Start of School: Introduction Activity Activity: Circle Name Game

Start of School: Introduction Activity
Activity: Circle Name Game
Learning Goal: The purpose of the activity is to learn the student’s names while also learning about
them and who they are based on what they share about themselves. Each student will have the
opportunity to express themselves through facts, statements, or gestures. My main goal for this activity
is to learn not only my student’s names but also about them and what they like/dislike, what they are
interested in learning, and how they interact with others.
Materials:
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Football (grades 6-12)
Small foam ball (grades K-5)
Activity Description:
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Start by having the students make a big circle. (Be sure to emphasize personal space)
Once the circle is made, go around to each student and have them say their name along
with either one fact, statement, or gesture that they feel best describes themself.
Example- “My name is Miss Bush,”
 Fact- I have two siblings, an older brother and younger sister.
 Statement- Basketball is the greatest sport ever.
 Gesture- High-Five
After all the students have introduced themselves the challenge begins!
Variations of this game can be played to meet the needs, interests, and grade levels of
the students.
For K-5th grade students, the game can be adjusted to have more emphasis on gestures
rather than facts and statements. Making the game more fun and engaging for the
students. Also a ball can be incorporated into the circle to indicate who is speaking and
where the student’s attention should be focused. (They can pass the ball around the
circle to indicate whose turn will be next, rather than just going from one person to the
next.)
For junior and senior high students, the game can be adjusted by making the circle
larger and having the students throw a football to indicate whose turn it will be and who
will be talking. (This will make the game more fun and engaging for older students,
rather than just going around in the circle.)
As the students pass the ball onto the next person, they first must say the name and
repeat the fact, statement, or gesture of the person they are passing to.
For example, if one of the students chooses to pass the ball onto me, they must first say
“Miss Bush” and then “Basketball is the greatest sport ever”.
Start of School: Introduction Activity
Activity: Line-Scription
Learning Goal: The purpose of this activity is to familiarize myself with the learning interests of my
students based on their opinions of various sports, games, and activities. My main learning goal for this
activity is to learn more about my students as individuals and discover what it is they are most
interested in learning in physical education.
Materials:
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Duct tape to create two lines along the gym floor.
Activity Description:
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During this activity I will give the students two different descriptions relating to random
things and based on which description interests them the most will determine which
line they stand behind.
For the first few rounds I will relate the descriptions to any random topic.
Example: Topic one maybe… “I prefer to read a book over playing outside”.
There will be two different lines marked out on the gym floor one green and one red
each on opposite sides of the court.
For the students who prefer to read a book over playing outside they must travel to the
green line. Indicating that the statement was true according to their personal interest.
However for the students who disagree with the statement, “I prefer to read a book
over playing outside,” they would travel to the opposite end of the court and stand
behind the red line indicating that the statement was false.
The students must choose one side or the other.
They will have 6 seconds to get from one side to the other each time their opinion
changes based on the description that is read.
If they do not make it to either line within the 6 seconds they must perform 10 jumping
jacks, 5 push-ups, or 10 crunches before the next description is read.
These can be adjusted to meet the needs of younger students as well by replacing the
push-ups and crunches with toe touches or star jumps.
As the students become more familiar with the activity I will then begin relating the
descriptions more toward physical education. (This way I can get an idea of what the
students are interested in learning about relating to health and physical education.)
Line-Scription Descriptions
1. This summer I preferred lying around and staying inside rather than being active and doing
something outside.
2. I prefer M&Ms over Skittles.
3. I prefer a high-five over a low five (fist bump).
4. I prefer to work in small groups or teams.
5. I prefer to work individually or on my own.
6. I enjoy participating in physical activity.
7. I enjoy running.
8. I play a team sport, such as basketball, soccer, baseball etc.
9. I have played a team sport.
10. I participate in physical activity at least 3 days out of the week.
11. I participate in some sort of physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day.
12. I think it is important to participate in physical activity on a regular basis.
13. I don’t think physical activity relates to or affects my overall health.
14. I am looking forward to participating in Miss Bush’s physical education class.
15. I believe that what I do now will affect my health in the future.
16. By developing good habits now I believe I will be able to make healthier decisions in the
future.
17. I think that physical education is fun!