Tic-Tac-Toss

Throwing is often over-looked in the world, but it is a skill that children (and adults) desperately need. So let’s teach them how to do it in a low stakes, fun environment!

By: Mathea Turkalj

Grade: 2-3

Objective: Students will practice stepping with the opposite foot while throwing underhand to a target.

Materials:

• Hula hoops
• Containers
• Red/blue yarn balls (or any two colors)
• Floor tape

Activity: Set up tic tac toe boards using 9 hula hoops (3×3). If there are students in wheelchairs, use poly spots instead and those with limited upper mobility can hold a bucket to catch.  Fill containers with yarn balls and set near the board. Use floor tape to mark a throwing line at an age appropriate distance from the boards for children to throw and catch.
Model the correct form of throwing and catching which is beneficial for visual learners and EL students.  Volunteers will be taken to demonstrate their throwing and catching, giving those who prefer kinesthetic learning to have hands on experience trying the new skill before actually performing it in the game.
Assign and have two sets of teams go to a tic tac toe board (four students per board).  Assign each team a color to mark the X’s and O’s.  Alternate thrower and catcher.
Team 1: One student will choose which hoop to stand in and their teammate will stand behind the marked throwing line and toss the yarn ball of their teams color to them.  If the partner catches the ball, they place it down in the hoop to mark their spot.
Team 2: Repeats the same as team 1.
The game continues until one team gets their yarn balls in a tic tac toe pattern (3 in a row either diagonal or straight across). 

Formative Assessment: After the activity, discuss what the most challenging parts were for students and why.  Have students self assess how they felt they did both catching and throwing using thumbs up.  Thumbs up = I feel very confident in my throwing and catching.  Thumb in the middle = I feel kind of confident in my throwing and catching.  Thumbs dumb = I need more practice with my throwing and catching.

Purpose: This activity aligns with NHES 4 Interpersonal Communication: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance and avoid or reduce health risks.  Students demonstrate effective verbal and nonverbal communication to enhance health.  Students also demonstrate listening skills to enhance skills.  This activity involves much communication with their teammates, allowing them to work on their communication.  The activity also requires listening skills as rules are important and winning requires good strategy. 

Relation to Health Unit: This lesson can be used in a unit that explores muscles and strength.  It can be explained how important development of the muscles are as well as what muscles we use when catching and throwing.  Working to improve strength through these skills can also be addressed with this activity.

Resources: https://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=132690#.XcEkpEVKhmA