"Game Creations"

A Book by Susan Morris

"Game Creations" is a book of traditional physical education games made nontraditional and a lesson plan for students so they can make up their own game creations in your class. Game Creations is an 88 page book of indoor and outdoor games, warm up activities and lead up activities to teach traditional physical education games with step-by-step instructions that have been tested by my students. My idea of having students make up a physical education game and present it to their class could fit into any Physical Education Curriculum. Using this type of activity in class builds social and organizational skills, independence, responsibilities, freedom and enhances positive leadership qualities. Children deserve opportunities to be more creative in Physical Education Class. Game Creations give them opportunities to expand and develop their ideas into a final project. The main reason for writing this book is to share new ideas with people who are interested in new games that can be taught to physical education classes and regular classrooms. Students can become bored doing the same activities over and over each year in physical education class. Students need and want variety just like adults.

The second reason is to encourage teachers to have a unit in their curriculum where students have the opportunity to use their imagination and creative skills. I feel we do not encourage our Physical Education Students enough to express their own ideas in class.

Getting students involved teaching class makes class more interesting. In my seventh and eighth grade physical education class at the Lawrence Junior High School in Fairfield Maine, we do the traditional physical education games that have been done year after year in class and we also do something called Game Creations. Students in my class are paired up with a classmate and they must create a game that I have never seen before. I find that peer teaching creates an atmosphere where students feel more comfortable presenting their idea . They work together spending a great deal of time and effort developing their "own " product. The game must be creative and safety is our first priority. I have included a copy of the lesson plan that my students use to write down their game creation. Their game is worth twenty-five percent of their physical education grade. Each game is worth thirty points: ten points for their lesson plan, ten points for creativity and ten points for presenting it to the class. Each student is assigned a class period to clearly explain and demonstrate his/her game to his/her classmates making them understand the rules and how to play. On this day he/she is the teacher and the official for his/her game.

Before class is over we discuss the game we played. Students talk about what they liked most about the game and ways we could change a few rules or ideas to make new games. Although many of these games in this book came from the ideas of seventh and eighth graders, I believe younger students could create some neat and exciting new physical education games. The games in this book can be changed and adapted to other physical education classes. Physically challenged students can be involved in these games by changing a few of the rules.

As Physical Educators we must try many ways to introduce different activities to encourage students to participate in physical activity so they can stay active and develop healthy lifestyles through out their lifetime. This book has many new ideas and classroom activities for your students in physical education classes and the regular classroom. I hope you and your classes have fun and enjoy the games.

QUOTES from teachers in Maine...

"As we get away from the typical format with regards to Physical Education. We at York High School, have used this section within our Sophomore Adventure Curriculum. With specific guidelines and incentives, all students are allowed to be creative, adaptational, and spontaneous. The unit has been neat and received with great success." Rick Brault, Physical Education Teacher at York High School.

"Over the years having the opportunity to try the games in Game Creations, has been a very positive experience for my physical education students. They are eager to try new games that other student's have created. Susan's games and game creation units encouraged me to add Game Creations to my 8th grade curriculum. Kids really do know how to play and make it fun- they have a wealth of creativity and new ideas! Students have the opportunity in presenting their games in leadership roles, plus the opportunity to critique others as peer learners. This book will also help teachers to look beyond the usual way of playing games- try a different twist- learn from students!" Deb Pluck, Physical Education Teacher at Hale-Dale Middle School.

QUOTES from students at the Lawrence Junior High School...

"Game Creations were very unusual, and that is what made them fun. Also, because us kids thought up something we'd like to do, and it was very neat!" Nina Palmer, Lawrence Junior High Student

"I enjoyed Game Creations because I liked making up my own games and getting to work with other people on different ideas. Also it was fun trying to play these games." Sare Collman, Lawrence Junior High Student

"It was fun having the ability to create something and share it with my peers." Russ Coplin, Lawrence Junior High Student

"It was a chance to perform an activity with a class as a shared experience. It was fun to be able to create and share." Phil Earwood, Junior at York High School

For questions or comments about this article, contact Susan Morris

(Information provided courtesy of http://pelinks4u.jasonbuckboyer.com)

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