Keepers of the Castle Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives: chase and flee in a changing environment Name: Erin Simmons
Content Standards Met: 1.1;1.13;2.1;3.1;3.6;4.3 Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Skills Required: Running and manipulating a ball.
Location: Gym Equipment: 5 large hula hoops & 30 balls (5 basketball and 25 tennis)

Formation Safety
Teaching
Style
Verbal Cue
Anticipate
d
Challenge
Warm-Up: Cardio & Stretch (2 mins)
- Good morning, third graders!
- Warm-Up: running, skipping, side stepping,
etc. along the perimeter of the basketball court
for the duration of a song.
- Stretch Share: three to five volunteers lead the
class with their favorite stretch.
mass
scatter
Arms length
apart
Direct
(some
freedom)
off task
students
Anticipatory Set:
- Presidential election-- types of leaders-- kings
and queens-- castles-- Keepers of the Castle








Lesson Skill Focus: What will the Student
Learn?
- Think back to what we learned last week: what
are ways that we can move a ball? (throw,
bounce, roll, etc.)
- Goal for the day: to get away from people
chasing you while you retrieve a ball.
- Count students off in groups of four.
mass
scatter
Arms length
apart
Guided
Discovery
Excessive
chatting
Keepers of the Castle Lesson Plan




Page 3
Formation Safety
Teaching
Style
Verbal Cue
Anticipate
d
Challenge
Instruction/Directions: Keypoints (5 mins)
- Send numbered groups to corners and
remainder of students to the center circle (4
groups of 4 and 2 students in the center).

- Goal of the game: get the balls in the center
castle into corner castle.

- The keepers of the castle: use noodles to tag
students and prevent them from getting the
balls.

- Students who have been tagged return to their
castle without a ball and give their teammates
a turn.

- Keepers of the castle can only tag on the
shoulders & arms, be sure not to do it so hard.

- Thumbs up if you think you know how to play.







see back of
lesson
- ask
students
not to
bump into
each other
- two
students
at a time
- tag the
shoulders
and arms
only
- abuse of
the
noodles
will result
first in a
warning,
then in a
switch to a
corner
castle, and
finally
removal of
the game.
Guided
Discovery
- Students
will want
to form
their own
groups

- Students
will
beginning
playing
with the
balls/ hula
hoops

- Excessive
chatting


- some
students
wont be
able to
answer the
guiding
questions
Keepers of the Castle Lesson Plan




Formation Safety
Teaching
Style
Verbal Cue
Anticipate
d
Challenge
Practice (5-10 mins)
Round 1 (practice round): 4/corner; two at a
time; running.
- Count balls/hoop, return balls, have
students pull hula hoop back five steps, rotate
groups clockwise to new hula hoops, randomly
select new keepers and have students switch
spots with the keepers.
- Ask for questions.
see back of
lesson
Direct
- Count
- Return
- Pull back
- Rotate
- Collisions/
injuries
- noodle
abuse
- transition
time
between
rounds is
too long
and focus
is lost.
Game: Apply skill to game (5-10 min)
Round 2: 4/corner; two at a time; dribble OR roll
ball back to your castle (if tagged after ball is
rolled, the ball still counts.
- Count, return, pull, rotate and switch.
Round 3: 4/corner; two at a time; throw balls to
teammates still at castle.
Round 4: 4/corner; two at a time; balancing ball
in one hand.
Round 5: free for all.
see back of
lesson
Direct
- Count
- Return
- Pull back
- Rotate
- too
repetitive
Closure (1 min)
- Bring it in!
- Show of hands, how many people got tagged?
- How many people made it through at least one
round without getting tagged?
- What did you do to avoid getting tagged?
(change direction, change speed, etc.)

Mass scatter Guided
Discovery
Excessive
chatting