Reflection

Over this semester the introduction of the two models, the Social and Personal Responsibility Model and the Teaching and Understanding Model, has provided a understanding of how to use different methods in order to teach students the skills necessary to participate in sports and understand the rules of the sport.

Through the Social and Personal Responsibility Model, I learned how to provide different methods and games that will help with teaching students how to take responsiblity for their actions and participate fairly in the class. It also provided opportunities to teach personal skills that can be taken out of the classroom and brought into both the home and the classroom. This model also gave me different methods on how to rate partcipation, and get the student to rate themselves, therefore helping them gain a more thourogh understanding of what it is they need to improve.

The Teaching and Understanding Model provided me with ways to teach skills involved with learning sports, and also the method of using small games and relays aimed at specific skills in order to focus on the more difficult tactical problems seen in common sports. It also helped me learn what exactly the main problems are that children face when learning a new sport, for example looking for open space in a soccer game rather then just crowding the ball.

I think these two models could be easily integrated in a beneficial way. For example, you could take the problem of participation out of the first model and intergrate in into both the miniture and large games involving putting skills into use. If the group is playing a game, think of a way that everyone has to participate. In our classes, we tended to unconsciously mix the two models by making it a rule that every team member had to touch the ball in order for the team to score their goal. This not only makes sure that everyone gets a chance to test the skills that they've learned, but also be able to participate in the game rather than standing off to the side to watch. Through the integration of these two models, the students will have the chance to not only learn more skills of both models, but also be required to continue using what they have learned, insuring that they remember the skills rather than them being just a fleeting lesson.

*ɐssıןǝɯ*

Tactical Problem #2: Getting past the Defense and Attacking the Goal

One of the main tactical problems players and students will face most constantly in almost every game they play is the expectation to get past the defense of the other team in order to score a point or goal. In a game such as soccer, this means learning tactics to put you on the offensive and find a way to get past the defense facing you. In Volleyball, solving the tactical problem could be more directed to finding different ways to hit the ball as well as where to hit it in relation to the other players.
I will give two games as examples of helping solve this tactical problem, one for soccer and one for volleyball.

Soccer: Relay Game

Divide the group up into however many teams are wanted to keep the teams relatively small, and have each group line behind each other. Select one player from each team to be a defense man for another team. The goal is for each player in the group to make their way across the field to the goal and score a point, but they must first get past the defense man guarding it. If the defense man manages to gain possession of the ball or kick it away, the player must start the relay again.
Before the game starts, though, provide the students/players with tactics that might help them solve this problem, such as moving to open space, dodging, guarding and footwork, and faking. See how many of these tactics the group uses and which ones they find to work the best for them.

The first group to have all of their teammates successfully finish the rely wins the match.

Volleyball: 2 vs. 2

Have the class split up into groups of four and find a place at one of the nets, 2 on each side. Each team will work together to try and solve the tactical problem of getting past their peers to score a point for their team. To do this, they will have to try and find a way to first hit the ball in a way that will make it more difficult to return and second to try and find an open space to hit it to, instead of passing it directly to the other team. For example, if both of the teammates on the opposing team are closer to the net, tell the player to try spiking the ball to the back of the court where they will have to work harder to return the ball.
Once again, provide the class with tips on how to solve this tactical problem, such as ways to hit the ball and how to direct in a certain direction.

 *ɐssılǝɯ*

Tactical Problem #1: Supporting the player with the ball when in an off-the-ball position.

When in an off-the-ball position, there are some things the player must remember to focus on.

1. Being open to receive a pass from the player with the ball, and therefore help your team to maintain possession.

2. Support the player through defending them from the opposing team that is trying to gain possession.

Here are a couple games to address this tactical problem:

3 vs. 3 - Give and Go

This game can be used for multiple invasion games, soccer being an example. 
To set this game up, split the group into teams of 3 each. Each team will be put against another with a goal line at both ends. The goal is to score a point through passing with your teammates. To achieve this, not only will you have to be aware of your surroundings, but all of the team players who are in an off-the-ball position must find an open area where they can be available to receive a pass and therefore continue to take the ball down the field.

