#4640. Rings of Unity

Phys Ed, level: Middle
Posted Sun Nov 18 13:28:26 PST 2012 by Schuyler Antane (Schuyler Antane).
TCNJ, Princeton Junction
Materials Required: 12 deck rings (red, blue, yellow, green)
Activity Time: 20 minutes
Concepts Taught: Community, Cooperative Learning

OVERVIEW
Grade Level: 6-8
Number of Students: 25
Time Frame: 20 minutes

Rationale:
This lesson facilitates a sense a community among students.
It is designed to engage their problem solving skills and respect for differences.

MATERIALS
12 deck rings (3 red, 3 blue, 3 yellow and 3 green)

STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVES
Students will learn each other's names during the Ring Up Friends activity.
Students will demonstrate cooperation and safe play during the Olympic Rings of Unity activity.
Students may express how the activities made them feel through individual or group poses.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Introduction/Starter (5-8 minutes)
"RING UP FRIENDS"
Hook: A ring can represent itself as a physical circle . . .or a ring can symbolically represent something else.

Have students gather and sit in a circle.
Explain object of this activity is for every person to touch the ring.
Rules:
1) Person can only touch or hold ring <6 seconds
2) Must call name of another person to hold ring before letting go
3) Ring must also touch the floor

Set Up:
Allow students 10 seconds to select who will start.
Lay Ring down in center.
Go signal is "brrring, brrring"

Extensions:
i. Ring must be vertical
ii. only one person at a time can touch ring.
iii. cannot call person next to you

Activity (12-15 minutes)
"OLYMPIC RINGS OF UNITY"
Recall that a ring could stand symbolically for something else. What are some of your thoughts? How are rings used as symbol in the Olympics?

Set Up:
Divide class into 4 groups (red, green, yellow, blue)
Each group gets 3 rings of same color
Have 1 group at each of the four corners of gym
Goal is to get all three rings on catcher arm in center of gym

Demonstrate and explain movement of ring
thrower may not move except for 1 step during throw
catcher can move while ring is in air
catcher extends arm/hand with fingers together
ring encircles catcher hand/arm without fingers grasping
once catcher receives ring then become thrower

Go signal is "let the games begin!"

Extensions:
i. teams must get one other color
ii. team must get all three different colors

Closure/Debrief (2-5 minutes)
Rainbow Success Pose
Either as an individual or as a group students may choose to express through a pose how the lesson made them feel.
Discuss with students what they might change or keep and why.

LESSON ANALYSIS
Student Assessment
Community during RING UP FRIENDS will be determined by all names have been called at least once.
Cooperative progress in OLYMPIC RINGS OF UNITY will be determined by the number of rings of different color for each team.