Assignment 1: Tiered Lesson

Name & Student Number: Sarah Shaw 2141733

Curriculum (Learning) Area of Lesson: Physical Education (Volleyball)
Specific Topic of Lesson: Attacking as a team
Year Level: 10

Lesson Context
This year 10 class of 28 students will be undertaking a 4-week unit of volleyball. Each week will include
two double lessons and one single lesson, five 40 minute lessons per week in total. The aim of this unit is
to introduce the game of volleyball to students and further their development in the tactics of net games.
Students will understand the transferability of skills and tactics across a range of different net sports.
The focus areas to be addressed by this unit include: Health benefits of physical activity, safety and
games and sports (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2014).

While there are no physical disabilities in this lesson, there is 1 student who has difficulty processing
verbal information and 2 students with learning difficulties, one who struggles to write and one who
struggles to read. These differences will be accounted for in the planning, and explanations of catering for
this diversity will be provided, as “good teaching provides for the individual needs of all students”
(Foreman, 2017, p. 4).

Through the pre-assessment task at the beginning of the unit, it was found that 12 students have not had
any previous experience with volleyball. Therefore, they are learning very new skills and new tactics. 8
students have played in school in year 9 and have some basic skill knowledge and tactical awareness.
There are 3 students that play volleyball outside of school for a club who are competent, and 5 students
who play different net sports outside of school and have begun to transfer game knowledge well, picking
up on the skills quickly.

This lesson is a double lesson that sits in the beginning of the second week of the unit. It makes up
lessons 6 & 7 of a 20 lesson unit. In the first week of the unit, students developed an understanding of the
fundamental skills used in volleyball (Serve, dig, set, hit) and have been practising such skills through
small sided games and drills that have also emphasised tactical awareness around time and space. Week
2 will focus on attacking as a team, and the strategies and tactical components of attacking. Week 3 will
build further on skills, attacking tactics and also introduce defensive strategies, with week 4 concluding the
unit by consolidating all understandings and having students complete a summative assessment task on
game performance and knowledge.

Students within this unit are required to participate in self-evaluating activities, for example, tiering
themselves with teacher guidance. This unit comes later in the year, so the teacher has scaffolded self-
evaluation from the beginning of the year and is confident that students are realistic, honest and able to
identify their strengths and areas of development and further learning.

Learning Objectives
As a result of engaging with the lesson, students will:
understand that
the use of space and time influence attacking opportunities
know be able to (do)

the terminology of the pass (dig, set, hit).
the rules of volleyball (3 hits, net touch,
scoring).
Specific offensive tactics (hitting the ball deep,
analysing and capitalising on an opponent’s
weaknesses, forcing an opponent to move
etc.)
analyse the impact of time and space when
composing and performing movement sequences
(ACPMP103).
Transfer understanding from previous movement
experiences to create solutions to movement
challenges (ACPMP106).
Apply specific offensive tactics effectively and
appropriately in game play.

Essential Questions

How does the use of space improve results?

What are some strategies you can use as a team to increase your chances of winning?

Pre-assessment of Individual Student Readiness

The pre-assessment for this specific lesson (appendix 1) allows students to gain some feedback
on their game performance, to direct their learning needs for the remainder of the lesson. This
pre-assessment will be administered at the beginning of the lesson, after the warm up. Students
will get into pairs and get an assessment sheet each. They will then have 1 of the pair play
volleyball in a small sided (3v3) game, while their partner fills out a sheet for them. Students will
then swap so each player receives game performance data and feedback on themselves.
The teacher will then encourage students to analyse their personal game performance sheet
and choose a team (appendix 2) based on what they want to improve on or learn most about
during this lesson. The teacher will also explain the differences in each team and provide
guidance for students who are unsure (Jarvis, Pill & Noble, 2017).