This game also provides an opportunity for off-the-ball practice concerning the opposing team as well. Their goal is to try and take possession of the ball away from the other team to score their own goal.

Keep Away

In the game, a team of two players will face off again another team. The goal is to keep the ball away from the opposing team as long as possible. As an example, I will use basketball.
Set the two teams up in a square, its size depending on how hard or how easy you want to game to be. One team gains possession of the ball and their goal is to try and keep possession until the timer runs out, once again depending on how difficult you want the game to be. To deal with the tactical problem, each player of the team may only hold onto the ball for up to 5 seconds before it must be passed to their teammate. This means that the player off-the-ball must be ready to receive a pass and make sure they are in an available position.
If the other team manages to gain possession of the ball before the timer finishes, they can either begin the timer again and take their turn, or the game can be played as whoever has possession when the times up wins. When the timer runs out, possession is then switched to the opposite team.

 *ɐssılǝɯ*

The Game Performance Assessment Instrument, or "GPAI"

The example I will use for this system has been modified for Curling, and can be found at:
http://education2.uvic.ca/Faculty/thopper/Pe352/2003/Curling2/Assessment.html


Assessment Social/Affective
*Participation:  50%

• Attendance
• Proper strip
• Working well with others
• Positive attitude towards learning

*Participation will be marked daily.  A mark will be given out of 4 marks.  One mark will taken away for poor attitude, no strip, and not be cooperative with others.  A class missed without permission will be zero out of four. Psychomotor
Skill Performance: 20%

• *Game Performance Assessment Inventory (GPAI).
• Students will utilize this tool during initial lessons to evaluate performance.

Skill Improvement: 15%

• (GPAI)
• Students will make use of this tool again at the end of the unit, to observe improvements and strengths and weaknesses.

* GPAI example can be seen at the bottom of the page. Cognitive
Knowledge of Concepts: 15%

• Written test (understanding of basic etiquette, general rules, basic strategy and body movements for the delivery)

Written Test Example: 1) Name three key points to the curling delivery.
2) What is a guard and its purpose?
3) How many people play on each team and what are their jobs?
4) How are points awarded?
5) How many ends do you play?
6) What is the order of play?
7) Describe the principles behind an in-turn?
8) Explain what is the inside foot when sweeping?

---

*GPAI (Game Performance Assessment Instrument):  Modified for Curling     This instrument is a tool for teachers to measure development among his/her students. Teachers can delegate this tool to other students so one can assess another. It is a good tool to help students understand what they need to improve on, instead of verbal feedback, the students now have literature to assess their performance. GPAI is two fold, in that a student can be assessed and learn to assess peers. For example, in a curling activity, partners share responsibilities while one performs and the other assesses the performance. The GPAI allows a student/teacher to assess one's performance, behavior, and individual skills.
    To assess performance, including behavior-specific skills, a student searches for:
Decision Making (Weight Judgment):

• This refers to the ability of the thrower to decide how much push off should be applied to different shot types.
• Depends on how much force or weight is applied to a stone (on ice) and/or bean bag, tennis ball, or scooter board (in the gym).

Skill Execution:

• This refers to off-the-stone movements, which are movements conducted while sweeping (on ice and in the gym). Key aspects of this movement includes technique (arm and feet position), grip, communication, and effective lateral movements.
• This also refers to on-the-stone skills, which is throwing the stone. The student must pay particular attention to grip, balance, turn, consistent backswing and forward extension, and weight transfer.

Placement:

• This refers to the result of the throw. Where the rock is placed within play and whether or not it was effective or not.

    There are four areas (boxes) under each category. This allows the performer to be assessed on 8 trials, 4 for on-the-stone skills and 4 for off-the-stone movements. The observer will assess 4 throws (rate decision making, skill execution, and placement according to above criteria) and will need to assess off-the-stone movements (rate skill execution), therefore must observe 4 different sweeping trials. The GPAI should look like this: The intention of this assessment is to provide a tool teachers can use to measure the development of their students through using a set list of skills to be looked at. It also provides something in writing that the student can look at instead of trying to remember verbal cues given to them, especially if they are having problems understanding what is being said to them.
Because the list for the assessment is all set up and easy to understand, students can also assess other students easily and learn not only how to manage an assessment, but what the teacher is looking at when they're being assessed themselves.

