Sonya Schulzki 1 Traditional Aboriginal Games Lesson Subject: Physical Education Topic: Traditional Aboriginal Games Grade: 11-12 Duration: 60min Learning Outcomes: General Learning Outcome 1: Movement Skills The student will demonstrate competency in selected movement skills, and knowledge of movement development and physical activities with respect to different types of learning, experiences, environments, and cultures. S.1.S2.A.3 Select and refine balance abilities applying mechanical principles (i.e., force, motion, balance), using a variety of equipment (e.g., stick games, hand games) related to activity-specific physical activity skills. General Learning Outcome 4: Personal and Social Management The student will demonstrate the ability to develop self-understanding, to make healthenhancing decisions, to work cooperatively and fairly with others, and to build positive relationships with others. K.4.S2.B.1b Discuss the historical and/ or current roles of games, sports, and other physical activity pursuits for the appreciation of different cultures. Assessment for Learning Students will be participating in Traditional Aboriginal Games and learning that not all games are about strength, but strategy. Summative: Assessment of Learning Students will make up a final assignment where they can either make up a new game, or research other traditional Aboriginal Games. They have to write about the activity, and will either introduce the game to the class, or teach the game and get all classmates involved in playing the game.
Sonya Schulzki 2 Connection to Last Lesson In the last lesson, students were introduced to the game of Lacrosse, which is Canada s National sport, provided by the Aboriginal people of North America. Today s lesson will focus more on Traditional Aboriginal Games. Most of the games will be one-on-one, where students will challenge each other through the focus on strategies rather than strength. This lesson will be a wonderful opportunity to engage all students! Flexible Groupings During Metis Wheel Tag/Ring on a String/Dog Soldier, there is one person who is it/the guesser/the Dog Soldier. Ask students if they would like to volunteer before you choose someone. Afterwards, these roles will switch on their own whether the students gain it while playing. If some students have been more successful at gaining the opportunity for the specific role, ask the individuals if they wouldn t mind passing it off to a peer who has not yet had a turn. Ball Dance is a group activity where everyone will stand in a circle. Stick Wrestling, Gentle Always Wins, and Fox Tail are games that are played in pairs. Find pairs by: Birthday month Opposite sex Same height First name initial Someone they have not yet challenged Activating Activities: Metis Wheel Tag: This game involves a large wheel with four directions from the middle. There will be one tagger with a handkerchief who begins by standing in the middle while everyone else is on the outside lines of the circle. Everyone must stay on the lines and avoid being tagged. If you get tagged, you are now the tagger and you will have to hold onto the handkerchief so peers will know who the tagger is.
Sonya Schulzki 3 Ring on a String: This game only needs a ring on a string that is tied in a loop. One person stands in the middle and a group of people hold onto the string with the ring. The person who is in the middle has three guess to figure out where the ring is while everyone else is pretending to pass on the ring. Stick Wrestle Game: This game is played in partners. Each person has their front foot against their partners in a forward stance. One hand is on the stick. The stick is to be moved around using different forces and motions, trying to throw their partner off balance. Once their partner s feet move, then they win. Gentle Always Wins: You will need a long piece of rope. This is somewhat of a tug-o-war game. Participants must have their feet together sitting in a squatted position, holding a rope at its very end with a lot of slack. On go, the object is to get your opponent to let go of the rope or to lose his/her balance. *Safety considerations: Stress to students not to wrap the rope around their hands. Acquiring Activities Fox Tail: (Dakota) Demonstrate how to throw a fox tail by holding the end of the tail in your non-dominant hand, holding the middle of the tail with your dominant hand with wrist rotation to allow head of fox tail to travel in a circular motion. Students will have to pay attention to timing if they want to aim towards their partner and release. Allow students to practice tossing to one another. If they catch it at the head of the fox tail = 1; if they catch in the middle = 2; if they catch it right near the end of the tail = 3. Introduce double ball as well. Next, have students line up along the wall and roll a hoop across the gym to see if they can hit it or get the Fox Tail through it. If they miss the hoop completely = 0; if it goes through the spaces of the hoop = 1; if it hits a spoke of the wheel = 2; if it hit the middle of the hoop = 3. Ball Dance: (Dakota) This game is used before an individual can play Dog Soldier because an individual must learn how to do a 360 turn before they can receive their Coo stick. Everyone is standing in a circle
