Rationale
Our unit is designed for a group of 18 students in Grade 8 at Arbutus Middle School. The lessons are the first four classes of a volleyball unit. The class was co-ed and there was a wide range of abilities and skill levels. We wanted to engage students in 4 lessons that encouraged communication through exchange of information and experiences. This was achieved by leading the students to teach, and learn from, their peers. The lessons encourage intellectual growth by teaching the "why's" of each drill instead of simply participating in physical skill development. Social interactions were fostered through co-operative and competitive group activities that helped develop positive relationships between classmates.
Content Analysis
Content Analysis Explanation
Content analysis draws on the planning outlines for teaching games based on a TGFU approach using sport concepts and skills advocated by Mitchell, Oslin and Griffin (2013).
To guide planning these authors suggest that games content be organized into three areas:
(1) Tactical Problems
(2) Off-the-Ball Movements
(3) On-the-Ball Skills
They suggest the teacher asks themselves two guiding questions based on the target game they have for the games unit. These questions are:
- What tactical problems do this game present for scoring, preventing scoring, and restarting play?
- What off-the-ball movements and on-the-ball skills are necessary to solve these problems?
The content analysis to the right begins to address these questions for the middle school volleyball unit.
Scope
Entry Abilities
- Our students are a co-ed Grade 8 PE class
- Students are entering at a beginner volleyball level
- they have participated in volleyball units in the past
- they should have basic knowledge about the sport, but are still developing most of their skills
- some students may have be involved in extra curricular volleyball
- They had difficulty executing basic skills in control
- serve, forearm pass, overhead pass
- They are developing basic movement patterns
- moving behind the ball
- They have very little understanding about the tactics of net/wall games
- do not know any team-play strategies to score on the other team
- don't have the ability to place the ball into space on the opposing teams court
- Students will probably have certain partners they prefer to work with
Exit Abilities
- We expect the students to develop understanding about movements and tactics associated with net/wall games
- Understand the 4 R's of net/wall games and how these relate to movement during the game of volleyball
- Develop stronger fundamental movement patterns (moving behind the ball, etc)
- Develop communication skills throughout the lessons (peer feedback, collaboration and teamwork)
- want to see them able to work with a diverse group of peers
- want them to know they can contribute to a team in many different ways
- Be able to execute underhand serve and forearm pass in control
- Understand when these skills should be used in volleyball
- Develop students confidence and enjoyment of volleyball!
TGFU Volleyball Tactical Concepts
Skill Progressions
Below are the progressions for the forearm pass and the overhead pass.
Skill Progression: Overhead Pass
Skill Progression: Forearm Pass
Block Plan Overivew
Below is the outline plan of 4 volleyball lessons showing how to combine introductory activities with culminating games. This outline is seen a rough plan that gets adjusted each time a class of students is taught the unit.
Volleyball Block Plan
Sequence of Activities
The two columns below show an introductory game and culminating game from our first lesson plan.
The focus in the introductory game is to teach off-the-ball movements in volleyball. This means quickly moving behind the ball, having a low body position with a tall chest, and arms outstretched creating a passing platform.
The culminating game, Fukuhara, introduces volleyball tactics such as moving in reaction to the opposing teams play, passing the ball three times on your side of the net, etc. It gives every student the chance to be successful, and to have fun, without really requiring any specific volleyball skills.
Skill Analysis
The skill analysis sections suggestions criteria cues and refinements that can be used to teach students effectively motor-skill execution. The bio-mechanical analysis offers general outline of mechanical principles and how they can be applied to a motor skill. The other sections offer some key cues in relation to key manipulative skills.