In this specific example of a GPAI, there are three main aspects that are laid out:
1) Decision Making or Weight Judgment
-This section is used to judge the ability of the thrower and if they are understanding how much force is needed in the push off when applying different shot types.
                         
2) Skill Execution
-This section is more partially regulated towards off-the-stone movements executed when sweeping. The key points watched when marking for skill execution are technique in arm and  foot movement, grip, communication and effective lateral movements.
-When looking at on-the-stone movements, the teacher judges the student in their ability to throw the stone. Once again, there are key points that are looked at, such as grip, balance, turn, consistent back swing, forward extension, and weight transfer. 

3) Placement
-This is referring to the final position of the rock after it has been thrown. Was the throw effective or not?

When the teacher has finished tracking the assessment, the results are placed on a chart that is easy to put together and, most importantly, easy to understand. The chart lays out the three sections of assessment and arranges an area where the teacher can give a score out of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest. Space is then left for comments so the student can see what it is that they lost marks on and need to improve.
Although this particular assessment is used for curling, it can also be looked at as an outline for other target based games. Slight alterations will also make it easily usable as a simple method of marking for any other type of game.

One of the main positive aspects of using a GPAI in scoring is giving the student the opportunity to see that marking isn't completely based off of if you did or didn't score, as most seem to deem the most important aspect of any game. Instead, it becomes clear that they are judged by effort and development of their skills; even if they do not win the game, they could still score the highest mark in the class for the visible amount of development in their skills.

*ɐssıןǝɯ*

Tactical Problems Resolved!

As mentioned before, when dealing with Territory and Invasion the main focus is to score on the other teams net, and of course to prevent said team from scoring themselves. What about the other issues in the game though? The player must remember that there are other players on the field as well. This means that, on top of scoring, the player must also find where the other players are and get through the other teams defensive strategies. Also, when looking at a game such as soccer, there are different positions that can be played and have to be remembered for the game to run smoothly.
To solve these tactical problems, smaller games with a specific focus are a good option. For my examples, I will focus on soccer.

COACH'S REVENGE

This game focuses on spatial awareness --- making sure that you are aware of other players both on your team and the opposing team. It is important to remember in soccer that while trying to gain possession or score on the other team, you must also avoid collision and be aware of your own teammates.
For this exercise, a grid will be set up on the field, or in the gym. When the coach blows the whistle, each player must sprint from one side of the grid to the other. In the center, the coaches will be kicking balls at the players (aiming for below the knee!!) as they pass. Anyone hit must then grab a ball and join the center team. Well running, each person has to be aware that they are not running into other players, and also that they are avoiding the incoming balls.
To transfer this to the field, remind players of the awareness they used while playing the game and encourage them to continue as they begin their soccer game.

To teach students the different positions, the best tool is to provide a selection of games that will teach them skills for forwards, defense, midfield, and goalkeepers. This way, each student will learn the skills and be able to try every position in the game and find out what they excel at.

Here's a couple to try:

GOALIES:

Have each student take a turn standing in the net. Set the rest of the students up in 3 line facing the next, each person at the front of the lines have a ball. One by one, each student will try and score a goal from where ever they are standing, and the 'goalie' will try and deflect it. Because the students will all be coming from different angles, the one in net will learn how to deflect all different kinds of goal attempts, not just straight on.
Once the student in net has had around 3 tries, switch them with the next student.

Make sure each student has a chance to shoot, as this is also a way to try shooting at different angles and can be transferred to being a "forward."

DEFENSE:

Split the students up into groups of two and give each group one soccer ball. When the drill starts, one student will take the ball and try to get past the other player. The goal of the one without the ball, or the 'defense,' will be to try and get the ball away. Once this drill is expanded to have more players, the defense can either kick the ball out of bounds to end the play, or try and pass to another player on their own team, ultimately not letting the other team get past them and, when playing the game, near the net.

MIDFIELD:

The 'midfield' players can gain experience through both forward and defensive games, as they play both. Just make sure the student understands the area of the field in which they are to stay.