Sonya Schulzki 4 and a ball is passed around by turning with the ball. Once the ball is passed, you are not allowed to stop it, or change its direction. You must keep the flow of the ball by keeping its same path and moving it in a 360 turn, passing it back into the circle. Applying Activities Dog Soldier: (Dakota) The Dog Soldier has one foot in a hoop, a Coo Stick (we use a pop bottle contraption with lots of padding) in the hand, and a handkerchief in the Dog Soldiers pocket. All the other participants are surrounding the Dog soldier in attempt to grab the handkerchief without getting hit by the coo stick. If a player gets hit with the Coo stick, they must do something before continuing to play (e.g. step back three steps, go touch a wall, do 3 jumping jacks). If someone retrieves the handkerchief without getting hit, they become the Dog Soldier. *Tip: Students may be concerned that the Coo stick is going to hurt if they get hit with. Demonstrate that it is harmless by hitting it against yourself (e.g. on your head a few times. This will make students laugh!). Closing Activities Sharing Circle with a Talking Stick At the end of class, a debriefing/sharing circle would be a proper closing to the lesson. A Talking stick will be passed around the circle to indicate who has the floor to speak. All other students should be respectful and listening if they do not have the stick. Everyone in the circle is equal, sitting at the same level. No one is more or less important than the other. Students will be asked what they enjoyed about the Traditional Aboriginal Games. Learning Resources The games package I am using is from Blair Robbilard. All of the games I am using are from his book of Traditional Aboriginal Games. Equipment: 2- Ring on a String 10-6ft. ropes for Gentle always wins 10- Sticks for Stick Wrestle
Sonya Schulzki 5 5- Double balls 10- Fox tails 1- Ball for the Ball Dance 1- Coo sticks, Handkerchief, and hoop for dog soldier Different Ways of Learning These games focus on cooperation, team work, social skills, competitiveness, determination, strategy, and strength. They have been passed down from generation to generation. They were important to learn for the emotional, physical, and mental development of the community members. 3 Multiple Intelligences 1. Visual/Spatial: students will observe what they will have to do; they must make sure they are aware of their surroundings while playing the games. 2. Body/Kinesthetic: Using ones own body to find strategies of the game to win (e.g. balance better by lowering center of gravity, etc.) 3. Interpersonal: Works well with others. If they choose the teaching portion to the class, they will do very well as an educator. 2 Learning Styles 1. Tactile Learners: For the assignment, students will be able to write out and draw pictures for the finished project. 2. Kinesthetic Learners: students will learn more about the Traditional Aboriginal Games by participating first hand. 2 Thinking Styles 1. Concrete Random: Given the option of creating their own game, they will be able to experiment with games. They can use their imagination and creativity! 2. Abstract Random: Great environment for working and engaging with others during the lesson. 1 Option 1. For the assignment students will either be able to make up their own games, or they can research a Traditional Aboriginal Game. Afterwards they will either present what they found, or they can actually teach their peers how to play!
Sonya Schulzki 6 Independent Practice Assignment Fox tails can be used for target practice. Have students guess what other types of things they can use a fox tail for. All students will be given either one fox tail or double ball so that they may be able to get some ideas flowing. Option 1 Students will have to provide a one page paper on creating their own game with a fox tail or double ball. Students can either come up with an activity or a use for the fox tail. They must include what are the rules/steps of activity/tool are. Rubric will be attached to lesson plan. Option 2 Have students research existing simple Traditional Cultural Games that they can teach or present to the class. Learning Resources Manitoba Education and Training. (2002). Senior 1 and Senior 2 Physical Education/Health Education: A Foundation for Implementation. Winnipeg. MB: Manitoba Education and Training. Halas, J. (2007). Rec and Read Mentorship Manual: Aboriginal Games and Activities. Winnipeg, MB. Robillard, B. (2008). Traditional Aboriginal Games. Winnipeg, MB. Robillard, B., Pierre, M. (2010). Aboriginal Games and Activities Course with Cultural/ Historical Teachings. Winnipeg, MB.