.

For the second task, say, “Now that you know what a dribble sounds like, let’s practice “near” and “far”. Tell me what is far. If something like the moon is far, then what is near?” Ask the students to pick up their basketballs and hold them near. Next, have the students hold the basketballs close to them. Tell them that you are going to say the words ‘near’ or ‘far’ and they have to hold their basketballs either close to them or far away from them as possible.

Next, for task three, instruct the students to bounce their basketballs far away. Give them some time to practice making big, far away bounces, and then go and pick up their balls. Ask them to think about the sound that the basketballs make when they are bounced far away. After this, for task four demonstrate to the students that dribbling is near, not far. Ask them to remind you again of the sound of dribbling. Demonstrate dribbling for the students and have them practice dribbling. Remember that the goal for them is to try and make the ball bounce twice to attempt second contact.

Finally, for the culminating activity, tell the students that they are going to play a game like Simon Says where they have to listen closely for instructions. Call the game “Near, Far: Rain, Thunder.” Ask the students to remind you what near is and what far is. Then, have the students demonstrate how to make the sound of rain and then the sound of thunder with their basket balls. Start the game, alternating between saying “Rain, Thunder, Rain, Thunder, Near, Far…” Increase or decrease the speed of the instructions based on students’ skill and ability level. For students with physical disabilities, ensure that they have a partner to work with. The game, although no points are given, gives the students an opportunity to practice dribbling and bouncing, recognizing the difference between them, and then holding the ball close to them or at a distance as directed. Observation and a checklist should be used as the assessment tools for each child.

Home-School Connection

To reinforce the skill, parents can help their students at home. The following email details what they could do.

Lesson Accommodations and Modifications

Students with physical disabilities should be encouraged to participate, as this lesson can be modified to meet their needs. Full inclusion for students with special needs requires more than simply having them watch (Tripp, Rizzo, & Webert, 2007, p. 32). Instead, it involves finding ways to teach them the skill; actually having them participate. For this lesson, students with physical challenges do not have to use basketballs. If they are in a wheelchair and have mobility issues, they can bounce a smaller ball on a table, and like their peers, aim to make a second contact to dribble the ball.

If several children from another, older class come during the activity, it would be beneficial to have them serve as peer tutors by demonstrating how to dribble and taking time to practice with the younger students. “With the cross-age tutor, the younger tutee might perform better than with a same-age peer” (Cervantes et al., 2013, p. 44). This type of interaction could also be helpful with students who have demonstrated poor behavior. If the younger students respond well to older ones, it may be helpful to have older student visit regularly.

Although the gym is an ideal place for this lesson, if a gym is unavailable, classroom modifications can be made. The first tasks can be taught by having the students tap and clap the sounds so that they understand the difference a dribble and a bounce makes. Then, smaller, softer balls that are suitable for indoors can be used to teach the skill. While a larger area is best, the concepts behind the skill can be taught in a classroom setting.

Conclusion

These collective tasks and culminating activity help young learners to develop their motor skills. In addition, it teaches them common terms and helps them to make connections, thus strengthening their cognitive skills as well. As Henninger points out, “When the motor skill is directly related to the task being learned, children can understand concepts more completely and quickly” (2009, p. 335). In this case, the task is the motor skill, and this lesson incorporates learning terms like ‘near,’ ‘far,’ and ‘loud’ and ‘soft’ with the action of dribbling a ball.

References

Cervantes, Carlos M., Lauren J. Lieberman, Betsy Magnesio, and Julie Wood. 2013. PEER

TUTORING: Meeting the demands of inclusion in physical education today.Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance84, (3) (03): 43-48

Henninger, M.L. (2009). The importance of motor skills. Excerpt from Teaching Young

Children: An Introduction. Retrieved on May 7, 2016, from

LeGear, M., Greyling, L., Sloan, E., Bell, R. I., Williams, B., Naylor, P., & Temple, V. A.

(2012). A window of opportunity? motor skills and perceptions of competence of children in kindergarten.The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity,9(1), 29-29. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-29

MDE. (2013). Mississippi Physical Education Framework. Retrieved on April 16, 2016 from

Shape America (2013). Grade Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education. Retrieved on April

16, 2016, from

Tripp, A., Rizzo, T. L., & Webbert, L. (2007). Inclusion in physical education: Changing the

culture.Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance,78(2), 32-36,48.