Some of the lessons that I create work right of the box when I first think of them. It’s a lot of fun to see an idea in my head quickly turn into an effective game that works as intended. It happens often enough that I take it for granted, and sometimes I assume that any game I make is going to work immediately. This game was NOT one of those instances!
The first iterations, when tested with students, were trainwrecks. There was not enough clarity of the objective, the game mechanics were too difficult, the students were not social distancing as intended, and there was way too much time where some student was not active during the game. It looked more like a free-for-all. However, collassusal failures feel bad enough on my end that I always fix them quickly, as well as make a better product once everything is said and done. So from the spectacular failure of the first version, to this current version that worked well with even my most rambunctious lower elementary class, I bring you: Volcanoes (Social Distancing Edition).
Volcano
Montessori Physical Education
Social Distancing Edition
Introduction:
One of the most iconic natural phenomena that happen on Earth is a volcanic eruption. Humans have always been in awe of volcanoes, and for good reason. Their destructive capabilities are fearsome, whether from the lava flow, or the ash cloud that can reach for miles. There are many stories and myths from thousands of years ago center on the destructive capability of volcanoes. Yet for all their destructive power, we live on them! Volcanic lava brings nutrient rich matter, which changes soil composition. After the destruction, there is tremendous regrowth in an area hit by lava flow. We have lived on volcanoes especially in archipelagos around Asia and Oceania because of the lush flora and fauna (supported by this destructive force). Many humans have prized the igneous stone obsidian, which is made from volcanic activity.
Students absolutely love volcanoes. Whether they are learning about lava and eruptions, or making model volcanoes themselves, volcanoes have always been one of the favorites. With this fun and exciting lesson, students will be able to live out their fantasy of creating an eruption while simultaneously reinforcing concepts and terminology of volcanoes.
This edition has been modified to reflect the need for social distancing, as well as the prevention of cross-contaminating equipment. There has also been an extra emphasis placed on convection currents in this version as well.
Materials:
· A large playing area (gym or outside)
o If you are playing in outside, you will need several (I recommend at least four depending on larger size classes) large containers like 55-gallon waste buckets
o If you are playing inside and do not have access to many 55-gallon waste buckets are equivalent holding vessels, portable basketball hoops can be used as the target
· At least one “air scoop” per student (air scoops are a material that look like a combination of a handheld lacrosse stick and jai alai)
· At least one ball per group (which could be as few as two or as many as six)
· Lots of rubber disc dots
Prior Knowledge: The students should have had the First Great Lesson, and lessons on volcanoes would be very helpful as well. The game can be used as an introduction to volcanoes however. This year I used this lesson as a bridge between the First and Second Great Lesson as volcanoes play a big part in the Archaic Period, and the volcanic lava would provide building blocks for future life.
Presentation
· Whether inside or outside, the arrangement should look similar.
o If the playing area is a square, there should be a basketball ball hoop or container at each angle of the square. From each target (the container), there will be rubber disc dots that emanate in a line following the diagonals. If seen from above, it would resemble a square with an X inside.
· The first rubber disc dot should start about 3 feet away from the target, and each disc dot afterwards would be every one to two feet (making a trail of disc dots), which will act as the placements for the shots. For those of you who are old enough to remember, this idea resembles Bozo Buckets.
· Depending on the number of students in the class, there will be three to four students per basket or bucket. Each student will have a specific role, and the roles change when there is not a successful shot.
o If there are three students per target
§ There should be one shooter, and two students who try and catch missed shots. They may be standing on either side of the target, or one could be in front and the other behind the target. The shooter is allowed to catch their own miss, and move off the disc dot to do so.
o If there are four students per target
§ There should be one shooter, and two students on either side of the target, as well as one student behind the target. The shooter must keep a foot on their disc dot if they are attempting to catch their own miss.
· The first shooter tries to throw the ball into the target (bucket or hoop). If they are successful, they move one disc dot away and shoot again. The process repeats until they miss and the ball hits the ground, or they successfully make a shot from every single disc dot.
· If the shooter is not successful in making their shot, one of two things can happen
o If the missed shot is caught before it hits the ground, the shot has been “saved,” and the shooter gets another chance from where they just shot. This is huge when the students have far shots and are almost done completing the volcano. For lower elementary, allowing one bounce of the ball from a missed shot may be a good variation to implement.
o If the missed shot is not caught by a teammate, then the shooter rotates with one of the catcher players, and a former catcher becomes the new shooter. The process of shooting, missing, and switching repeats, which means that every student will get multiple chances being the shooter and the catcher.
§ For upper elementary, the students should restart from the beginning, or the first disc dot, after every rotation.
§ For lower elementary, especially if the target is very difficult, when the players rotate, they do not go back to the start, but stay at the disc dot that was previously achieved. If/when the students do make a shot from the last disc dot, then they should start from the very beginning again.
· The goal of the game is for a team to get a shooter to the farthest disc dot and make the shot. This represents the creation of a volcano. This does not end the game however. There are essentially two games in one: which team will make the first volcano, and then how many total volcanoes can be made by the whole class.
· Once the game is over, it is time for the debriefing. We are going to introduce the concept of convection currents to the students. There is magma constantly going through the convection cycle underneath the crust of the Earth. When something gets hotter, it rises, and as it cools it sinks. This phenomenon can be easily seen with hot air balloons. There are times when the heat and pressure builds up so immensely that the Earth’s crust cannot contain it anymore, and the lava from mantle makes it to the surface and breaks through. This build up of heat and pressure is represented by the “pressure” that the shooter feels as they move farther and farther away from the target. Making a shot from the last dot is when magma spews forth from the volcano, making lava!
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Aims:
Direct: For the children to reinforce terminology of volcanoes
Indirect: Listening to directions
Teamwork and team building
Communication
Patience
Perseverance
Physical skills practiced:
· Throwing the ball at a target with an air scoop
· Catching a ball in the air (or off of a bounce) with an air scoop
Control Of Error:
Whether the ball goes in the target, and if the shot is missed, whether it is caught or not
Points of Interest: The game does an excellent job of reinforcing the importance of teamwork. Even though the catcher may seem like an easier job, it becomes very important when a team gets close to the end and the shooter misses the shot. Besides the importance of teamwork, it may also help the students understand the value of work, even when what they are doing is not necessarily in the spotlight.
Age: 6-9 and 9-12