Games 3 - Lesson 2

In the second lesson of the Games 3 series for Year 1 students, the objective is to impart basic defending skills through engaging activities. The lesson begins with a warm-up called 'Shadows', where pupils pair up and mirror each other's movements, such as jogging on the spot and star jumps, enhancing their ability to quickly respond to changes in action. This activity also serves as an introduction to the concept of defending, as pupils learn to anticipate and react, similar to a defender in a game. The lesson progresses with variations and dynamic movements to challenge the students further and encourage discussion about the skills practised in the previous lesson and their application to defending.

The main part of the lesson involves two key activities. First, 'Left, Right or Middle?' requires pairs to use tennis balls and cones to practise quick decision-making and defensive positioning, with one pupil attempting to roll the ball past their partner to knock over cones, while the other tries to prevent this. The second activity, 'Stop The Goal', divides pupils into groups where they take turns being attackers and defenders, using different techniques such as rolling, throwing, and kicking balls towards a goal. The defenders learn to make their bodies 'big' and intercept the ball, while attackers work on aiming where there is space. The lesson concludes with a cool-down activity called 'Attacking Or Defending?', where pupils reflect on what they've learned by moving to areas labelled 'defending' or 'attacking' in response to questions, thereby reinforcing the concepts and vocabulary associated with the skills practised throughout the lesson.