FORWARD:

To practice playing 'forward,' allow the students to practice passing to each other as they move up the field. All of the other games will give them experience in this as they should now know how to move past the defense from playing the opposition in that game, and how to score through being the opposition to the goalie.
Now, just allow them to put it all together, and the students should be prepared to face the tactical problems of the game!

*ɐssıןǝɯ*

Teaching Games for Understanding

The Teaching Games for Understanding Model (TGFU) was introduced in the mid 60`s with two main concepts in mind:

1. Increasing the motivation of children by hooking them on a game, then teaching skills that will make them more successful.

2.Providing context to make learning skills and strategies meaningful.

This is achieved through the use of 4 categories of games; Target, Net/Wall, Striking/Fielding, and Territory/Invasion.

Target

In this category, the primary rule, or goal, is to score by getting the object closer to the target than your opponents get theirs. Well doing, this you also must avoid all obstacles. To achieve this, we can use the tactical play within the category, or the principles of play. For "Target," these include aiming at the target and choosing a placement of the object in relation to the target and other obstacles.

Examples of games that would focus on this category include bowling, golfing, and curling.

One tactical problem that can be found in this category is first learning how to find the best spot to aim at the target.

Net/Wall

The primary goal of this category is to score by getting the object into the opponents' area of play more often then they can return the object. Once again, there are specific principles of play that can improve this objective.

-aim for consistency

-choose placement and positioning

-use power and/or spin (for control and disguise)

Games that reflect the ideas in this category include volleyball, tennis, squash and racquetball.

Tactical problem: you can not always choose your placement and positioning. For example, in volleyball, the other team is somewhat in charge of placement as they choose where to hit the ball too.

Striking/Fielding

In this category, there are 3 primary goals to focus on.

1. Score by striking the ball/object and running within safe areas.

2. Prevent opponents from scoring by catching the ball in the air or getting it to a safe area before the batter reaches the safe area.

3. Make it difficult for the opponents to hit the ball. 

For batting, the tactical play relies on scoring runs, hitting the ball for accuracy and distance, and to avoid getting "out."

The players out on the field also have some tactics to remember; stop the opponent from scoring a run, make it difficult for the opponent to strike the ball, and put the batter out.

3 games that use the ideas of this category are baseball, cricket, and softball.

Tactical problem: The player at bat must also look to help out their fellow teammates reach a safe point, such as getting a home run in baseball. 

Territory/Invasion

In the final category, players will focus on two main concepts: scoring by getting the object into the opponents' goal, and preventing the opponents from scoring themselves. The team with the object will attempt to score, invade the opponents' area, and of course keep possession. For those that do not hold the object within their possession, they will prevent scoring, prevent invasion, and of course try and gain possession.

The games in this category include soccer, basketball, hockey, rugby and football.

Tactical problem: In these sort of games, the players must also focus on remembering their own positions on the field and avoid the tactics taken by the other players to prevent their winning.

*ɐssılǝɯ*

 

Elementary vs. High School Games

When dealing with Elementary Physical Education games, the focus is more towards learning basic skills. This isn't contained to just game skills, such as dribbling, passing, and throwing either; this includes development skills like cooperation and teamwork, leadership, and perseverance.
The level of skill combined with the objective of the day's class can give some ideas into what games can be played.

Frogs and Ants:

This game is designated for children between the grades 3 and 5, and can be used to develop teamwork, spacial perception, and leadership.
First, a few "frogs" will be chosen and given pinnies. The rest will be "ants." The frogs job is to chase after and tag the ants, and when an ant is tagged they must lay down on their backs with their feet and hands extended into the air. The ants that have not been tagged can save their fellow ants by joining into a group of four and carrying the hurt ant inside a lily pad (hula hoops).When all four ants are attached to the hurt ant, they are safe and can not be tagged! 
(The teacher will have to make sure the students know how to safely carry the hurt ant).
When the ant is safely placed inside the lily pad, the others have 2 seconds to escape before they can once again be tagged. The game ends when all of the ants are lying down.

