Purpose / How this helps a student thrive:

• Students get to learn participate in the positive norms and expectations of the group.
• The process has students interacting and connecting from their kinesthetic sense with one another.
• This simple act helps student learn to attend to and attune to an others' signals and cues.
• Students learn to cooperate. Students must cooperate to successfully put ball into an other students hands and get the ball around the circle.
• Students develop executive function- they move deliberately rather than impulsively.
• By learning to Pass the ball with care, students learn to distinguish this caring from either 'dead fish' relating or 'beating' relating.
• Entrain to a steady stable rhythm. As we are in a pattern of 'meeting' we should find a rhythm that is sustainable, productive, and satisfying.



Directions:

For this game, use a ball that can be easily held with two hands or a ballon. It should be about 10" in diameter.

Make clear what is expected. Make clear what is not allowed.

With assistant or Puppet, model the 'Dead Fish Pass' - half-hearted, dropping the ball, looking away.

Model the 'Beating Pass' - that is overly rough, pushing the other. Be rough enough and let the puppet show that he is genuinely hurt.
The dragon puppet can take the ball and just keep it for himself. "its my ball and Im not going to share it." Both of these show that Dragon is not in any way caring for Cow.

"How to you think the puppet feels when the he receives a dead fish pass? How does the puppet feel whe the ball is pushed at him roughly.

Turn to students, "how do you think we should pass the ball to each other?"

"Can anyone show me how we should pass the ball to each other?".

Pass with two hands, the passer and receiver should both have their hands on the ball for a moment. Passer should actually sense with the receiver has control of the ball.

Be sure to differentiate passing from tossing. If a student tosses the ball, correct them and insist on passing the ball.

As they attempt to do this, give clear precise descriptive feedback particularly of what they are doing well. "I like how you had your two hands on the ball and waited for your partner to take the ball; I like how you exchanged eye contact".

The more a student senses that moment the more they invoke their 'salience/feel network, not just their do/ deal network. (Network Balance Model).

Celebrate the success of the passes and acknowledge the rules that were not broken.







Glitches:

• Student tosses the ball to next student.
1. Without using words, show student what they are expected to do.
2. Be very specific for this game, when we are passing, both students have both of their hands on the ball.
• Student passes ball roughly
• Student drops it too quickly (before other student has a grasp on it.)
1. Insist that this will be done as directed and not get stuck in a non productive power struggle. celebrating negative behaviors.)
2. Have puppets 'Take Over The Problem'. Focus on how Cow is affected by Dragons behavior.
3. "We can throw and bounces balls together at another time. Now we are only mastering this level".
• Student holds the ball and refuses to pass it(resource guarding)
1. Take over the Problem
2. Get another ball and have other students pass that. Message -it can be more fun to play with others than to have everything for your self.
• Student is oblivious of the other student
1. Ask student specific question about other student.
   Where are X arms? What is X looking at?
• Student tries to speed up and rush.
• This seeking to go faster, have more intensity and rushing is very common in our culture. Sensei can pass ball back on forth with this student to help student feel a stable rhythm.

Extensions:

Pass-LargeBall-AroundTheCircle-ReceiveBouncePass

Waves passing a drum note around the circle

Bounce a Large Ball to the person next to you.