Bounce A Large Ball Back and Forth With A Partner

Purpose:

Working together with a partner

Doing an activity with a little less supervision

Sense of rhythm and flow, finding a tempo that is steady neither too fast or too slow.

Develop hand eye coordination with both bouncing and with catching.

Directions:

The game is much like rolling a ball back and forth with a partner, but bouncing and catching is considerably more challenging and requires more skill and self control. If students are not well regulated enough this game can quickly devolve into chaos.

Remember the point is not about getting the ball back and forth. It is about connecting, relating and working together.
Generally, don't move to partners until students can do this in the group.
The exception is that some students need a little more time and the little more privacy and not being paid too much attention to, to practice and get the hang of activities.

Set up two rows using small mats to clearly indicate where students should stand.

Have students bounce the ball back and forth. Be sure that they are giving proper cues and using moderate velocity.
You can develop a goal of X number of passes they need to complete.

Preempt some potential acting out, by having Dragon do when there is ball play that is less monitored.

Such as:

• Tackling each other.
• Pull the ball from each others hands.
• Bouncing off the walls,
• Bouncing off the ceiling
• Bouncing off people who are watching.
• Sitting on the ball

When done, Celebrate All the Rules Not Broken

Reinforce the positive consequences of doing the activity.  For example.  "I love that you could do that activity with out bouncing the ball off the wall.  Now you have earned some more freedom. Because this went well we can do more activities like it."

Glitches:

• Students start doing something else besides working on bouncing the ball.
1. When you can complete the x number of passes, you are free to play how you want, within our group rules.
• Students breaks any of the rules.
1. Student is asked to take a Reset