If this game is ending too quickly, you can bring the students over and discuss why. Is it because there are some ants who are not helping others in order to keep playing? Is that actually helping or hurting the game? Sometimes we must work together to make things work better for ourselves as well.

Minefield:

This game can be used for all levels to teach a lesson that may be hard for some to experience or understand. Through this exercise, students will lose their ability of sight and be expected to walk across the gym and avoid all of the "mines." This will allow them to hopefully develop feelings for those less fortunate then them, and those who go through this experience everyday, but with the reality of danger added.
Set the students up in pairs and blindfold one person. Throughout the gym, set up obstacles that the "walker" will have to avoid. The best obstacles would be either flat pieces of paper, or something that doesn't stick up too much. Give the second student a blown up paper or plastic bag.

It is important, especially for the older groups, that you do not let them see the obstacles or the paper bag. Just tell them that they are to walk through a minefield.

When the teacher says go, the blindfolded students will start to make their way through the "minefield." If they make it all the way through, they can take off their blindfolds and switch with their partner. If the student steps on a mine, the partner will pop the paper bag to make a loud sound.


This game is a great one for events such as the 30 hour famine, where students come together to learn about these sort of issues.

Here's a great example (minus the mousetraps): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRxp3jgTQso

GAMES ORIENTATED TOWARDS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:

Ultimate Frisbee

This game is more orientated towards older students because it uses skills that have already been somewhat developed, as well as requiring a bit more force. One Frisbee will be required for this game, as well as pinnies and preferably a large, open field.
Split the group up into two teams, and send each team to one side of the field. Set up a middle line.
When the teams have decided who will go first, give the defense in the starting team the frisbee. The disc can be passed to teammates in any direction, and each person that catches it has 10 seconds to pass it off again. The person with the frisbee cannot walk or run with it! It must be passed off before the player can move again.
When the pass is not completed, either through a fumble, interception, out of bounds or block, the frisbee is dropped where it is and the other team gain possession. To score, the team must pass the frisbee over the end zone, and it must be caught by another player on the other side.
Contact is NOT allowed during this game! A foul will occur if physical contact is made, and the team who was not at fault will gain possession.

This game is used to promote sportsmanship and fair play. Although the game does get quite competitive, it also stays safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Kickball

Kickball can be a game for many ages, but to play the full competitive game, it is better to have an older age group. For this game, you will need use of a baseball diamond and a dodge ball (you will want to use this kind of ball because it is softer and can be kicked a long ways).

Split the group up into two teams. Like baseball, you will have a team in outfield, and a team "at bat." The team in the outfield will want to organize themselves into position: one at each of the bases, a pitcher, and the rest out further back on the field. The team kicking will line up to take turns. 

When a kicker comes up to start the game, the "pitcher" will roll the ball towards them, and the kicker will try to send it down the field without it going out of bounds or being caught in the air. Well the outfields are trying to catch the ball, the kicker will run through the bases and try and get as far as they can. If the ball is caught before hitting the ground, or if the kicker is tagged with the ball before he reaches a base, s/he is considered out. The goal is to try and get as many people on your team through home base as you can. After three "strikes," the teams switch places.

After three fouls, it will be considered a strike.

Through this game, students will learn teamwork as well as self-direction. It also is a fitness based game, meaning that students will get running. This is a good way to practice baseball skills as the rules are quite similar to each other, yet kickball can sometimes be a bit of an easier alternative for those that struggle with either catching or hitting.

The last two game are considered better for an older age group because they take on a higher level of competitiveness then the first two, as well as having the potential to be more dangerous. Both games also require a more development skill level and a knowledge of the basics.

*ɐssıןǝɯ*

Cooperation or Competition?

Reading Perry W. Buffington's article concerning the importance of cooperation over competition gives a clear understanding of the importance of working together in not only sports, but also in everyday life. Yet, I also think that there are times when competition encourages productivity and, in a way, mirrors cooperation.