Lesson Plan
Lesson Sequence Explanatory notes

5 mins – Introduction

- Welcome students and recap on

previous lessons and the
understandings we have
accumulated.
- Introduce the lesson objective and
sequence of activities for the
lesson (objectives (understand
that, know & be able to) and
activities on a whiteboard).
Having the objectives and lesson sequencing on the
whiteboard aids the student with processing trouble to
visualise the information as well as hear it, giving greater
opportunity for understanding. It also provides structure and
a way for all students to grasp the learning outcomes and
direction for the lesson.
5 mins – Warm Up

- Each student gets a volleyball and

Every student having a ball increases practise time, which in
finds a space on the courts.
turn increases confidence and skill development (Mosston &
- Setting to themselves (cues – Ashworth, 2002).
hands on hips with fingers spread This is a warm up that gives students an opportunity to
then raise above head for correct practise specific volleyball skills while having plenty of
technique, bend knees, body under touches.
the ball).
- Dig to themselves.
- Hit (spike, serve movement) against
the wall.
- Partners and one ball back on rack.
- Dig or set to each other
alternatively.

15 mins – Small sided games + pre-

assessment

- Explain explicitly how the pre-

assessment sheet is to be filled out, Demonstrating actively ensures all students have
demonstrating actively some of the understood the task, as they can both read the instructions
game performances that are being and see them being carried out. It helps students that may
assessed. have trouble processing or reading to have a more in-depth
- Have students in their pairs, get a understanding.
game performance pre-assessment
sheet and a pen each (provide pens)
- Students then get into half court
(badminton halves) 3v3 volleyball
games.
- One partner plays while the other
records feedback on performance.
- Students can choose to serve or full
toss (soccer throw in movement) the Making the serve non-compulsory keeps the game flowing
volleyball to begin play. and increases play time, which is essential for this part of
the lesson for students to collect data.
- 5 minutes of play to gather data, then
players swap with their partners to fill
in game performance sheet for
another 5 minutes of play.

10 mins – Data analysis/team allocations

- Call students back in and have them

receive some feedback from their
partner about their game
performance, using the sheet as
justification.
- Have students then analyse their
worksheets to gain an understanding
 of their game performance, to allow
them to see their areas of strength
and the areas in which they can
continue to improve and learn in.
- Appendix 2 will be written up on a
whiteboard by then, with the different
teams and their different targets
regarding differentiated skill and
tactical development.
- The teacher then explains in detail the
differentiated tasks of the different
teams, however they have the same
overarching objective: to understand
that space and time influence
attacking opportunities.
- Students are then to choose the team Senior school students are encouraged to think critically
they are to be in depending on their about their performance and choose options that they think
own analysis of their game will be most beneficial for them. Older students are
performance and the areas they generally honest about their performance and can make
believe they will benefit from most. relatively correct judgements, however close teacher
- Teacher guidance is available for guidance may be needed for some. There is sometimes the
those who aren’t too sure in which issue of students choosing particular teams for the social
benefits rather than learning benefits, and in this case the
team they will most benefit. teacher will need to step in and guide the students (Jarvis,
Pill & Noble, 2017).
20 mins – small sided games in tiered groups

TIER 1:

