Exposure is a limiting factor for a student’s ability to enjoy a sport. I might see this the most with a sport like hockey. There always seems to be one or two students who play hockey outside of school in some type of private league, and they love it and are obviously the most skilled during that PE lesson. Then some students use their athleticism to make up for the lack of expertise with the equipment, and they still have a lot of fun. Then there is a large contingency of students who barely get to hit or touch the puck. They are not having as much fun. Previously, my best solution was to have more games happening at once. Each game had fewer players per game, increasing the chance of getting the ball and being an essential member of the game. In this version of hockey, there will be many opportunities to hit the ball and shoot at a goal, increasing the likelihood that all the students will enjoy this game and other future hockey games.

With Rock Cycle hockey, the names of the types of rocks and the processes that rock goes through to become other types of rocks are reinforced during the game. With Rock Cycle hockey, instead of scoring goals on another team and “winning,” the scoring player transforms from one type of rock to another. With these modifications to hockey, more students get to touch the ball, which is an excellent way to learn about the rock cycle while getting many repetitions hitting the ball.

Another fun way to play this game is using scooters and hand scoops. Unfortunately, only some students have exposure to these materials consistently. Hence, it levels the playing field between the student’s abilities and allows them to have more fun instead of worrying about how many goals they scored. They can focus on learning the rock cycle by removing the competitive element that might distract from the game’s objective.

Materials: 

·      A large area outside or inside

o   At least one hockey stick per student

o   Lots of rubber disc dots to show each area of the rock type

o   Lots of soft hockey pucks or softballs (dodgeballs)

·      To use the scooters, you must have a large indoor area or a flat surface outside

o   One scooter per person

o   A hand scoop per person

o   One softball or tennis ball that fits in the hand scooper

·      Both sets of games require mini-goals, but cones can be used as well

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game can be played with as few as three people but is much better with an entire class.

Age: Lower and Upper Elementary