Dribbling a ball with a hand

Learning outcomes

After this lesson, student should be aware of 4 critical components of dribbling a ball (on the side, no higher than waist, pushing the ball down, and looking up) and be able to dribble a ball applying at least 3 of them.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

• tape player
• tape with prerecorded warm-up routine
• basketballs
• mini basketballs
• playground balls of different sizes 6-10”
• cones
• 2 tunnels, mats
• 2 mini trampolines
• equipment for obstacle course
• box with 6 beanbags
• targets that can be mounted on the wall

Pre-activities

Warm-up

The students enter the gym and immediately start movement around the gym on the line of basketball court with the tunes of warm-up music. Routine includes about 5 minutes of movement on obstacle course that includes:

1. jump form hoop to hoop (4 hoops on the line (I tie them together with yarn, so they don’t move away from each other
2. crawl through the tunnel
3. run and jump off trampoline
4. roll like a pencil
5. leap from hoop to hoop
6. run and jump off the trampoline

Keep this warm-up setting for a couple of lessons. See this diagram in Word format that illustrates the warm-up exercise.

Lesson organizational activities

When music stops, the students continue walking on the line until they reach their assigned numbers for lesson introduction (8 students in each line facing the black board). After the warm-up, students sit down on their assigned numbers—in alphabetical order in pike position and stretch reaching with hands toward their toes. This allows for quick check of attendance and preparation for class (sneakers) during the introductory segment of each lesson. When child comes unprepared numerous times, pre-printed parent note (in the pocket at the door) is sent to parents with the student.

The day schedule, SCOS, lesson objectives, skills to be practiced, safety rules, cognitive information, rubrics, homework assignment, and new vocabulary are posted on the boards in front of the students. The new lesson is briefly introduced, skill demonstrated, cues for dribbling reviewed. (4 minutes)

Activities

Developmental exercises/Ball handling

(5 minutes)
After lesson introduction and teacher signal (Go), students pick-up chosen balls from several containers spread out on the floor in personal space, which is indicated by a permanent “x” on the floor. Teacher calls one line at the time (from closest to furthest to the balls) to prevent congestion at the containers. A variety of balls (bigger, smaller, harder, basketballs, playground balls, soft rubber) are available for students, which can be changed during the class without asking, as long as is not during teacher’s instructions. This lowers anxiety in very shy and “ball-inexperienced” students. Teacher reminds students of ball procedure by blowing a whistle for attention—ball is put on the floor, students don’t touch the ball. While in sitting position, students practice at teacher’s direction and demonstration:

• squeezing the ball with both hands
• rolling ball around body
• rolling ball under both lifted bent legs (exercise for hip flexors and abdominal muscles)
• lifting ball held between feet
• holding ball in both hands while doing roll-ups
• twisting body while holding ball in front
• superman position on stomach holding a ball stretched in extension of body (back muscles)

Dribbling a ball

(12 minutes)

1. Teacher reminds cues of 4 critical elements of dribbling a ball:
   • side
   • low
   • push
   • look-up
2. Students recite after teacher.
3. Students practice the following for about 2 minutes each at the teacher’s direction:
   • Dribbling a ball in place. Teacher gives signal to switch a dribbling hand.
   • Dribbling a ball while walking.
   • Dribbling a ball while jogging.
   • Dribbling a ball in place and looking at a teacher who has raised hand and shows different number of fingers. Students say the number of fingers a teacher is extending.
   • “Mirror.” Students face teacher and mirror teacher’s dribbling (both hands, standing, walking, turning around, etc.). Students can take turns leading this game.
4. Teacher whistles for attention and students put balls away to appropriate container and sit down with a permanent partner while teacher shows and explains assignment.

Stations

(13 minutes - 2 minutes per stations plus transitions, explanations)
Stations are set up before class—cones placed at the wall for station location, equipment in the containers at the cone, picture/sign on the cone for reminder.

• Throwing and catching a ball with a partner. Students yell hooray when they manage 5 passes without dropping a ball. Materials: cone, 3 balls in a box.
• Rolling/throwing underhand a ball to the hoop. Students yell hooray when ball stops in the hoop. Materials: hoops already in position from warm-up segment, cone, box with foam softballs.
• Obstacle course. Push mats used in warm-up close together to the middle of gym.
  • crawling through the tunnel
  • run
  • jump off trampoline
  • rolling like a pencil/egg
  • balance on domes, rope (modify or add for available materials or convenience)
• Throwing (overhand). Students throw a beanbag to a target located on the wall far from student (to force body rotation). Students yell, “hooray” when ball hits the target.
• Dribbling a ball among the cones spread out on the floor.

See this diagram in Word format that illustrates the layout of the stations.

Teacher is using up-beat music for station practice. Teacher circulates giving feedback, encouragement, high fives, cloth pins to super dribblers. The pins are exchanged for the PE Super Star slips kept in the basket at the exit door. When music stops (CD player with remote very handy) and teacher counts backwards from 5 to 1, students clean up and sit down at the station cones. Students move to next station after teacher signal in clockwise direction and immediately start new assignment.

During the class, teacher hands out the cloth pins (total 5) to students who excel in rolling technique or effort. The pins are exchanged for the PE Super Star slips kept in the basket at the exit door.

Lesson closing/cool down

(4 minutes)
After the last station, the students sit down for class closing procedure again on their assigned number:

1. reach toward their toes in pike position
2. lesson summary–review class assignment, dribbling cues, new vocabulary used in class
3. homework assignment–dribbling a ball every day (homework sheets available on the desk at the door
4. locating belongings (jackets, nametags, etc.)
5. self assessment on the High Five board located at the exit door
6. PE Super Star slip pick-up.

Assessment

In first grade, I use very simple rubric with 2 areas for the names of children (1) who are excellent dribblers (have mastered three of the four critical components) and (2) those who need more practice (have mastered two or less of the critical components). In first grade I concentrate on pushing a ball instead hitting it.

While leaving the gym, students assess their performance by giving themselves either high five (green hand), medium five (yellow hand), or low five (red hand) located on the wall at the door.

Supplemental information

Modifications

Adaptation during the warm-up for the students with limited mobility: students perform warm-up at their pace on the inside circle with additional mats if needed. This lesson can be successful used with older students too.

Comments

This is the fourth lesson in the Manipulative Activities unit I teach in second quarter. Students learned about the PE class procedures during the first several lessons of the first quarter. Although the main focus of the lesson is bouncing a ball, the lesson includes locomotor movement and practice of skills learned in 3 previous lessons: rolling, underhand and overhand throwing.

This lesson is design for maximum involvement of the students. It can be implemented by teachers who have successfully established the class procedures.

This lesson develops not only motor skills, but also vision skills such as eye hand coordination, eye teaming, visual tracking necessary for reading and writing process.