PE and Math

Kindergarten and first grade students worked on their math and problem solving skills during PE today. Groups were given foam sheets stamped with numbers and shapes. One by one, they had to choose a missing piece, run down to the puzzle and then find its proper place. Working on their cardiovascular fitness, the students hustled back and forth to quickly solve the problem. The final challenge was to link numbers together: in numerical order, odds/evens, pairs with the sum of 10, etc.

Frogs and Ants

Ants are a social insects with thriving colonies built upon cooperation and teamwork. Our cooperative game, "Frogs and Ants," stresses these principles.

Three players are chosen to be frogs. Frogs chase the ants and if they tag one, the ant becomes frozen. The frozen ant can be unfrozen with the help of the colony. Four ants are needed to carefully carry the frozen ant over to the ant hill (a mat). Ants that are helping another ant are safe and cannot be tagged by a frog.

BRRRRRRR!

We started the new year off in a chilly fashion with highs only in the 40s. Thankfully, we were scheduled to be the gym for the month of January and took full advantage of the shelter and warmth.

Today, we played an interdisciplinary cooperative game that required students to use not only their quickness and endurance, but also cognitive skills and teamwork.

Piles and piles of beanbags labeled with numbers from 1 to 5 were placed in the center of the gym. The object of the game was to use the numbers on the beanbags to form the given sum for that round. Each player on a team took a turn racing to the middle to grab a beanbag. Communication and mental math became more important as additional beanbags were returned home.