FIRST GRADE -SOFTBALL

REVIEW THROWING, UNDER AND OVERHAND: Part 1 – Play an active warm up game. If you use flags you will be able to send the students to the stations according to color once the game is over. Part 2/3 – Set up stations to practice throwing. Be sure you have enough targets so that each student can participate all the time at each station. Be sure to review the points of throwing. You can review the points verbally before they begin, or you can review the points periodically as they work.

THROWING GAMES: Part 1 – Play an active warm up game or do the fitness circuit. Part 2/3 – Play some games that cause the students to practice throwing. The specific goal of these games should be throwing, and not include hitting with an implement. You can use some of the games that you used in Kindergarten, or find some new ones.

CATCHING: Part 1 – Play an active game that incorporates throwing. It should not cause the students to throw at each other. Remember, NO DODGE BALL. Part 2 – Introduce catching skills. Begin with each student having a ball or beanbag in his or her own space, teach or review the points of catching. Throw the object into the air, staying in own space; catch it when it comes back down. 1. What do you look at when you are trying to catch the ball? (The ball) 2. Where do you place your hands as you are catching the ball? (Behind or under it in relation to where it is coming from.) 3. Once the ball contacts your hands, what can you do with your hands to help keep the ball from popping out of your hands? (Close your fingers around the ball) 4. If the ball is not coming directly to you, what should you do to catch it easier? (Move to get behind the ball) Part 3: Play catch with a partner. Start with an underhand throw, and finish with overhand.

THROWING AND CATCHING GAMES AND ACTIVITIES: Part 1 – Play an active warm up game, or do the fitness stations. Part 2/3 – There should be lots of activities in the book that involve throwing and catching. Be sure to pick games that allow the students to throw and catch. If your students are really creative, you could set up a task that causes them to create a game of their own.

EXPLORING RANGES: Part 1 – Play a game that uses throwing and catching. If any games your students made up turned out fun, play one of those! Part 2 – This activity incorporates body parts and body shapes. Step 1 and 2 should be done with you directing the body parts to use. These are meant to be done at least 4 or 5 different times each using different combinations of body parts. Tasks 3 & 4 are locomotion. These tasks should be done a couple times each. Part 3: When drum is playing travel so your partner cannot follow you easily. When the drum stops, Freeze in a shape with your Head, Knee, and elbow far away from each other. Your partner should create his or her own shape. When the drum beats again, the other partner should be the leader. (Each time you start the drum again, call out different parts to help create the shape)

HITTING PRACTICE: Part 1 –Fitness stations. Part 2 – Review hitting in partners or threes. Be sure to review the points of hitting. There might have been some questions that you did not get to with kindergarten, if so, work on those questions during this lesson. Part 3: One versus One or Two t-ball. One player hits the ball and runs around the cone, back to the tee. The fielder runs and gets the ball and throws it from at least 3 steps away (mark it with a hoop, you can let the students decide together in their groups how far they will make the hoop.) into a bucket or can, before the hitter gets back to the tee.

HITTING PRACTICE: Part 1 – Play Hot Potato Tag. Part 2 – play the game you finished with last lesson. In partners or groups of three. Part 3 – Give the students some choices of equipment and allow the partners to create a game with hitting and running. After 10 minutes, let the students teach their game to another set of partners.

2 VERSUS 2-HITTING GAME: Part 1 – Warm up with a fitness work out. Part 2/3 – Play 2v2, hitting off the tee. Play a game that includes throwing, catching and hitting. You can modify the rules from another game, or teach a new game all together.