This past week we started playing our Fall themed games during PE. These are simple games that the kids do every year in October and never seem to tire of playing. Two school wide favorites are Ghosts in the Grave Yard and Bug Hunt. Both games are relays with slightly different objectives. In Ghosts in the Grave Yard students are looking for white plastic bags with funny faces on them hidden under cones. During Bug Hunt, the students are looking for assorted plastic creepy crawlies. Older kids try and find bugs that match their team’s mascot while the younger kids are just trying to find a bug. Other games we will play during October include a skeleton relay, an invasion game called Monster Mash, and a throwing game called Five Little Pumpkins that goes along with the poem Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Fence.
We will also spend a few minutes at the beginning of class one day watching a BrainPop about bones and our skeleton.
Last week in PE Kindergarten and 1st grade played Pizza Party Toss. Students underhand tossed toppings (beanbags) to try and cover their pizza (a hula hoop). Students were placed in small relay teams of 2-4 and ran down the room and back between turns. “Winning” teams, landing the most toppings on their pizza, had to move their hula hoop farther away for the next round allowing everyone to participate at a distance that was both challenging and fun. We ended class with quick game of Tag and Drop a great game where everyone gets it be “it” several times.
Students in the 2nd and 3rd grade have been practicing underhand tossing in centers. Students were asked to face their target, step forward with the opposite foot, and swing their arm by their side. Below are some pictures of kids participating in the centers.
Students in 4th and 5th grade have been enjoying a fast paced game called Endline Ball. The game is played very much like Ultimate Frisbee but uses a ball instead of a Frisbee. Endline Ball gives students a chance to use the overhand throwing and catching skills we have been practicing in class during a game. We will play Endline Ball one more week to allow students time to develop some game strategies now that they understand the rules.
During PE last week 4th and 5th grade worked on overhand throwing. We broke the motion down into four skill cues. Those four cues were side to target, point to target, elbow up, and follow through. After making sure the students knew the four things I was looking for we practiced throwing to a partner using a variety of objects. Students were able to choose from footballs, rubber chickens, foam hot potatoes, and tennis balls to name a few. Every two minutes we switched objects and continued to practice. Next week we will play a class overhand throwing game called Endline Ball.
Students also watched a BrainPop about the cardiovascular system. After the video we answered the questions 1- What body system moves blood throughout your body? 2- Blood carries ________ and ________ to your cells. Test your child and see if they still remember the answers.
Objects to practice overhand throwing
Last week 2nd and 3rd grade reviewed underhand tossing and evaluated their skills. Working independently at first and then with a partner, they completed thirteen tasks six times each. After the sixth attempt at a task they decided if they could do the skill or needed more practice based on the number of times they were able to catch the toss. A few of the skills were tossing the ball up to self and catching, tossing to the wall and catching, and tossing to a partner. The skill the children struggled with most was tossing the ball up, spinning around, and catching. Interestingly, this was also one of their favorite skills. We used tennis balls for this lesson (some students chose a light weight foam ball for partner work) which the kids seemed to really enjoy. The size of the tennis ball, the way it bounces, and the sound it makes excites and challenges kids of this age.
We also watched a four minute BrainPop video about the heart. Before watching the video I asked the kids to look for the answers to four questions. Those questions were: 1- How big is the heart? 2- What protects the heart? 3- What important job does your heart perform? 4- How do you care for your heart?
chasestreetpe 