CHOLESTEROL VOLLEYBALL

COOPERATIVE LEAD UP VOLLEYBALL GAME FORMAT

Objective: Students will understand the effects of high cholesterol on the body and heart by engaging in a game that illustrates the concept.

Cognitive Link: The brain is only as healthy as the body that carries it. Experiencing concepts anchor learning for better retention and retrieval.

Academic Concepts: Nutrition, risk factors

Equipment: A very large 48" ball such as a beach ball, a huge paper ball, a large plastic trash bag filled with crumpled recycled newspaper. A volleyball net suspended at about 5' on poles or a make shift version of a volleyball net or "pretend" net. A large bed sheet for each team (or large trash bags or towels if playing with partners)

Organization: Students divide into 2 teams on either side of the net. All team members are standing around a large sheet with both hands holding on to the sheet. If playing in partners, have one-half of the partners on one side of the net and one-half of the partners on the other.

Anticipatory Set: Teacher's Quote: "High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease causing heart attacks and strokes. Eating foods high in fat can cause high levels of cholesterol. The extra fat builds up in the arteries, clogs the artery, and causes less blood flow.

Exercise breaks up cholesterol and burns extra fat. Let's pretend that this big ball is a cholesterol clog and that the volleyball net is an artery. Your job is to work together to unclog this artery."

Activity: The object of the game is for one team to throw cooperatively the ball across the net and for the receiving team to catch the ball in the sheet and toss it back and forth over the net. One point for each successful throw is awarded to the team. Team members will discover techniques for successful throws and catches creating their own signals and communication. The team that misses gives the serve to the other team.

If students are playing in partners holding on to each end of a towel or pillowcase or plastic trash bag, when the ball is served the set of partners closest to the ball must call for it to catch it. A rotation system as in volleyball can be used to rotate positions and servers.

Closure: Teacher's Quote: "Cholesterol is a BIG problem if it gets out of hand. The best way to prevent cholesterol from sticking to the arteries is to EXERCISE."