Roll A Large Ball Back and Forth With A Partner

About:

Purpose:

Working together with a partner.

An advantage of doing these activities with a partner is it allows each student to have time engaged in the activity. The challenge is that there is potentially less adult engagement and students may not get enough feedback and structure from each other.

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

Directions:

Depending on the age and developmental level of the students, it may be useful to first have teacher and assistant show this exercise. This can be a format for addressing potential glitches.

Remember the point is not about just 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 sit.

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

As a preliminary step, it may be useful to have each pair of students do this exercise first in the center of the circle, particularly if they have had little or no experience working in a partner format.

Glitches:

• Students start doing something else besides working on rolling the ball.
1. When you can complete the x number of passes, you are free to play how you want, within our group rules.
2. Students who can not yet handle the partner format and stay in a circle with one teacher, while those who can use work with a partner can do that.
• Students have trouble getting the ball to each other.
1. Start very close together. "Roll the ball back and forth. If you can get it back and forth 6 times, then you can back up x amount."