- The first tier will be the ORANGE

team.
- 12 students put themselves in the
orange team.
- Players will play half court 3v3 small
games.
- 5 minutes of game time to get
students into the flow.
- The rules are normal volleyball rules,
serve to begin play and 3 touches
each side only. Then students will play
a modified game for 10 minutes (refer
to appendix 3).
- The serve will be played but there will
be a second ball that will be tossed The serve is a skill that takes time to be competent at, let
over the net into play to take the alone master, so taking the pressure off the serve allows
pressure off the server. The service students to practise without it impacting game time and
ball will not be used, just lay at the being integral to the flow of them game.
back of the court.
- The ball tossed into play will be aimed
at the digger, which will be the player
that just served, moving into play. A
dig will then be aimed towards the
setter, who will set to a hitter and the
ball will go over the net to the
opposition.
 - From there the game will progress as
usual, but the first offensive play must
include a dig, set and hit from the
designated players.
- A point won means a rotation and
teams swap for the serve.
- Continue this drill for 10 minutes.
- The final 5 minutes will be spent
returning back to the first small sided
games, with regular rules and the
serve included in beginning the game.
- 3v3 half court will still be used.
TIER 2:
- The BLUE team will spend 5 minutes
playing small sided games as like the
orange team.
- They will then go into a 10 minute
modified game.
- There are 8 players in tier 2 and they
will play 4v4 on a modified, smaller
spaced court to emphasise the idea of
time and space as attacking concepts.
- The 10 minute game will include all
regular volleyball rules and the focus
will be on ball placement as an
attacking strategy.
- Refer to appendix 4 for the points
system of this modified game. If the
ball lands in a particular area, points
will be scored, emphasising which
space is best to hit into to win a point
as a good attacking strategy.
- Students to return to small sided,
regular rules for remaining 5 minutes,
encouraged to remember the areas in
which winning points are most likely to
occur.
TIER 3:
- The GREEN team is a team made up
of 8 quite competent students, who
want to challenge themselves in a
relatively competitive environment.
- The same objective of time and space
will be looked at, with critical
questions that encourage higher order
thinking from the students.
The emphasis on the dig, set and hit will allow players to
practise specific skills in a game context under less
pressure. Students are still playing volleyball but getting that
practise of the fundamental volleyball movements as well.
Rotations ensure that each player is gaining confidence and
developing in each role of the court.
Teacher questioning in this time will provide discussion and
thoughts surrounding the idea of time and space and how
they can be used to attack effectively. Students will begin
looking at placement and speed of the ball as attacking
tactics, as well as practising the attacking set up and
specific passing with the dig, set and hit.
*Using the word ‘hit’ instead of ‘spike’ takes the pressure of
a very refined skill that take hours of practise to master, and
makes the skill a more open one that is easier to grasp and
achieve.
This 5 minutes of game play that the students will know to
get into and initiate themselves allows time for the teacher
to move around and explain the different drill to each team.
If there are injured students for this lesson, the teacher will
explain the different drills to them and assign them as coach
to the different teams, so that those that are injured are still
involved and can form understandings of the objectives.
Keep score to keep students engaged and competitive, also
integrates a numeracy component.
Key questions during this modified game:
Why would the back sides and back line of the court be
worth the most points?
What is the best way to get a ball into the back of the court?
(Position of attacker (close to net = less distance for ball to
travel), type of pass used)
It is important to challenge and extend the students who are
excelling in the topic or task, to encourage them to
“participate in education in meaningful ways” (Hyde,
Carpenter & Dole, 2017, p. 309).
Key Questions:
When is the best time to attempt a winning shot?
Where can we play a shot for the most effective outcome?
Why would we place it there?
What other sports use those same tactics and strategies,
give an example.
 - 5 minutes of game play (4v4) with
regular rules and a serve to begin
play.
- After the first 5 minutes, students will
be given a task. The task will be to
develop an offensive setup as a team
and play using that setup for 5
minutes. They then, with teacher
guided questions discuss together the
positives and negatives of that setup.
Why that particular setup was
beneficial and why? Why it didn’t work
sometimes, and why? Teacher guided questions:
How would an attacking set up by different from a defensive
- The next 5 minutes will be spent set up. Why would it be different?
implementing their improvements on
the last attacking set up and mentally
recording the changes and if it worked
and why.
- 5 concluding minutes of play, keeping
score.

15 mins – small sided games

How is space an important concept when talking about
- Students are gathered back in around attacking?
the board and the teacher questions Where are some of the best places to play the ball to?
the key ideas that were covered by How does time impact attacking?
the tiered teams. What are some strategies to use time to our advantage?
- The teacher then explains that the
green team worked on attacking set This demonstration gives a visual aid for other students and
ups as their team goal, and they are allows them to see what volleyball looks like when the game
is flowing with the correct passes in the correct context.
asked to demonstrate the attacking
set ups that they decided worked best
for them, and to play to five points
using that setup.
- Students are then numbered by the
teacher, ensuring balanced team are
made, into groups of three.
- Students finish the lesson with small
sided games, a serve or a full toss to
start play, and regular rules to guide
the game, 3v3 on half courts. This ensures engagement and lets students play different
- Each game will run for 3 minutes, then teams, which helps in the case of a badly losing team being
all teams rotate clockwise. able to start again and verse a different team.

Lesson Closure/ Check for Understanding

10 mins – lesson closure, questions and check for understanding.

