Roll - large ball to student, they roll it to the person next to you. Continue this pattern around the circle

Purpose:

Contact, Cooperation, Coordination

Develop skill in giving and receiving cues particularly with peers.

Practice learning and saying each others names.

Have students working together in a regulated way.

Learn to tune into the rhythm of the group and learning to flow with that rhythm rather than rushing, or stalling.

This is a good preparation to have students working together in pairs.

Awareness of group as 'extended body'.

Prerequisite:

Roll a large ball to student, they them roll it back to you. Students need to be able and willing enough to get the ball back and forth before working with another student.

Directions:

Besides the actual rolling the key to this game is the cueing. The roller has to let the catcher know that they are about to roll. The catcher has to let the roller know they are ready to catch.

This can be done non-verbally.  Roller puts his/her hand on the ball, looks at partner and give a little head nod. Catcher lifts hands up into a ready position.

This can be done verbally. Roller calls catchers name and says. "John, are you ready.?",  "I'm ready".  Then roller rolls the ball.

The catcher now becomes the roller  but instead of rolling back to the person who gave the ball, rolls to the person next to him/her.  That way as you continue the pattern, you get all the way around the circle.

Glitches:

• Student either doesn't understand what is expected of him/her or is defiant. Sometimes this is, "I want the ball and I don't want to share.
1. Very descriptively acknowledging students who are able to simply roll the ball back.
• Student rolls a ball to a student who is not ready
1. Take over the problem
2. []
• Another student jumps out and grabs a pass that is not theirs
1. Take over the problem
2. Acknowledge students who don't break this rule.  
• Student is not sure who they are to roll to. Several people in the group jump in an tell him or her.
1. Draw the pattern on the black or white board.
2. Use string or yarn to show the pattern

Next Exercise:

Roll a Ball Back and Forth with Partner