The lesson plans included in this website follow a Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) approach to games teaching, where a modified game is used to introduce a tactical problem and skills are then developed to solve this tactical problem. This model has been created in the hope that students will understand not only how to perform skills but when they are to be used in a game and why it is necessary to learn them.
Our culture has become increasingly overweight, obese and inactive. The BC IRP document states that the aim of Physical Education 8 to 10 is to enable all students to develop knowledge, movement skills, and positive attitudes and behaviours that contribute to a healthy, active lifestyle. Both Kim and I believe that it is necessary for future generations to develop an enjoyment of physical education and understand the importance of being active once their school career is over. In the TGFU model students learn not only the skills necessary to play the game but also the strategy and tactics in which those skills are used in the game. With these elements will hopefully feel confident in their ability to play games outside of a school setting in the community with friends and partners.
In our lessons we attempted to develop and work on the 4 core skills necessary for volleyball: forearm pass, overhead pass, serving and hitting. The last two were focused on the least as they are more useful and better suited to higher level play. We also tried to get across the necessity of moving to support a partner (in the fukahara game) passing or hitting the ball into space on the other teams court (2 vs. 2 volleyball) and off the ball and preparatory movements ( castle game and shuttle drill).
We used 2 vs. 2 and sometimes 3 vs. 3 volleyball instead of 6 vs. 6 to encourage movement on the court, and well as increase touches for each player. Instead of 11 players standing around and one player touching the ball all players are actively engaged and must move in anticipation to the other players movement and communicate with their partner. Increasing contact with the ball will not only improve players skill and on the ball performance but increase their enjoyment of the activity.
References
BC IRP
Hopper, T., & Bell, F. (2001). Can we play THAT game again? STRATEGIES, 14(6), 23-28. http://www.educ.uvic.ca/Faculty/thopper/WEB/articles/Strategies/Linegame.pdf
Light, R., & Tan, S. (2006). Culture, embodied experience and teachers' development of TGfU in Australia and Singapore. European Physical Education Review, 12(1), 99-117. http://moodle.uvic.ca/file.php/500/TGfU_and_SE_articles/Practitioner_Response/Light_and_Tan_2006.pdf
