Grades 4 - 6 Sample Lesson: Catch Me If You Can

• A student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and impulsivity.
  • Consideration: Incorporate strategies to support the student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. 

• A student who is adopted and has gaps in medical history, with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The family is new to Canada.
  • Considerations:
    • Incorporate strategies to support the emotional well-being and participation for the student with GAD and PTSD.
    • Incorporate strategies for the student from an Iranian and Latin background to make connections and incorporate their experiences. 

• 1 scoop per student 

• 1 scooter board per student 

• 1 wiffle ball per student 

• 4–5 targets (e.g., nets, buckets, plastic bins, hula hoops) 

• Appendix: Stretches 

• Teacher Resource: Recordable Assessment Tool (Checklist)  

• Gather students in a circle and introduce the concept of animal movements. 

• Invite students to choose an animal movement to mimic (e.g., bear crawl, crab walk, frog leap, iguana). 

• Encourage students to practise their chosen animal movement while moving around the designated activity area. 

• Invite students to demonstrate their animal movement to another student or the class. Have students explain why they chose their animal and identify ways they can represent the way the animal moves.  

• Gather students in a circle.   

• Review the rules and safety procedures when using scoops (e.g., maintain a safe distance from others, be aware of their surroundings and stay within the designated boundaries, provide a verbal cue before sending a ball to another student).  

• Model the following ways to use the scoop:
  • Toss the ball in the air and catch it in the scoop three times.
  • Bounce the ball on the ground and catch it in the air five times.
  • Find a space on the wall and toss the ball against the wall, catching after one bounce. 

• Make eye contact with another student and exchange balls by tossing to each other simultaneously. 

• Have students pair up to share other games they have played that use similar skills of sending and receiving. Have partners share one strategy they can use to be successful when playing their identified game (e.g., keep their eye on the ball when receiving, provide a target for the sender to aim at, communicate with each other).  

• Provide each student with a scoop and a wiffle ball.  

• Explain to students that they are to move around the activity area holding their scoop with their wiffle ball inside. At a predetermined signal, have students complete one of the ways to use the scoop, selecting a way that is tailored to their abilities and preferences. Engage students in a practice round by having them select and try one of the ways to use the scoop to ensure that all students understand the instructions. Clarify instructions as needed.  

• Have students vary the method of locomotion between challenges (e.g., hopping, skipping, galloping).

• Allocate time for students to generate and share ideas for new challenges using the scoops and wiffle balls. Remind students of the safety rules when designing new challenges.  

• Provide time for students to try their challenges.  

• Have students put their scoops in a location away from the instructional area. 

• Explain that the objective of the game is to work as a team to practise passing a wiffle ball using scoops and aiming to hit a target. 

• Demonstrate how to move and navigate safely on a scooter board. Have students practise moving safely on the scooter board without their scoops, providing reminders as needed.  

• Divide students into teams based on compatibility and comfort levels, and peer support.  

• Divide the space into 4–5 smaller spaces with designated boundaries. Place a target in each space, varying the size and type of target (e.g., net, buckets, plastic bins, hula hoops). 

• Designate an activity area for each team. 

• Have students retrieve their scoops and provide one wiffle ball per team. 

• Instruct teams to start their game by having one team member scoop up their wiffle ball and pass it to a teammate. The ball must be passed to each teammate before the team attempts to hit their target. Team members move around their space on their scooter boards attempting to position themselves in the best place to send or receive a pass and send toward the target.  

• Engage teams in a practice round to ensure that all students understand how to play the game. Clarify instructions as needed.  

• Encourage teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking as students work together to pass the ball and hit their target. Offer praise and encouragement, highlighting effort, cooperation, and teamwork over the score. 

• Play short rounds. Have teams rotate to a different target after each round with team members taking turns starting the game and attempting to hit the target.  

• How is the technique for sending a wiffle ball different than receiving it? 

• Which body parts move—and in which ways—when you send the wiffle ball to your target? 

• Describe how you controlled the force you use when sending the wiffle ball to a teammate or to the target?  

• How does sending a ball with a scoop require coordination and teamwork?  

• How does communication with others enhance your success in this activity?  

• What challenges or difficulties did your team encounter when sending or receiving a ball? What did you do to overcome them?  

• How did your team use strategies depending on the size and type of target? How did you adjust for accuracy and success? 

• How did practising sending a ball with a scoop improve your sending and receiving skills? 

• Set up a series of targets with different point values around the activity area. 

• Students take turns scooping and throwing the ball to aim for specific targets, earning points based on accuracy and distance. 

• Divide players into teams and have them choose specific challenges to complete together, such as passing the ball a certain number of times without dropping it as they move about the space on their scooters, being mindful of other students.

CRRP and Disability-Centred Movement Strategies Embedded in the Lesson 

• Visual cues, practice rounds, and verbal reminders are incorporated to help the student navigate expectations and instructions clearly. 

• Safety rules and activity instructions are established, clarified, and reinforced to help the student meet expectations for behaviour in the gym. 

• Succinct instructions are provided and divided into smaller steps and repeated as needed to ensure the students can meet the expectations. 

• A schedule of activities posted and shared helps the student anticipate and understand the sequence of activities, reducing uncertainty and promoting engagement.  

• Frequent breaks are allowed during physical activities to help students with ADHD regulate their energy levels and attention.  

• Students are offered choices within activities to provide a sense of autonomy and increase engagement (e.g., choosing which animal to move like or challenge to try. 

• Equipment is set aside during instruction to reduce distractions and boundaries are established for each target area, helping students to stay focused and engaged on the task at hand. 

• Positive reinforcement techniques are used, such as praise and encouragement to acknowledge and reinforce appropriate behaviour and effort.  

• Visual schedule is used to provide the student with a consistent and predictable framework, which helps prevent a feeling of being overwhelmed. 

• Intentional and flexible groupings are used to help the student feel safe and comfortable. 

• Opportunities for choice are provided throughout the lesson to empower students and promote a sense of control over their environment and experiences. 

• Opportunities for choice are provided (e.g., choice of animal, challenge to try) to allow the student to make connections to their background and prior movement experiences to see themselves reflected in the curriculum.  

• Through partner sharing of chosen animal movements, their cultural games, and strategies they use to be successful when sending and receiving, the student has the opportunity to make connections to their background and culture and prior experiences. This approach creates opportunities for their experiences to be affirmed and valued.