Promoting cooperation in the classroom, and in the gym, is a good tool that can be carried on and practiced in everyday life. As Buffington mentions, where competition has the potential to bring out the "beast" in us as we try to work our way to the top, cooperation induces a calmer state of mind, as there is no longer a reason to get ahead and we know that we are not in it alone.
To relate this idea to a gym class, imagine if you had a class play capture the flag, with everyone as their own team. The response would be chaos, everyone rushing to get the flag and pushing others out of their way to make sure they come out on top. Now, put the group into teams; suddenly they will be working together to devise a plan and the atmosphere will be less frantic.

Yet, saying this, I also believe that competition is not all bad. Although there are extreme levels of this, which some people do get involved in, a little bit of friendly competition could actually promote improvement. Take a classroom for example: if there wasn't that need to stay either on the same level or ahead of the rest of the class, would some students really succeed to the levels they have been, or feel the need to? If everything was just reliant on cooperation, would some students end up relying a little too heavily on others?
I agree that competition does have the potential to lower self-esteem when desired levels aren't reached, but this is also true to the opposite degree. People who have landed themselves at the top of their game are sure to have a better view of themselves.

The solution, I think, is to mix the two together.
Teams would be a good example of this. Instead of having the students go one-on-one, why not have them on teams so they have someone to share the pressure with, and won't feel so heavily reliant and self-conscious about their own skills? This way, the competition aspect still encourages them to try their best to complete the game, but it also teaches them teamwork and that asking for help is maybe a good thing. This idea could be used both in the gym or in a classroom. For the classroom, a game like team jeopardy could get students working together to come up with an answer before the other team does. In the gym, a game of soccer, for example, gets them working together on skills and also using those skills in competition.
Saying this, I also believe it is important to not begin the competition until you make sure everyone knows and can perform the content, otherwise those who cannot might be facing low self-esteem and like they are behind. If this is the case, maybe use a little one-on-one or working together as a group until hopefully everyone is confident.

When it comes to elite sports and higher levels of competition, maybe it's best to leave those until the higher age groups. Although I believe that these kind of games promote school spirit, the students also have to be of the age to realize that whether they win or lose, it isn't going to determine their life. Unfortunately, some will always believe this to be the case, whether it is in competition or in cooperation.

Physical Education Websites

By simply typing "elementary games" into the Google search engine, you can find pages upon pages of suggestions by parents, teachers, and many others of how to set up games for multiple ages and groups of children. The only question you're going to be left with, is which one to choose? Here are three websites that provide a good start:

1. Mr Gym.com 
This website, run by an elementary school Physical Education teacher in the United States, provides you with a good variety of Phys. ed. games including sports games, cooperative games, and warm-ups. Each individual section, when clicked on, will show you a number of games relating to that topic.
For example, if you were to click on cooperative games, a list of 50 different ideas will come up, with new suggestions being added each day. Each one of these games focuses on encouraging students to work as a team in order to solve a problem, or complete the game.

The games range anywhere from Birthday games, to dance, to fitness and beyond.
As an extra added bonus, this site also includes features such as the national standard for Kindergarten through to Grade 12 (although they are not Canadian standards, the still give a basic idea), assessment, how acquire equipment at good costs, field trip ideas, and even how to build a climbing wall for your kids.


2. CanTeach
This is a Canadian site that, like the last, is a good reference for games. The main focus of this particular site is team activities for grades kindergarten and up, such as ball wrestling, "The Dragons are coming!" and snake. Because the games mentioned are for younger kids, descriptions of the games are kept in nice, easy points that make it easy to describe to a younger crowd, and the game names and characters are kept interesting to keep their attention and let them use their imagination as well.
This site also includes introductions to ball control, whether it's with your foot, your chest, or a hockey stick, or even just learning how to bounce a basketball.
The author of this site also provides those interested with information on teaching elementary students the importance of warm-ups through the use of spaghetti and collage, giving them the opportunity to do a hands on learning process.

7 dance activities are provided, as well as alternative environment activities which include outdoor forest factors.

 3. Six Great Physical Education Games My Students Loved
Although this particular site only provides 6 game options to for you to take to the students, they are all well laid out and excellent for younger students. The author also gives modification ideas to accommodate the different age groups that the game may be used with. 
All of the games provided don't necessarily work on the general skills of sports, such as dribbling and bouncing, but they do work on running skills, giving students a chance to be the 'leader' and getting them to pay attention to their surroundings in a way that they can keep up with what is happening.
I particularly liked the Treasure Chase game because it involves all of the students, and everyone is on some sort of team, meaning they have help in completing their task. The treasure giver and the treasure holder make up one team, while the rest of the students make up the next as they try and stop their fellow classmate and get a chance to be the one to make the decision of who gets to go next.

