Team Building that gets students physically active in "your" Physical Education Program

Ben Dyson, Ph.D., Al Seed, Ph.D.
Kirk Clayborn, Mark Craig, Hugh Ferry
The University of Memphis

Correspondence to:
Ben Dyson
The University of Memphis
Department of Health and Sport Sciences
214 Elma Neal Roane Field house
Memphis, TN 38152-3480
Tel: (901) 678-1794
Fax: (901) 678-3591
Email: bdyson@memphis.edu

Team Building for Shelby County Schools

Based on Adventure Education we will explore team-building activities for physical education. The activities are designed to build cooperation and teamwork among and between teachers and students. The activities will be designed to use minimal equipment and emphasis maximum student participation. The intent will be for students to be physically active and have fun together as a group.

When developing or improving your program it is important to sequence activities so that the level of trust, cooperation, level of disclosure, and challenge are appropriate for the students. The development of team building should be initiated with a block plan as presented below. Then lesson plans can be developed from the block plan. 

Note: It's about building relationships: Listening, encouraging, supporting, respecting, trusting, accepting, and always negotiating disagreements (Glasser, 2000).

Activity Block Plan

Note: Planning and flexibility are in constant tension in Adventure Education, you need to provide sufficient structure to ensure a supportive learning environment but you also need to be able to 'think on your feet' as the students make their own choices and discoveries.

Learning Activity 1: Icebreaker activities

Task 1. Group juggle/ Pattern ball (for groups of 8 to 12)

1. Informing/basic:
   Develop a throwing pattern and get as many balls/objects in the air simultaneously as there are people in the group. Arrange Students in a circle. Students throw the ball to different members of the group and create a specific throwing pattern. The ball or object is always thrown in the same pattern. The intent is to start with one ball or one object, then add more. Students throw balls or objects when other. Students are ready to receive hem. Students must use other students' names. Students may not throw their object if the person already has an object.
   Equipment: A variety of balls and objects.
2. Extension:
   Reverse the pattern.
   Add different objects.
3. Refinement:
   Delay throw until receiver is ready.
4. Application: Students need hand-eye coordination of throwing and catching. Students need to watch the ball coming to them and watch where they are throwing. Students learn to anticipate a catch or a throw, listen to other, and use peripheral vision to watch for balls or objects thrown. Students learn to be patient when throwing the ball or object - they need to wait until their teammate is ready. This skill can transfer to their job.
   Objective: Students work together to have the ball travel through the pattern in the least amount of time possible.

Task 2. Speed Ball/ Warp Speed:
After creating a throwing pattern with pattern ball, the facilitator will ask the groups to time themselves to see how long it takes them to move the ball through the pattern.
Objective:Have the ball travel through the pattern in the least amount of time possible.
Equipment: One small ball per group.

Task 3. Group Processing:

1. What Happened?
2. So What?
3. Now What?

Objective: Icebreaker activities - warm-up and get used to the "team" concept.

Task 4. Assessment:

• Daily journal guidelines -- written after class.
• Rubric assessment of students

Group Juggle/ Pattern Ball Rubric

Level 4:
Calls all names of others in the group. Reaches for the ball or object when catching. Consistently performs a leading pass, movement is smooth, and ball or object is easy to catch. Gives accurate and positive feedback to other students. Accepts corrective feedback from others and attempts to make improvement in throwing and/or catching skill.

Level 3:
Often calls names of others in the group. Generally reaches for the ball or object when catching. Frequently performs a leading pass, movement is smooth, and ball or object is generally easy to catch. Gives positive feedback to other students. Accepts corrective feedback from others.

Level 2:
Sometimes calls names of others in the group. Infrequently reaches for the ball or object when catching. Infrequently performs a leading pass, movement is rushed, and ball or object is difficult to catch. Does not provide positive feedback to other students. Ignores corrective feedback.

Level 1:
Does not call names of others in the group. Does not reach for the ball or object when catching. Does not performs a leading pass and movement is jerky and rushed. Frequently makes negative comments to other students. Is upset when corrected by other group members.

Learning Activity 2: Decision-making:

Task 1. Full Value Contract Review - Teach and Create for your School!!!
(Cognitive and affective task)

This is a contract between everyone that they will: Play Hard, Play Fair, Play Safe, and Have Fun! Actions representing the different actions were preset. These actions describe how you are going to be as a group. Discuss how each action looks, feels, and sounds. All students should feel physically and emotionally safe.

• Play Hard - Sumo position - grit teeth, bend knees
• Play Fair - Bend at waist with palms in praying position (yes sensei)
• Play Safe - Baseball referee calling a player safe.
• Have Fun - Rock Star pose with tongue out yelling.

Objective: Create a FVC for your gymnasium.

Task 2. Group Processing

Learning Activity 3: Problem solving and decision making

Task 1. Pigs in Space
Students hold a tarp stretched out between them. The idea is propel the objects in at he air and have them all land on the tarp, while trying to get the pigs high in the air.

Objective:
Work together to keep all the objects on the tarp at all times.

Equipment:
A variety of balls and objects.

Task 2. Group Processing

Learning Activity 4: Problem solving and decision making

Task 1. Comfort circles
Set up a small circle representing our comfort zone inside a larger circle that represents our stretch or growth zone, outside of the large circle is a place of panic or anxiety. Ask participants to stand where they feel their comfort level lies in: public speaking, spiders, rock climbing, swimming in the ocean, flying. Take time to let them notice where their teammates are in certain areas.

Objective:
To get participants to move out of their comfort zone and into their "stretch or growth zone" but not get into the "stress" or "panic" zone.

Equipment:
A small rope and a larger rope.

Task 2. Group Processing

Learning Activity 5: Problem solving and decision making

Task 1. Minefield
Minefield is for groups of 8 to 12 students. The goal of this activity is to get each team member across a minefield while blindfolded. If anyone touches a "mine" (object on the ground) then all students go back to their starting place. Can be done with one student at a time or several students at one time. Can have all students return to there beginning position.

Objective:
To get each team member across a minefield safety using teamwork and communication: good positive directions and listening.

Equipment:
A variety of balls and objects.

Task 2. Group Processing

Learning Activity 6: Problem solving and decision making

Task 1. Key Punch
Key Punch a large circle in the middle of a room. Place a lot of numbers mixed up in the middle of the circle. Task is to touch (pick up = more difficult) the numbers in order, with only one person in the circle at a time. Try to do this as quickly as possible. Penalties will be assessed for: numbers being out of sequence, more than one person in the circle at a time, taking too long to get all of the numbers in order. If you have 30 students break into 2 teams of 15.

Objective:
Work together using positive interdependence to complete the task.

Equipment:30 polly-spots with numbers written on them - numbered 1-30.

Task 2. Group Processing

Task 3. Assessment:
Share journal comments.
(Cognitive and affective task)
Trying to dig deeper from the verbal/public group processing sessions. Students are encouraged to write about:

1. What were your physical and social/emotional goals today - how did you go?
2. What is one thing that went well today?
3. What is one thing that did not go well -- if anything?
4. What made you think today?
5. What were the physical and emotional risks today?
6. What are some of your challenges/risks that you take in your life?

Note:
1) Do you have any team building activities that get students active?
2) How can we make these activities more physically active?