Lesson 6 of 8

30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

actively participate in cooperative group activities according to their capabilities while demonstrating positive
interaction among group to achieve a common goal.

Facility

Gymnasium

Safety Requirements

Refer to the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines at safety.ophea.net.

Equipment List

4 pool noodles

4 benches or pylons

Music and audio equipment (optional)

Equipment for relays (i.e., hula hoops, beanbags, skipping ropes)

Teacher Resource 5: Active Living and Living Skills Anecdotal Recording Chart

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 1 of 6

 Lesson 6 of 8
30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

Warm-Up

Students will gradually increase their heart rate by participating in the following activity.

Line Tag
Students choose a line on the activity floor to stand on to start the game. One student is named It and a
foam noodle is given to this student.
On the signal, students begin moving around the activity area trying to avoid being tagged by It.
All students must stay on lines at all times.
If a student is tagged by "It", he or she becomes the new "It.
Change the methods of locomotion throughout the game (e.g., walking, skipping, jogging)
Add more than one It to the game to increase the level of activity.

Minds On

Share and clarify the lesson Learning Goals with the students.

Teacher prompt: In this lesson, we are going to participate in a number of cooperative activities involving
partners and small groups. These activities require you to apply a number of cooperative behaviours so
that all members of the group have fun. We talked last class and made a list of Success Criteria for
Communication. What types of things might I hear groups saying if you are cooperating and communicating
well with a partner or in your group when I am walking around observing?

Success Criteria for Communication

Listens to partner or team mates

Calls team mates by their name
Shares strategies and ideas to make the activity successful
Encourages partner or team mate
Lets the teacher and/or students know if something is unsafe

Teacher prompt: If you think about other areas of your life, where else might these skills be necessary for
success?

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 2 of 6

 Lesson 6 of 8
30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

Student response: We have to work with partners and groups in class all of the time. Sometimes if groups
dont get along they dont get the job done and then everyone in the group is not successful.

Lead a brainstorming session with the class and remind the students about the Success Criteria for Active
Participation that were recorded in Lesson 3.

Success Criteria for Active Participation:

Demonstrates readiness and ability to take part

Participates actively and vigorously in physical activities
Encourages others to take part and participate
Follows instructions
Shows initiative
Stays on task
Moves all the time

A&E - Minds On

Teacher observation with verbal feedback of the Success Criteria students ability to discuss and
understand the importance of communication and active participation

Action

Partner Challenges
Palm Push

Students stand facing a partner, touching palms.

The object of this challenge is to try to make this partner move their feet. Students may touch only each
others palms. Students should not interlock fingers or twist hands.
They may try this activity standing or squatting.

Statues * Call out numbers ranging from two to eight - Students work together to form "statues" with that
number of hands or feet on the ground at one time * Students should work together to form the most
creative poses possible with only the number of hands or feet called out on the ground

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 3 of 6

 Lesson 6 of 8
30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

Partner Knee Box

Partners face each other and try to touch their partners knees while avoiding getting their own knees touched.
Caution students against bumping heads.

Stand/Sit
Partners face each other, sitting down and holding both hands. They try to stand up by working together and
not putting their hands on the ground. Once up, partners can try to sit, again, not using hands.
Students can try the same task but start back to back. Avoid linking arms as this can result in wrenched
shoulders and elbows.

Seat Up
Students sit, facing each other and put the soles of their feet together. Pushing feet and balancing with arms,
students try to lift their seats off the ground.

Prior to moving on to larger-group challenges, have student share ideas with the large group as to what
made their partner group successful or not. Ideas may include trial and error, working together to figure
out how we were going to try and accomplish the task, communication with each other what had to be
done in order to be successful. Remind students that cooperation and in particular good communication
are going to be very important in the next activity.

Class Goal Relays

Divide class into several small teams of 3 5 so that students have the most opportunities to be active.
Provide a number of relay activities with the goal of the students to have all teams finished within a certain
time rather than to have teams competing against each other.
The class can predict the amount of time that will be required to accomplish each task then attempt to meet
their goal.
The class may come up with strategies to improve their time (e.g., changing teams, adding more teams,
increasing efficiency of movement).
Possible relays include jumping into and out of a series of hoops, one foot hopping, grapevine step running,
crab walking, skipping with a partner.
Challenge students to come up with different ways of moving for a relay.

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 4 of 6

 Lesson 6 of 8
30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

A&E - Action

Teacher observation with anecdotal writing of students demonstrated communication skills and active
participation using Teacher Resource 5: Active Living and Living Skills Anecdotal Recording Chart

Cool-Down

Students gradually decrease their heart rate to a resting rate by participating in the activity below.
Students should also stretch the body parts that have been active throughout the lesson. See Appendix for
stretches.

Mirror
With a partner students perform mirror stretches.
One student does the action while the other one is the mirror, copying the action.
Students lead 10 stretches and then they switch roles.

Consolidation

Review Learning Goals with students and what those goals look like based on the Success Criteria
identified in the Minds On. Students self-assess their ability to apply the lesson Learning Goals using the
Thumbs-Up Strategy (see Appendix).

A&E - Consolidation

Teacher observation of students response during Thumbs-Up self-assessment

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 5 of 6

 Lesson 6 of 8
30 minutes
Curriculum expectations: A1.1, 1.3, 1.4
Topics: Movement Competence, Active Living
Partner and Group Challenges
Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors

Ideas for Extension

Relays
Add equipment to relays (e.g., bounce balls around pylons, bounce and pass to a partner, roll hoops, carry
balls with scoops and throw to a target).

More partner initiatives:

Inchworm: Students sit on each others feet and hold each others shoulders. They use a rocking motion to
move forward and around the activity area.
Leg Wrestle: Students lie side by side, facing opposite ways. Students lift inner leg and hook onto partners leg.
Each student tries to pull partner to his or her side.

Notes to Teacher

When doing relays, use small groups so students have more opportunities to be active. Relays can be
continuous: students continue pattern of activity until new pattern is called, instead of stopping when each
person has had a turn.
Ensure that turning point for the relay is in front of a wall or fence so that students do not risk hitting an
obstacle when they are turning quickly.

Grade 6 | Small-Group Games Indoors | Partner and Group Challenges | Page 6 of 6