The gym has been alive over the last month with various games that focused specifically on teamwork, while at the same time using and improving our physical literacy skills. The ability to work with a group of people to achieve a common goal is a foundational skill in sport. While not every sport requires team play (such as singles badminton or tennis, or many track and field events), one is still a part of that larger team that trains together, celebrates success and supports during disappointing moments.
Effective communication is an integral part of teamwork. During brainstorming qualities of communication and teamwork, students agreed that to have effective teamwork, there needed to be effective communication guiding how we interacted or spoke (or did not speak) to our teammates. Stepping Stones was an activity that truly put those skills to the test as students used verbal and nonverbal language to use their stepping stones (various materials such as bean bags, hockey pucks, hula hoops) to move, balance and step on to cross from one end of the gym to the other.
Curling brought in another aspect of teamwork as teams tried to have their rock closest to the button (centre circle) to score points. Turn taking, negotiating lead throw, talking about strategy were vital to the smooth execution of a game. At the same time, students needed to determine the correct weight and accuracy of the throw (aim – hand-eye coordination) to place their rock in the house or knock the opponent out of scoring contention. So, while teamwork was focused on throughout this activity, gross motor, coordination, and acquiring vocabulary specific to the game were also vital learning components throughout this experience.
Effective communication is an integral part of teamwork. During brainstorming qualities of communication and teamwork, students agreed that to have effective teamwork, there needed to be effective communication guiding how we interacted or spoke (or did not speak) to our teammates. Stepping Stones was an activity that truly put those skills to the test as students used verbal and nonverbal language to use their stepping stones (various materials such as bean bags, hockey pucks, hula hoops) to move, balance and step on to cross from one end of the gym to the other.
Curling brought in another aspect of teamwork as teams tried to have their rock closest to the button (centre circle) to score points. Turn taking, negotiating lead throw, talking about strategy were vital to the smooth execution of a game. At the same time, students needed to determine the correct weight and accuracy of the throw (aim – hand-eye coordination) to place their rock in the house or knock the opponent out of scoring contention. So, while teamwork was focused on throughout this activity, gross motor, coordination, and acquiring vocabulary specific to the game were also vital learning components throughout this experience.