- Pack up all the equipment that was used and nets, and bring all students back in around
the whiteboard.
- Ask directed questions about the impacts of time and space as an attacking strategy.
- 1. How is player set up beneficial to attacking? (Players have structure and are more
powerful as a team in attacking as the ball is controlled and purposeful).
 - 2. Who should play the second ball and why? (the setter or someone close to the net,
because it means the hit will be closer to the net and have more chance of being a deep
shot).
- Re-visit the objectives and ask if students feel confident that they understand some of
the ideas behind attacking using time and space.
- Have students mentally tick off the understand that, knows, and be able to off the
whiteboard in their heads.
- Can they all tick it off? Understanding checked through questioning, performance and
self evaluation from students.

Explanation:
Australian classrooms are made up of a diversity that now exceeds culture, background and
ethnicity, to embrace the inclusion of a range of students from those with disabilities, through to those
who are particularly gifted (Jarvis, 2013). This lesson aims to encompass and further the
understanding of all levels of student readiness, through pre-assessment and tiering. Readiness can
change from lesson to lesson and skill to skill so it is important to ensure as a teacher, that you are
aware of each individual’s readiness in each lesson (Doubet & Hockett, 2015). The content and
processes have been differentiated by this lesson to cater for diverse levels of readiness (Tomlinson,
2004).

This lesson provides a sequence of activities that are tiered, targeting different concepts of the game
of volleyball, while still meeting and creating understanding around the overarching objective.
The needs of different students have been met by the implementation of teaching strategies to
ensure inclusion across a range of competencies and learning styles.

The student that had trouble processing verbal words was included through the use of explicit
strategies as outline in the explanatory notes, as were the 2 students who struggled with reading and
writing.
This lesson was additionally designed to encourage a mindset of persistence and patience, so
students understand that with effort and commitment, many things are achievable, such as the
technical and tactical skills in volleyball (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011).

References
Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (2014). Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum: Health and
Physical Education. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/health-and-physical-
education/

Doubet, K., & Hockett, J. (2015). Differentiating according to student readiness, in Doubet, K & Hocking, J.
Differentiating in middle and high school: stratgies to engage all learners, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginie, pp. 173-206.

Foreman, p. (2017). Introducing inclusion in education, in Foreman, P. & Arthur-Kelly, M. Inclusion in action, Cengage
Learning Australia, South Melbourne, Vic, pp 2-49.

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Dole, S. (2017). Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement ebook 3e. Melbourne: OUPANZ
Jarvis, J. (2013). Differentiating learning experiences for diverse students, in Hudson, P (ed.), Learning to teach in the
primary school, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, Vic, pp. 52-70.

Jarvis, J., Pill, S., & Noble, A. (2017). Differentiated pedagogy to address learner diversity in secondary physical
education, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, voll 88(8), pp. 46-54.

Mitchell, S., Oslin. L., * Griffin, L. (2013). Teaching sport concepts and skills: A tactical games approach for ages 7 to
18 (Third ed).

Mosston, M., & Ashworth, S. (2002). Teaching Physical Education, New York: Longman.

Sousa, D., & Tomlinson, C. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: how neurscience supports the learner-friendly
classroom, Solutions Tree Press, Bloomingham, Ind.

Tomlinson, C. (2004). The how to’s of planning lessons differentiated by readiness, in Tomlinson, C. How to
differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,
Alexandria, pp, 45-51.

Checklist of assignment components:

 Completed lesson context explanation
 Completed clear learning objectives and essential questions for the lesson
 Complete, step-by-step lesson description, with brief notes explaining how the lesson
represents an example of a tiered lesson to address readiness
 Explanatory 1-2 paragraphs clearly linking your lesson planning decisions to the topic
content (and citing sources as appropriate)
 Supplementary materials (e.g., copies of directions, handouts, etc. provided to
students)
 Copy and/or description of preassessment task used to assign individual students to
appropriate “tiers”
 Evaluation/ assessment criteria (e.g., rubric or checklist used to guide evaluation of
student work)
EDUC4720/1 EDUC9406 2017. Tiering format adapted from Tomlinson (1999)
Appendix 1: Pre-assessment worksheet.
Appendix 2: as displayed on whiteboard.
Appendix 3:
Appendix 4: