Game

Gotta Goal

Learn about setting short-term goals during a throwing and catching activity.

Gotta Goal Feature Image

Key Message

Aim high! Make a plan to reach you goals!

Objectives

  1. Distinguish between short-term and long-term goals.
  2. Create a plan to achieve a short-term goal.
  3. Practice throwing and catching skills to achieve a short-term goal.

Preparation

  • Safety: Allow enough space to move freely and minimize collisions. Determine boundaries that are a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
  • Ensure equipment and materials are properly cleaned. 
  • Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from Effective Strategies for Grouping Learners
  • Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.
 

Warm Up

Begin with a fitBoost.

,img

Captivate

Say: Let’s see if you can solve some riddles about the four parts of fit. I will give you a clue, then you guess whether I am talking about recharge, mood, food, or move. (Practice each movement before you read the riddle clues that follow.)

  • Recharge: Act as if you are sleeping or relaxing.
  • Mood: Hold your arms up high and show two thumbs up.
  • Food: Act as if you are peeling a banana.
  • Move: Get moving, wiggle or jog in place!

Here are the clues:

  • You need 9-12 hours of sleep each night for energy to go, grow, and know. (recharge)
  • Be active many times, in many ways, and in many places throughout the day. (move)
  • This is fuel for your body and brain. (food)
  • All feelings are okay. (mood)

Educate

You can set recharge, mood, food, or move goals to make healthy choices. Goals can be big (long-term goals), like wanting to be an astronaut or playing on a professional sports team, or small (short-term goals), like drinking water instead of soda or turning off screens in the evening. Goals always start with a plan. Without a plan, a goal is just a wish.

To set a goal, remember G-O-A-L-S:

  • Get a plan
  • One step at a time
  • Act on the goal
  • Learn
  • Start again

The number one thing you need to know is to set a goal, you need a plan!

Today we are going to practice setting goals. You will engage in throwing and catching activities, then make a plan and set a goal to improve your throwing and catching skills.

Activate

  1. Demonstrate the goal-setting activities:
  • Activity 1: This activity provides an opportunity for learners to practice their catching skills for Activity 2. Each learner practices catching a variety of balls. Learners stand inside a hula hoop while throwing and catching individually. The learner makes five catches (K-1 bounce catch) then changes to a different ball. Be sure to demonstrate the technical skills of tossing and catching. Older students may opt to use a two or one-handed catch.
  • Activity 2: Pair learners. Demonstrate hand position for catching a bounce pass. Learners stand in the hula hoop and bounce-pass the ball to their partner. After several exchanges, change to a different ball. Encourage supportive communication between partners to improve passing skills.
  • Challenge: Encourage learners to try different catches, like bouncing the ball, catching it behind their back, or spinning around. 
  1. Decide upon a time (1 to 3 minutes) for each activity and explain to learners that they are to keep a count of how many balls they catch.

  2. At the end of the allotted time, pause to discuss goal setting. Ask: 
  • How many times did you catch a ball? (Count of total catches.)
  • How many different types of balls did you catch? (Count of different sized balls.)
  • How will you improve your catching skills for the next time we do this activity? (Encourage learners to state plans as a one-step-at-a-time goal: “I will [describe technique] to catch more balls.” Remind learners that making a plan is important to setting and achieving goals.) 
  • Let’s start again! (Students repeat the catching/throwing activity.)
  1. After Activity 2, revisit the goal-setting discussion. Highlight that setting a goal requires a plan; without a plan, it's just a wish! Refer to goal poster to assist learners to set individual goals.

Close the Lesson

  1. Partner learners.

  2. Select a fitFlow card and work together to complete the poses.

  3. While doing the yoga poses, guide learners through a lesson reflection. Ask:
  • What was our lesson about today? (Planning goals.)
  • Think about how you set your throwing and catching goals. Did you make wishes, or did you make a plan for your goal?
  • Today we set a movement goal. We set the goal to increase the number of times we caught a ball.
  • What other movement goals can you set? What are some move goals you can set when you are not in PE class? What is your plan? (Students share ideas for short-term-goals with one another. If necessary, guide them to think of goals they can set on the playground or at home.)
  1. Assess understanding with the following questions:

    Q:
    What is the difference between a goal and a wish? 
    A: Goals have a plan.

    Q: What is a goal for your next recess? How will you do it?
    A: Learners describe their plan.

    Q: Explain why it is important to make a plan for your goals.
    A: You are more likely to reach your goal if you make a plan. 


  2. Encourage learners to share their ideas for recharge, mood, food, and move goals.

Challenge

Describe a goal you will work on this week. What is your plan?

Health Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Use functional health information to support health and well-being 

  • Standard 5: Use a decision-making process to support personal and community health and well-being  

  • Standard 6: Use a goal-setting process to support personal and community health and well-being 

Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

  • Responsible Decision-Making
  • Self-Management

Physical Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Develops a variety of motor skills  
  • Standard 2: Applies knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts. 
  • Standard 3: Develops social skills through movement  

Extend the Lesson

Adaptations and Modifications

  • Adapt locomotor skills and movement patterns to learners' needs, interests, and abilities. Read our full list of inclusive ideas for Adapting Games for Every Learner.
  • Start with larger balls, then slowly increase the level of difficulty by using smaller balls. 
  • Sensory Modification: Provide verbal cues to guide the learners. Partners can clap or say “pass” to indicate when they are ready to catch.
  • Seated Exercise: Encourage seated learners to try catching the ball with one hand or using a net or basket if they have limited hand mobility. 
  • Use one of our short videos for your daily PE warmup or cooldown!

 

Take me to the full list of fitGames.

Related Content

Food, Mood, Move, Recharge

Would You Rather?

Grades K-5

Would you Rather? is a fun and engaging physical education game designed to teach learners about healthy choices through movement. The game involves a series of challenges that require students to use various movements and actions to represent different healthy behaviors.

Play Game
Food, Mood, Move, Recharge

Stop and Think

Grades K-5

This PE game uses movement and music to teach kids what influences their healthy choices.

Play Game
Food, Mood, Move, Recharge

Think Healthy. Be Healthy!

Grades K-5

In this PE game, learners practice making healthy recharge, mood, food, and move choices at different activity stations.

Play Game
Food, Mood, Move, Recharge

Power Up!

Grades K-5

Rotate through station activities to practice making choices that fuel your body and brain.

Play Game