All three of these sites are great for finding a place to start when planning a PE class, or a way to gain new ideas. And, if none of these provide an idea, there are many more sources to find and explore!

*ɐssılǝɯ*

Invented Games

Invented Game number 1: "Fly Ball"
For this game, our group used 3 bouncy balls, 4 small hand held nets, 2 hula hoops, and 2 small buckets. The goal of the game was to get the ball into the bucket, but in between the thrower and the bucket are guards. Between the 8 of us, there were 3 positions:
1. Two Throwers who would be trying to get the ball into the buckets.
2. 4 guards; the hula hoops were set up next to each other at a distance that allows the guards to touch fingers. 2 guards were set up in each hula hoop, each one with one of the nets. The goal of this position is to try and stop the balls from reaching the bucket by either deflecting it or catching it in the net.
3. 2 bucket holders. The job of the two people in this position is to help the thrower by moving the bucket to try and help get the ball in.
  A good age group for this game would be around Grade 2 and up. Any grades lower than that may have problems understanding the concept. Yet, alterations could be made to make this a good game for younger age groups. The main rules are; (a)the ball must bounce at least once before it can be considered a goal
(b)The guards cannot step outside of their boundary (the hula hoop)
(c)The bucket holders must stay behind the guards
(d)The thrower must stay on the marked line. - this is where the modifications would come in, making the line closer if the student is have trouble, or further away if they're finding it too easy.
Through this game, students are able to work on hand-eye coordination, as well as teamwork and participation.

Invented Game number 2: "Almost-Ultimate Frisbee"
This game included the use of Frisbees, flags, and 3 hula hoops. Between the 8 of us we split into 2 groups of 4, and the goal was to get the Frisbee through the hoop. One player on each team is the goalie, and holds up the hula hoops on the opposite team's side of the field, moving it to try and get it into a position that makes it possible for the team to score. The rest of the team is in charge of passing in down the field towards the goal.
The age group of the game would once again be slightly older, probably starting around Grade 4 and up. The reason for this is the skill level required of the students to throw the frisbee. There are some main rules in this game that must be followed to make sure everyone participates:
(a)Every person on the team must touch the Frisbee before they can score. Each time the Frisbee is taken back by the other team, they must start over.
(b)The goalie cannot move forward toward their team to help them score, they must stay in their box.
(c)You cannot travel with the frisbee, but must pass it off to another player before you continue forward
(d)The Frisbee must go through the hula hoop in order to score.
Modifications: depending on the skill level of the group that is playing, the field size can either be increased or decreased. The size of the teams can also be changed, as well as the size of the goal.
Through this game, students can work on skills such as teamwork, coordination, participation, and skill level. 

September 13th to 17th - Physical Education teaching philosophy

Although PE class is a good chance for teachers to get kids to release some of their energy and hopefully, in turn, help them concentrate, it can also be a great opportunity to teach life skills if the time is taken.

When teaching this class, I believe the Teacher should take the time to incorporate tasks and skill sets that the child will be able to take and use outside of class as well, such as teamwork, respect, participation and leadership. Because the kids will have the opportunity to not just listen but to actually experience and perform these tasks, they will learn faster and hopefully keep it in their memory for a longer period, if not for life! Simple actions, such as putting the shy kid in a leadership position or creating a game where everyone has to participate in order to score, has the potential to entice confidence and good relations between the students and prepare them for harder situations they will face in their lives ahead.

With the threat of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles a very real and common problem in today's society, it is important to teach students the importance of staying healthy early on. Physical Education provides a fantastic opportunity for this, where the Teacher can give the student a chance to exercise each week in a fun environment so that they can come to enjoy it. Teacher's also have the opportunity during this time to promote other healthy habits in relation to how it will improve or affect their abilities in class!

Melissa Voth