#1 Basket Ball Skills
Grade Level: 3-5
Objective: The students will develop teamwork passing and skills in the game of basketball.
Materials: Basketballs, Jerseys
Introductory: Review the chest pass and bounce pass.
1. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your knees bent.
2. Review that only your finger tips should be touching the basketballs.
3. The ball should be at your chest with elbows out.
4. Look at the target.
5. Figure out what foot you are going to step with.
6. Step with either your right or left foot.
7. Make sure your arms are extended when you release the ball.
8. Push off with your back foot.
9. When you follow through make sure to have your thumbs down. (10 minutes)
Development: Get with a partner and practice the chest and bounce pass 20 times. A variation with students who catch on quick, is doing a bounce pass and then a chest pass. Take a step back after 10 successful passes. (10 minutes)
Concluding: Divide the class into two teams. One team wears jerseys to identify them from the other team. Play the "passing only game" in this game the students are only allowed to to pass, not dribble. Students will work on teamwork. (10 minutes)
Teaching cues: Remind students to look up while playing. Also check for correct formation in the passes. If need be divide the class into four teams and play at different basketball hoops.
#2 Crossing the Great Divide
Grade Level: Any
Equipment: None
Highlights: Cooperation
Instructions: Divide the class up into groups (starting smaller is better) of 2 or more. Then explain to the students that the object of the game is to have their group cross the great divide (an area you select) before other groups do. They MUST have their feet touching their partners feet (side by side) AT ALL TIMES. If they lose contact with their partners foot the entire group must go back and start over from the beginning.
Hints: It is easy to increase or decrease difficulty by adding and subtracting the number of people in a group. At the end of the class try having the entire class as a group.
