Warm-Up: Human knot for Grade 8

Brie MacDonald

This warm-up would be followed by students, in groups of 4-5, passing a soccer ball between all the members while running down the length of a field. They will already have practiced several different easier passing skills in previous classes. This warmup activity is meant to get students’ collaboration & communication skills active before the main lesson.

Grade: 8

Topic: Ball passing skills in soccer

Lesson 6 of 10

Lesson focus: Locomotor & manipulative skills in dual activities

Equipment:  none needed, can be done in the gym or outside

Learning outcomes: 

The students will be able to communicate & collaborate effectively to accomplish a physical group task.

The students will be able to work effectively while ensuring that everyone’s bodies remain safe.

Introductory activity/warm up

-start in groups of 3

-randomly joins hands among your group (try crossing your own arms when joining hands with others)

-without unclasping any hands, “untangle” yourselves into a circle (or as close as you can get) where you have no crossed hands/arms

-once your group is “untangled” join with another “untangled” group of 3 and start again

-keep going, creating larger and larger groups until 5 minutes is up

-goal: what is the least number of groups the class can get to in 5 minutes

-Tip: if you get a large group of people, start in a circle and then move inwards before taking hands – to ensure everyone is included.

Organization

During instructions students will be in one large circle. Once game starts students will begin in groups of 3, instructed to spread out across the gym space. As each group finishes, they will move across the gym and join other groups of 3, and then into larger groups.

Teaching Points

-Start by getting kids to group up with two other kids, before instructions, so the groups are all ready to go when instructions are completed.

-demonstrate how to randomly connect hands, including some possible outcomes (eg: facing inwards or outwards, two circles, etc.)

-Reminder – communication is key!! Get consent.

-Reminder – be gentle with each other’s’ bodies as you are moving – no hard or quick movements and watch those elbows!

Safety concerns and preventative measures

• Students may forget to be gentle with each other’s bodies (e.g. pulling of arms, putting too much weight onto someone, etc.) à give a verbal reminder to be gentle with each other, communicate, and seek consent about each other’s bodies; also walk around during the process to help students with communication, collaboration, or safety.
• Student(s) who are not comfortable being touched or being that close to others à only use this warm-up once you know your students well; an alternative version of this game can be played using ropes or scarves that students grab randomly and must coordinate to untangle, there is less close physical contact in this version.